Title: LGBTQ+, SCIENCE, AND CHRISTIANITY - MY OPINION
[[Part 2/4]] (Check out part 1 first!) Here's a more in-depth explanation + sources:
Scientifically speaking, sex ≠ gender. Nearly every, if not every, major medical and psychiatric organization recognizes that, including but not limited to the World Health Organization, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, National Institutes of Health, the Campbell Biology 12th Edition college textbook, etc. Biological sex is studied in the field of biology, whereas gender identity is psychological and neurosocial. Biological sex is determined by biological characteristics like phenotypical traits (primary and secondary sex characteristics like internal and external genitaIia, breasts, hormone levels/washes, bone structure) and genotypical traits (chromosomes) as well as what gametes you're born with. And even on a biological level, biological sex is bimodal rather than binary since intersex conditions exist.
Gender identity is very nuanced too, and we only categorize them into the binary options of man and woman based on the now unscientific and outdated idea that sex and gender are synonymous. But gender is actually just a complex combination of one's psychological and neurosocial identity, categorized into a socially constructed spectrum that humans have just labeled into one of two main binary categories due to people determining gender through their idea of sex. Trans and nonbinary identities exist and are valid, this is scientifically supported.
And trans and nonbinary individuals have existed for thousands of years across many different cultures all over the world. The terms transgender and nonbinary are just modern labels we use now in modern western cultures based on our current modern understanding of sex and gender. But many cultures have had third/other/trans genders, such as the Native American Two-Spirits, Mexican Muxes, Indian Hijra, Hawaiian Māhu, Samoan fa'afafine and fa'fafama, etc.
Let me help you understand what being transgender is. Trans people aren't 'trying' or 'pretending' to be the opposite sex or gender, and they aren't 'changing' their gender from their birth gender. They simply _are_ a gender identity that doesn't align with their sex (remember that sex ≠ gender). This misalignment can sometimes cause discomfort , distress, and sometimes even disassociation/disconnection, which is actually a mental disorder called gender dysphoria. And the current most effective treatment for gender dysphoria is transitioning paired with psychotherapy. That's why so many trans people transition either socially, medically, or both. To alleviate their gender dysphoria, and feel comfortable and happy in their own body for once by trying to ease the discomfort and distress that misalignment between their sex and gender brings.
Scientifically speaking, other alternative treatments for gender dysphoria or being trans that instead of having explorative and affirmative therapy, accept their transness, and transition so their body, appearance, and presentation better matches their internal gender identity, try to instead change one's internal gender to force them to 'accept' their sex as their gender such as conversion therapy do not work and aren't effective, and can even be more harmful. Conversion therapy itself is even banned in many places and considered a torturous practice by many medical organizations. Ultimately, allowing a trans person to change their body to match their brain is a more effective treatment than attempting to change a trans person's brain and identity to match their body.
It's a similar thing with sexuality. Sexuality is not inherently a choice and can't be consciously or forcibly changed for most, according to any major medical and psychiatric organization I've seen. Practices like conversion therapy to change a queer person to be straight are proven to be torturous and largely ineffective and harmful. There is no known practice, treatment, or 'cure' for homosexuality that is effective on a large, widespread and consistent scale. There is no scientific evidence in "praying the gay away" other than isolated instances like people like you. Homosexuality is absolutely just as naturaI, naturaIIy occurring, and normaI as heterosexuality, it's been observed in over 1,500 animal species including humans, and we can observe queer humans all throughout history.
So then only acting on your identity, acting on your 'desires' or 'temptations' of homosexuality or being transgender could be considered a sin, right? So if you don't act on it, if you deny and repress your lgbtq+ identity even if it's still there and can't be fully gotten rid of or changed to be the opposite cishet identity, then you aren't sinning. But this doesn't make sense to me either. A gay person like myself being forced to remain single and celibate forever simply because God apparently made us with this identity, with our brain being wired this way, only to go "oop nope only man and woman can love and marry and have sex, oh no, so sorry". That just seems cruel and unfair. And being forced to repress your trans identity and 'accept' your 'birth gender' seems cruel and unfair too because it can cause even more distress, discomfort, and gender dysphoria to arise, and the current most effective treatment for gender dysphoria is transitioning paired with explorative and affirmative psychotherapy (aka accepting your trans identity). Untreated or severe and persisting gender dysphoria can lead to other conditions developing like anxiety, depression, EDs, SH, or even in extreme cases, sulcidaI ideation. And again with both sexuality and gender identity, numerous studies have proven that being forced to hide, repress, and deny your involuntary lgbtq+ identity in favor of pretending to be cishet or simply just not 'acting' on that 'lifestyle' can cause detrimental and negative effects to one's health, happiness, and wellbeing, while accepting it and being able to openly live and love as yourself without homophobia and transphobia can be beneficial to one's heaIth, happiness, and wellbeing.
