Approximately 99.9 percent of the rhetoric I hear from Christians and the church about transgender people comes not from listening to trans people and the healthcare professionals who care for them or even from reading and understanding the Bible but practically word-for-word from political talking points. This post is my plea to Christians everywhere to begin rethinking their harsh stance toward the transgender community—a stance that does genuine harm to real people created in God’s image.
I’d like to invite you to do a thought experiment with me.
How would you feel if you received a message from your healthcare provider that your medical records had been turned over—without your consent—to your state’s attorney general?
What if you learned that the state had only required the medical records for people “like you” (whatever that means to you)?
What if the state’s government (legislative and executive branches) had already been actively working to restrict the rights of people “like you,” including your right to essential healthcare?
And what if all this were obviously fueled by religious/political intolerance for people “like you”?
What words would you use to describe the thoughts and emotions such an experience would cause to well up within you?
As the parent of an adult child who recently received such a message in real life, I can tell you the effect it had on me. It was chilling. It made me feel that my child was more vulnerable and in more danger than she had ever been in her life—not from bullies at school or violence in the streets—but from bullies in the very government that is supposed to protect her and in the church that all but guarantees that government’s power.
It made me feel deep disappointment and, yes, anger toward every organization and institution that upholds and continues to support the ideology that enabled this invasion of privacy and subsequent feelings of vulnerability.
While it is no secret to those who are close to us, this is the first time I’ve written publicly about my precious nineteen-year-old child’s gender identity. I do so with her knowledge and consent. Nearly three years ago, after a lengthy period of private anguish and growing self-awareness, Ash courageously told us she identifies as female. In that very moment, we assured her of our undying love and support, no matter where her journey may lead.
Since that day, I have learned a lot more than I ever expected about the transgender experience. And I want to say that, despite the unhinged political rhetoric, the therapy and medical care Ash has received, while being supportive, has also been both careful and cautious. No care provider has ever pressured her to transition, and she has always been in the driver’s seat in that regard. She never received any type of gender-affirming medical treatment as a minor.
But nothing prepared me for the moment when Ash told us about that text message.
Of course, the state’s attorney general has “assured” everyone that the state has no intention of targeting specific individuals in their investigation. But now, for the first time, they do have a list of transgender individuals. And the current state government, including the attorney general, are actively and aggressively anti-transgender in their ideology. So, yes, chilling.
And all of this, apparently, came at the instigation of a person I won’t name (because I don’t want to extend his platform), but whom Outreach.com describes as a “Christian writer, blogger, and speaker” and who publicly targeted and bullied hospitals in Massachusetts and Tennessee.
Don’t get me wrong. I support the church’s right to its beliefs about transgender and other LGBTQ issues. I think the evangelical church has it wrong—understandably wrong, but sinfully wrong—and I will explain why in subsequent posts. But in this historical moment, the question is not about the evangelical church’s beliefs. The question is about targeting and bullying.
The question is whether the evangelical church should (1) be allowed to force their beliefs on an entire nation, and (2) have the intention or desire to force their beliefs on others. The answer to both questions, even from a biblical perspective, is a resounding no.
In fact, this whole anti-trans, anti-LGBTQ business is rather anti-Christian. The Christ of the Bible was all about voluntary, personal transformation, never about guilting or shaming, and certainly never about the exercise of political power or the coercion of belief or behavior. In his most famous act, he faithfully and courageously submitted to the state rather than seek to exercise power over it. Today’s church cannot even imagine much less emulate such faith or courage.
Since “perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18), Christians should not fall for the fear-mongering around LGBTQ issues, as if the end of civilization is near, but instead respond in faith, hope, and love.
Christians should have no part in anti-LGBTQ legislation or investigations.
Christians should seriously question their support for politicians who seek to strip LGBTQ individuals of basic human rights, such as the privacy to consult with their healthcare providers to determine what medical treatment is in their best interests.
Far from supporting the current anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ orientation of the political right, Christians should oppose the targeting of individuals for their personal beliefs and identity. Many Christians love to imagine they would have been like Dietrich Bonhoeffer if they had been in his situation. But if you aren’t inclined to stand up for the rights of LGBTQ people in the US—as Bonhoeffer did for the Jewish people in his country—then you have no claim to Bonhoeffer’s legacy.
I recently published a book for Christians who are concerned about loved ones who are deconstructing their religion. Something you won’t hear from most professional Christians is that this issue—the harsh, cruel way the church targets transgender and other LGBTQ people—is one of the major reasons people deconstruct their faith and ultimately leave the church. It’s time the church recognizes its sin in this area and speaks up against the tide of hate against LGBTQ people—and in this historical moment, transgender people specifically—before even more damage is done.
As I said in a previous post, we can pretend that the church is losing its influence in society due to persecution for its “righteous deeds,” but in reality it is because they have tacitly consented to or actively caused “these little ones to stumble” (Luke 17:2).
I will have more to say on this issue, as I believe it is not only the church’s tone but its doctrine that is incorrect on this issue. But this much all followers of Christ should be able to embrace. The way of Christ is not fear and persecution but love.
Learn more about my newest book, Awakening Faith: A Guide for Loving Those Who Leave the Church