Transgender … Translation

When I heard that a ‘transgender woman’ was arrested at a women’s health spa in Los Angeles, I wasn’t sure what to think. The transgender woman was said to have caused some sort of disturbance. It turned out that the transgender woman was actually a man who aspired to be a woman but in reality retained a male identity – along with the attendant male physical devices. The disturbance arose from the fact of that person being who he was rather than what he intended to be.

          There is a semantics problem here as there is no clear delineation as to when a ‘transgender’ actually becomes that. And the confusion comes from describing the interim models as completed versions. It seems that the stated desire or aspiration to become another entity will suffice to get a person named as that entity - if solely on their ‘say so’.

          Needless to say this is causing a lot of confusion. When someone ‘identifies’ with what used to be their opposite sex, it does not make them what they Want To Be. However, now, when someone wishes to be addressed in a certain way, we are societally expected to address them in that manner. This is not logical. Even though I may identify as concert violinist and demand to be called a concert violinist, it does not make me a concert violinist.

Similarly female athletes in particular are voicing the opinion that transgender ‘females’ are putting ‘natural’ females at a disadvantage. They appear to be correct. At the NCAA there is concern that a transgender UPenn swimmer (male to female) is dominating the women’s swimming meets. The ‘natural’ females have the feeling that they never will win another race as long as the transgender participant competes. There is good reason for women to be concerned as ‘men’ and transgender women have been shown to have a definite advantage over women in athletics.

       This derives from the indication that male athletes are in general stronger and faster than females. For example the World Record in the Men’s 100 meter dash is 9.58 seconds, the Woman’s record is about 1 second slower; in swimming the record in Men’s 100 meter freestyle is 46.91 while the Women’s record is 51.71.So the women swimmers have a valid complaint since males seem to have a definite advantage in swimming competitions and this would seem to transfer (no pun) to transgender females. There are hormones that are different in women and men along with protein like collagen. Collagen is responsible for strength and men and women have completely different levels of the three major types of collagen. Something to note is that men in sports are not complaining about an influx of transgender men and it is doubtful you will see any transgender men tryout for professional football teams.

       Amidst all this confusion how should Catholics feel about the transgender situation ? And how should people ascribing to becoming transgender be treated ? Gender Dysphoria is the condition where someone feels a sexual identity other than their biological identity. It is a hurtful condition but it is not evidence. God fashioned people the way he wishes them to be and endowed each person with the gifts that He wishes them to have. Wanting to be something different than what God created will not work. The Catholic Church does not recognize gender transfer.

This does not mean that we cannot have compassion for those who suffer from dysfunction and dissatisfaction in regard to their sexual circumstances. People with these identity issues have a circumstance where their mind is at odds with their body. If a person’s body is healthy and their mind is ill at ease then it could be considered wrong to submit their body to conditions and procedures that are contrary to nature and have a distinct possibility to cause harm. Similarly the trend of physicians to start treating children in these matters is at a very early age is of very great concern.

We must tell be open to those suffering through these problems and reassure them that as in all things God can be there with you to comfort you and help through that suffering. And sometimes if complications are removed and a situation is looked at in a simple manner, the answer will be evident. Remember Mark 10:6 ‘But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female’.