SOURCES: "What Causes People to Be Transgender? Many health experts believe that being transgender isn't caused by any one thing. What makes a person comfortable or uncomfortable with his or her anatomy is unclear, but they believe it's the result of a complex mixture of biology, psychology, and environmental factors — and not simply a matter of choice." - Transgender People, by Children's Minnesota.
"Why don’t transgender people get counseling to accept the gender they were assigned at birth? Counseling aimed at changing someone’s gender identity, sometimes known as conversion therapy, doesn’t work and can be extremely harmful. The belief that someone’s gender identity can be changed through therapy runs counter to the overwhelming consensus in the medical community. Telling someone that a core part of who they are is wrong or delusional and forcing them to change it is dangerous, sometimes leading to lasting depression, substance abuse, self-hatred and even suicide. Because of this, a growing number of states have made it illegal for licensed therapists to try to change a young person’s gender identity (laws apply to those under 18). However, many transgender people find it helpful to get counseling to help them decide when to tell the world they are transgender and deal with the repercussions of stigma and discrimination that comes afterward." - Frequently Asked Questions about Transgender People, by Advocates for Trans Equality.
"Why are some people transgender? There is no single explanation for why some people are transgender. The diversity of transgender expression and experiences argues against any simple or unitary explanation. Many experts believe that biological factors such as genetic influences and prenatal hormone levels, early experiences, and experiences later in adolescence or adulthood may all contribute to the development of transgender identities." - Understanding transgender people, gender identity and gender expression, by the American Psychological Association (APA).
Arcane Paws & Tales
Title: LGBTQ+, SCIENCE, AND CHRISTIANITY - MY OPINION
[[Part 2/4]] (Check out part 1 first!) Here's a more in-depth explanation + sources:
Scientifically speaking, sex ≠ gender. Nearly every, if not every, major medical and psychiatric organization recognizes that, including but not limited to the World Health Organization, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, National Institutes of Health, the Campbell Biology 12th Edition college textbook, etc. Biological sex is studied in the field of biology, whereas gender identity is psychological and neurosocial. Biological sex is determined by biological characteristics like phenotypical traits (primary and secondary sex characteristics like internal and external genitaIia, breasts, hormone levels/washes, bone structure) and genotypical traits (chromosomes) as well as what gametes you're born with. And even on a biological level, biological sex is bimodal rather than binary since intersex conditions exist.
Gender identity is very nuanced too, and we only categorize them into the binary options of man and woman based on the now unscientific and outdated idea that sex and gender are synonymous. But gender is actually just a complex combination of one's psychological and neurosocial identity, categorized into a socially constructed spectrum that humans have just labeled into one of two main binary categories due to people determining gender through their idea of sex. Trans and nonbinary identities exist and are valid, this is scientifically supported.
And trans and nonbinary individuals have existed for thousands of years across many different cultures all over the world. The terms transgender and nonbinary are just modern labels we use now in modern western cultures based on our current modern understanding of sex and gender. But many cultures have had third/other/trans genders, such as the Native American Two-Spirits, Mexican Muxes, Indian Hijra, Hawaiian Māhu, Samoan fa'afafine and fa'fafama, etc.
Let me help you understand what being transgender is. Trans people aren't 'trying' or 'pretending' to be the opposite sex or gender, and they aren't 'changing' their gender from their birth gender. They simply _are_ a gender identity that doesn't align with their sex (remember that sex ≠ gender). This misalignment can sometimes cause discomfort , distress, and sometimes even disassociation/disconnection, which is actually a mental disorder called gender dysphoria. And the current most effective treatment for gender dysphoria is transitioning paired with psychotherapy. That's why so many trans people transition either socially, medically, or both. To alleviate their gender dysphoria, and feel comfortable and happy in their own body for once by trying to ease the discomfort and distress that misalignment between their sex and gender brings.
