Is it Private Wo-Manning Now?

Convicted Wiki-leaker Bradley Manning made big headlines recently, not so much for his 35 year sentence for espionage, but for his desire to now be known as Chelsea and to live as a woman. Governor Jerry Brown of California sparked debate as, with his signature, his state became the first where students could choose their own gender with full freedom to use whatever bathroom or locker room they desire. The cultural debate regarding LGBT issues seems to have, after successfully normalizing homosexual conduct for young Americans, moved on to the T–transgender/transsexual issues. How should believers respond to people who choose to live as the opposite gender or believe that they are, in fact, that gender just with the wrong packaging? Before going too far, it is necessary to clarify the issues. There are a small number of persons born each year (Generally believed to be less than 1%) who are biologically gender indeterminate. These intersexed individuals have birth abnormalities that may result in confused male and female genitalia, internal organs or features. We used to call such persons hermaphrodites, though the condition is far broader than that term permits. Some of these individuals require surgery to correct the defects, while others do not. As with any birth defect, we ought to respond with compassion for both parents and children as they deal with their condition. Typically, however, transgender individuals are not struggling with a biological problem, but a psychological one. Before you get too riled up about that, individuals seeking sex reassignment surgery typically require a medical diagnosis prior to undergoing that procedure. Gender dysphoria (Or Gender Identity Disorder) fits the bill. In a nutshell, an individual, despite their biological gender, believes that they are really the other. Surgery seeks to rectify the situation by giving them the gender traits they desire. It is not medically possible, however, to actually change someone’s gender, so these individuals often must take hormones for the rest of their lives in order to maintain their new identity and their genetic structure remains unchanged. So is this a good thing? If Bradley becomes Chelsea is he now a woman in God’s eyes? The verse that probably comes to many Christians’ minds first is:“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27 ESV) It is a good one as it reminds us of God’s intentionality in creating male and female as distinct genders. He assigns our identity, as it were. Perhaps more to the point, however, are a couple of other verses worth examining. “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:12-14a) God doesn’t just, like the Deists posit, sit back and relax after the creation. Nope, He is actively involved in each and every life. It is He that forms that child in the womb–its gender included. That can be puzzling, especially for those of us who would prefer that God had given us better genetics. Whether we are short, tall, freckled, skinny, blind or tone deaf, we are exactly who God wants us to be. That includes our gender. He has a plan that includes sexual identity. At the heart of gender dysphoria is a genuine and heartfelt dissatisfaction with one’s identity. It is as if we are raising our fist to the sky and crying out, “Why did you make me like this!” I don’t want to discount the reality of those feelings. They can be devastating. I have known people with various physical and emotional difficulties that have felt exactly the same way. Truth be told, most of us couldn’t get through Junior High without at least a little bit of that feeling. Here’s the rub, though: are we to be a discontent people? And is the solution to just get what we want? As a Kindergartner, I wanted to be in the circus. My ordinary life in a small apartment in an ordinary town wasn’t nearly as thrilling as the worlds I’d read about. I could be happy only if I were on the flying trapeze, riding an elephant or clowning with the clowns. So should my mother have sent me off to Ringling Brothers? (Not–did she want to send me at times, but should she?) Obviously not. She recognized that I would be just as unhappy there, too. The real issue was learning to be content where I was. Paul had struggled with similar feelings: “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.” (Philippians 4:11-12) This was a guy who had been repeatedly beaten, left for dead, imprisoned, knew hunger and had even been afflicted with a “thorn in his side” which God had chosen not to remove. “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (1 Corinthians 12:10) Paul learned the secret of having contentment even in sorely disappointing circumstances: “ I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13) Uncomfortability with one’s gender is an opportunity for God’s grace. Instead of seeking a new identity to try to feel better about yourself, why not rest in the arms of the One who loves unconditionally? The writer of Hebrews strikes just that chord: “be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5b-6) The reality of a transgender existence is that even if one opts for surgery, they are still the same gender they were born as. It similar to a well-known performer bleaching their skin and changing their facial features through surgery in a seeming attempt to reflect less of their racial heritage. It doesn’t matter how much work he had done, he was still an African-American. Many of us wished he had found some way to be content with that identity, to rejoice in it, instead of undergoing countless procedures. The challenge for those struggling with their gender identity is to do the same–learn contentment that grows into joy. But what of the church? How should we respond to those who didn’t heed Paul’s counsel? Ultimately, we want to deal with them like we would with anyone else–with love and grace. They are, after-all, dealing with identity issues we all struggle with at times: Am I the man I should be; am I content to be a wife and mother; does my career define me?; wouldn’t it be nice to be someone else for awhile? We can help them to embrace the person that God created them and intends them to be. That can be difficult. Society likes easier solutions. It sounds odd to describe radical surgery as an easy solution, but it is. The person seeking a new gender is unwilling or unable to deal with who they are (Hence the diagnosis of gender dysphoria), so they just go ahead and pretend to be someone else. It is not an easy thing to do to call upon someone who now refers to himself as Sally to be the man God made him to be. Ultimately, finding contentment with who you are and were made to be will be more fulfilling than playing glorified dress up. We need to drop the anger and bitterness and earnestly seek to love those who are confused about their identity without excusing the sinful discontent that spurs those feelings. As we do so, we must remember that we, too, are sinners who often bridle at our own identities. Together we can turn that T from transgender to trusting that God has a plan for me.