Transgender Lutheran vicar wants to continue his pastoral work


November 12, 2008
Helsingin Sanomat, Finland
http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Transgender+Lutheran+vicar+wants+to+continue+his+pastoral+work/1135241026162


Olli Aalto, the Lutheran Vicar of Imatra, says that he has struggled with his gender identity for almost all of his 54 years.

The struggle is now coming to an end. Aalto will take a leave of absence at the beginning of 2009, during which time he will undergo surgery and other procedures to become a woman.

Aalto says that the matter has been a cause for concern "ever since I was a little girl".

"I was three years old when I asked why I didn't have a skirt, when all the other girls did", he says.

Rev. Aalto's bishop is trying to force her to step down from her position as vicar.

QuoteVoitto Huotari, the bishop of the Finnish Evangelical-Lutheran Church's Mikkeli diocese, told the Finnish News Agency (STT) on Tuesday that Olli Aalto, the vicar of the parish of Imatra, could not continue in his current post.

The Rev Aalto had been quoted as saying in provincial papers Länsi-Savo and Itä-Savo on Sunday that he was planning to undergo sex reassignment procedures next year.

"I have been granted a leave of absence starting at the beginning of next year," the vicar told STT.

"Normally this kind of treatment will involve almost a year's absence from work."

The Rev Aalto added he would step down as vicar if it was deemed conducive to the interests of the parish.

http://newsroom.finland.fi/stt/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=20265&group=General

But the bishop is due to retire in February, so its possible that the new bishop will be more understanding.

Finnish labor experts say there no legal reason that Rev. Aalto must resign.  And since the Finnish Lutheran Church has female clergy, gender shouldn't be a problem.
http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Number+of+transgender+cases+has+increased+severalfold+in+recent+years/1135241063873