Scientifically speaking, other alternative treatments for gender dysphoria or being trans that instead of having explorative and affirmative therapy, accept their transness, and transition so their body, appearance, and presentation better matches their internal gender identity, try to instead change one's internal gender to force them to 'accept' their sex as their gender such as conversion therapy do not work and aren't effective, and can even be more harmful. Conversion therapy itself is even banned in many places and considered a torturous practice by many medical organizations. Ultimately, allowing a trans person to change their body to match their brain is a more effective treatment than attempting to change a trans person's brain and identity to match their body.
It's a similar thing with sexuality. Sexuality is not inherently a choice and can't be consciously or forcibly changed for most, according to any major medical and psychiatric organization I've seen. Practices like conversion therapy to change a queer person to be straight are proven to be torturous and largely ineffective and harmful. There is no known practice, treatment, or 'cure' for homosexuality that is effective on a large, widespread and consistent scale. There is no scientific evidence in "praying the gay away" other than isolated instances like people like you. Homosexuality is absolutely just as naturaI, naturaIIy occurring, and normaI as heterosexuality, it's been observed in over 1,500 animal species including humans, and we can observe queer humans all throughout history.
So then only acting on your identity, acting on your 'desires' or 'temptations' of homosexuality or being transgender could be considered a sin, right? So if you don't act on it, if you deny and repress your lgbtq+ identity even if it's still there and can't be fully gotten rid of or changed to be the opposite cishet identity, then you aren't sinning. But this doesn't make sense to me either. A gay person like myself being forced to remain single and celibate forever simply because God apparently made us with this identity, with our brain being wired this way, only to go "oop nope only man and woman can love and marry and have sex, oh no, so sorry". That just seems cruel and unfair. And being forced to repress your trans identity and 'accept' your 'birth gender' seems cruel and unfair too because it can cause even more distress, discomfort, and gender dysphoria to arise, and the current most effective treatment for gender dysphoria is transitioning paired with explorative and affirmative psychotherapy (aka accepting your trans identity). Untreated or severe and persisting gender dysphoria can lead to other conditions developing like anxiety, depression, EDs, SH, or even in extreme cases, sulcidaI ideation. And again with both sexuality and gender identity, numerous studies have proven that being forced to hide, repress, and deny your involuntary lgbtq+ identity in favor of pretending to be cishet or simply just not 'acting' on that 'lifestyle' can cause detrimental and negative effects to one's health, happiness, and wellbeing, while accepting it and being able to openly live and love as yourself without homophobia and transphobia can be beneficial to one's heaIth, happiness, and wellbeing.
SOURCES:
"What Causes People to Be Transgender?
Many health experts believe that being transgender isn't caused by any one thing. What makes a person comfortable or uncomfortable with his or her anatomy is unclear, but they believe it's the result of a complex mixture of biology, psychology, and environmental factors — and not simply a matter of choice." - Transgender People, by Children's Minnesota.
"Why don’t transgender people get counseling to accept the gender they were assigned at birth?
Counseling aimed at changing someone’s gender identity, sometimes known as conversion therapy, doesn’t work and can be extremely harmful. The belief that someone’s gender identity can be changed through therapy runs counter to the overwhelming consensus in the medical community. Telling someone that a core part of who they are is wrong or delusional and forcing them to change it is dangerous, sometimes leading to lasting depression, substance abuse, self-hatred and even suicide. Because of this, a growing number of states have made it illegal for licensed therapists to try to change a young person’s gender identity (laws apply to those under 18). However, many transgender people find it helpful to get counseling to help them decide when to tell the world they are transgender and deal with the repercussions of stigma and discrimination that comes afterward." - Frequently Asked Questions about Transgender People, by Advocates for Trans Equality.
"Why are some people transgender?
There is no single explanation for why some people are transgender. The diversity of transgender expression and experiences argues against any simple or unitary explanation. Many experts believe that biological factors such as genetic influences and prenatal hormone levels, early experiences, and experiences later in adolescence or adulthood may all contribute to the development of transgender identities." - Understanding transgender people, gender identity and gender expression, by the American Psychological Association (APA).
2 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 0