Things used to be so simple when it came to
gender issues. Boys/men were males who liked girls/women and girls/women were
females who liked boys/men or at least wanted a good one for a husband and breadwinner/caretaker.
In all the “advanced” civilizations of
the world that was how things were—in public and on the surface, at least.
Those who did not fit the prescribed roles had to keep their real feelings in a
“closet.” Those who deviated from the traditional pattern were thought to be,
and castigated as, deviants—and often called even more derogatory names.
In
several previous blog articles I have written about LGBT issues, focusing
mostly on the LGs (lesbians and gays). I am still at a loss to know what to say
about the Bs (bisexuals). But now the Ts are being widely discussed. The Ts, of
course, refers to transgender persons, now often just calls trans.
A trans
man is a female-to-male transgender
person who was identified as a female at birth but whose gender identity is
that of a man. And a trans woman
is, of course, the opposite—and perhaps the best known trans woman in the world
this week is Caitlyn Jenner.
The
cover story of the June 1 issue of Vanity Fair magazine was “Call Me Caitlyn,”
the tale of Olympic gold-medal (decathlon) champion Bruce Jenner’s
transformation from the Male Athlete of the Year in 1976 to a female who looks
like a model in 2015.
Jenner
says that she was trans formed (my words); that is, born as a female
in a male body. Therefore, at the age of 65 she was, finally, transformed from a man to a
woman. After her transition, Jenner tweeted on June 1, "I'm so happy
after such a long struggle to be living my true self.”
But
there are those, especially some conservative Christians, who do not approve of what
Jenner did and do not believe in trans formation or affirm those who are transformed
from one gender to the other. One such person is Ronnie Floyd, pastor of a
megachurch in northwest Arkansas—and currently the president of the Southern
Baptist Convention.
Among
other things that might be said about him, Floyd is the pastor of the Duggar
family, about whom many of you know much more than I. Like most of you, though,
I have heard that Josh Duggar, the oldest of the “19 Kids,” has admitted to molesting
girls when he was a teenager.
Even
before the release of the new issue of Vanity Fair, Floyd made reference to the
sins of both Duggar and Jenner, saying they were both sinners: the former
because of sexual molestation and the latter because of gender transition.
According
to the Christian
Post, Floyd stated that “gender is not fluid” and he emphasized that God does not
make mistakes. He is also quoted as saying, “Did God make him this way?
Absolutely not.” In Floyd’s view, no one is trans formed—and it is wrong
(sinful) to transition from one gender to another.
But
more and more conservative Christians are admitting that most gays and lesbians
are such by birth and not by choice, and that their sexual orientation is due
to “nature” not “nurture.” Thus, reparative therapy is largely discounted now.
So
why should it be any different for those who are trans? And if they were trans
formed, shouldn’t they be supported and affirmed if or when they transition
into a trans man or a trans woman?
Blessings
on you, Caitlyn Jenner!
