No Longer Male and Female: A Biblical Guide for Our Questions about Gender
By Will Brown
Westminster John Knox Press, 140 Pages
Published September 1, 2026
Understanding gender expansiveness is not simply an academic exercise for Pastor Will Brown. As a father of a gender-expansive child – meaning his child was born one gender but now identifies as non-binary, neither male nor female – Brown had to determine how to support his child’s gender identity and transition. No Longer Male and Female connects his personal journey with his pastoral experiences to create an introductory book for others seeking to understand and support gender-expansive people in their communities.
Through individual Scripture references and thoughtful analysis through the lens of affirmation and inclusion, readers can build their own understanding and theology of care for LGBTQIA+ folks.
Brown offers a supportive text that first helps readers understand the biblical basis for affirming gender-expansive people and then suggests how the church can best love and care for them. He seeks first to dispel concerns readers might carry; drawing on scriptural references from both the Old and New Testaments, he thoughtfully addresses passages that have been used to argue against transgender folks. Brown proclaims, “Perhaps, just as the days in Genesis 1 use general descriptions to indicate the fullness of creation, the same can be true for language conveying gender. Male and female reflect the patterns we see, but the reality of human experience is more complex.” Through individual Scripture references and thoughtful analysis through the lens of affirmation and inclusion, readers can build their own understanding and theology of care for LGBTQIA+ folks.
As a queer person who works closely with LGBTQIA+ youth across the country, I’m glad to have a new resource to share with communities, churches, and families. While the text is thoughtful and insightful, those already living within or advocating for the LGBTQIA+ community will find it fairly rudimentary. Brown starts at the beginning, sharing his desire to guide readers through the process of moving from an unaffirming to an affirming stance toward their gender-expansive siblings in Christ — an understandable approach, but one that results in language that feels less supportive and inclusive than in other books on LGBTQIA+ ministry and theology.
This book is an ideal first read for congregations beginning to explore the possibility of becoming affirming churches. Brown’s gentle guidance never feels aggressive or pushy but instead offers a healthy entry point to the concept that transgender identities can be explored, understood and validated when seen through a biblical lens. With ample space for reflection, questions at the end of each chapter prompt readers to reflect individually or collectively on Scripture and theology and to begin forming their own ideologies on the topics at hand. Brown concludes, “In the end, this is why we bother to study this topic that may feel unfamiliar and strange to us — to love our neighbors. Learning is part of how we extend love and compassion.”
No Longer Male and Female is filled with compassionate love for LGBTQIA+ youth. Drawing on his experience raising a gender-expansive child in a complex world, Brown paints a picture of love for the queer community. Brown gently holds the reader’s hand as he walks those who are still discerning their own theology of care for LGBTQIA+ people thoughtfully and fully, so they can make intentional choices filled with compassion. I look forward to the day when LGBTQIA+ youth will be cared for by the readers of this book.
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