“Male and female he created them”

The transgender issue has become an almost constant feature in the media and throughout our culture. The North Dakota State Legislature took up this issue in several bills that were considered during the session that just concluded, and a growing number of public entities are dealing with the complexities of transgenderism in policy and practice. Readers might also recall that several years ago the Diocese of Fargo joined a lawsuit that challenged the federal imposition of transgender mandates on church affiliated institutions. 

There can be no doubt that gender dysphoria is a real challenge for those who experience it, and those challenges often extend to their families as well. Unfortunately, the transgender movement has become in our time an ideology, a cultural movement that is largely at odds with our faith, with biological facts, and often with common sense. It is built on the assumption that we can change our identity at will, simply by identifying our “gender” as different than the biological sex we were born with. At its most basic level, this is a denial of God’s act of creation. To deny the sex of our birth is to question or even reject our creation by God as his son or daughter. He created us out of love as male or female, and it is not possible that he made a mistake in doing so. The human person is a composite of both body and soul, and the body is not extraneous to our identity. As male or female, our sex is part of who we are as God’s children.

Pope Francis has been very clear in his rejection of this gender ideology, which he describes as “one of the most dangerous ideological colonizations.” In Amoris Laetitia (“The Joy of Love”), his recent document on marriage, he warns that there is a growing ideology of gender that separates personal identity “from the biological difference between male and female.” In this view, “human identity becomes the choice of the individual, one which can also change over time” (56). In the face of this cultural challenge, the Church reaffirms the beauty and sovereignty of God’s design in the life of each person, which includes their bodily integrity and gender. To put it quite simply, we must not presume to alter the biological sex God has given us. Pope Francis warns: “It is one thing to be understanding of human weakness and the complexities of life, and another to accept ideologies that attempt to sunder what are inseparable aspects of reality. Let us not fall into the sin of trying to replace the Creator. We are creatures, and not omnipotent. Creation is prior to us and must be received as a gift” (Amoris Laetitia, 56).

The transgender issue becomes especially difficult when it intersects with other issues like public accomodation, athletic participation, preferred pronouns, and educational programs. It is particularly troubling when children are involved. Some educational institutions have elevated the transgender issue above the rights of parents and their God-given responsibility for their own children. Surgical procedures, puberty blockers, and other medical interventions are used by some providers on minors—children—in a misguided attempt to change their gender. But such procedures can never really change the innate sexual identity of a person, and they cause lasting damage to the bodily integrity of one who has not even reached adulthood. Following the principles of Catholic moral theology, the bishops of the United States have reaffirmed the immorality of such medical acts, both for adults and for minors.

There is no question that those who experience gender dysphoria deserve our respect and genuine compassion. As with any mental or physical malady, this can be a cause of great suffering, both for individuals and for their families. In Christian charity, there is no place for ridicule or disparagement of our neighbors who carry this cross. But those who do not accept the transgender position must also be respected in their recognition of the truth of the human person. No one should be expected to deny the fact of another person’s sex, or required to act in a way that is contrary to their belief in God’s plan of creation. Rather than give in to the pressures of our culture to embrace transgenderism, we must be ready to speak the truth in love, recognizing the struggle of those who suffer while also remaining committed to the truth.

I offer to you once again what I wrote in 2017: “The Church holds to its constant belief in God’s plan for his children, male and female, but we also acknowledge the call of our Lord to accompany those who are not at peace with their own identity. While the culture now tells us that gender is arbitrary and switching genders will solve all our problems, God tells us that only he can give us lasting joy and peace. As the poet Dante says, ‘In his will is our peace.’ To those men, women, and children who experience the pain of gender confusion, we must profess the unfailing love of God. By our friendship and pastoral care, we assure them that they are not alone on their journey. They are loved and cherished, and they are beautiful in God’s eyes. Families that experience this challenge need the understanding and support of their brothers and sisters in faith, so they too will know that they are not alone. And, as always, we offer the support of prayer and penance so that the suffering of others might be lightened.”

In the Book of Genesis, we read, “…in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.” As we strive to live in accord with God’s plan for all his children, let us also pray for his grace and healing of our wounded culture.