Written by Elijah Shoults
Transgender people have existed throughout human history, they are an inherent part of humanity. From the androgynous priests of the ancient Sumerian goddess Inanna to the Mahu of Hawaii who were sacred bearers of tradition and rituals, people who don’t conform to the man-woman gender binary can be found in various cultures throughout the world. They often serve in elevated roles related to spiritual matters, and yet we are living in a time in modern Western culture when this segment of humanity is being demonized, scapegoated, and suppressed.
Many try to claim that gender- nonconforming (GNC) people are mentally ill and need to be “cured”. Keep in mind that definitions of mental illness have changed drastically throughout time and are largely made in the context of what is considered culturally “normal”. A child who questions authority might be labeled as having “Oppositional Defiant Disorder”, homosexuality used to be considered a mental disorder, in certain countries religious beliefs have been categorized as mental illness.
Definitions of mental illness must not be used as tools of oppression, they must be made by professionals using the scientific method. Treating mental illness must be focused on healing the patient, not making them conform to society’s expectations. All of our major medical organizations agree that the best thing for the mental health of GNC people is for them to be accepted for who they are and to receive the gender-affirming care they desire.
One of the most basic objections to the validity of being transgender is that “biological sex is what it is, you can’t change your gender just because you want to”. This is beside the point because transgender people know what their physical anatomy is, they know that they need to see the appropriate doctors who will care for their physical anatomy.
A transman wants to be socially and legally recognized as a man, they still know that they need to visit a gynecologist on a regular basis. Think of it like this: would you tell an adopted child “you shouldn’t call your parent ‘Mom’ because she’s not your biological mother, she didn’t actually give birth to you”? Adopted parents may not be biological parents, but socially and legally they are moms and dads. The same thing applies to gender. We can respect someone’s identity in a social and legal framework. As far as their biology goes, that’s between them and their doctors, just like with adopted children.
Even determining “biological sex” isn’t always simple. Some people are born intersex, meaning that their chromosomes and/or anatomy doesn’t fall into the normal male/female XY/XX categories. While being intersex isn’t the same as being transgender, some of the questions do overlap.
In particular, the existence of intersex people demonstrates how problematic it can be to enforce bathroom bans and strictly segregated sports. If a person’s chromosomes are the determining factor in declaring someone a “man” or “woman”, then where does a person who has both XX and XY chromosomes fit into society? If their physical anatomy is the determining factor, then why can’t a transgender person who has undergone an operation to change their anatomy have their gender identity legally recognized? If an intersex person can compete in a sports league which best matches their biometric standards like hormone levels, then why can’t those same standards be applied to transgender athletes?
The fact is that transgender people have been legally allowed to use bathrooms of their choice and participate in sports for decades. There is no evidence that transwomen who adhere to rules about hormone levels have a statistical advantage over other women when competing. Transwomen don’t dominate the sports they compete in, sometimes they win, sometimes they lose. There’s also no evidence that allowing trans people to use the bathroom of their choice leads to more cisgender women being assaulted. On the contrary, trans people are much more likely to be the victims of violence than the perpetrators of it.
Some will take the position that it’s okay for an adult to seek gender-affirming care, but that children shouldn’t be allowed to make permanent changes to their bodies that they might regret later. If you can believe an adult when they tell you that they are GNC, then you should also believe the adult when they tell you that they have felt that way since they were a small child. While some children don’t settle on their gender identity until later in their lives, there are many cases of people who have always identified as a gender which didn’t match their body. Gender-affirming care is a long process which involves lots of counseling and it takes a long time before procedures which create permanent changes are offered. The rate of transition regret is very low, the increase of happiness and decrease of suicidal ideation is very high.
What about trans teens in school locker rooms? Are we placing the comfort of transgirls over the comfort of cisgender girls? First of all, there are plenty of cisgender, heterosexual children who don’t want to change clothes in front of anyone at all. Perhaps our society should provide private showers and changing stalls in all locker rooms. Second, trans children face greater threats of violence and harassment leading to suicide than cis children do. So this is a situation where we need to protect the safety of the minority even if it causes discomfort to the majority.
Finally, some reject the validity of being transgender on religious grounds. This is a matter between them and their conscience, faith isn’t something that can be proven or disproven. However, basing our secular laws on religious grounds is unconstitutional, and if a teacher or other public employee finds that adhering to the law is in conflict with their faith, then they need to find alternative employment. Transgender people are human beings with dreams, loves and beliefs. We all have differences and similarities, and we all have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.