Transgender

 

                                                      Thoughts From The Middle Of Nowhere

 

   I am a Republican, that’s starting to leave a bad taste in my mouth, Caucasian, Christian, cisgender male. I use the pronouns he, him, and his.

   These thoughts are on the various laws being proposed in state legislatures that are discriminatory to transgender people, particularly teens and young adults.

   Chief among them is one requiring them to compete in sports according to the gender they were labeled as at birth. This is a spur of the moment decision based on a cursory examination of a baby's genitals by the attending physician. Current science tells us that it is by no means definitive.

   Gender is another one of those artificial constructs that society uses to categorize it's members. Scientifically it has no basis or validity. It is a highly fluid, highly individual identity.

   By highly fluid I mean that it may change several times as an individual ages. By highly individual I mean that is solely based on the person experiencing it.

   To make a person participate in sports as male simply because the doctor or midwife or whatever present at birth determined they were male is unscientific and wrong. The sole determining factor is the appearance of the baby's genitals.  But gender is much more complex than what genitals you were born with. It cent even be determined by your chromosomal make up. It is a combination of physical, biochemical, psychological, and environmental factors. And it develops over a period of time.

   To tell someone who was identified at birth as male but now as a teenager identifies as female that she can only compete with “boys" can and does have serious detrimental effects. It is also discriminatory. Although the laws are written so that the opposite is not allowed I highly doubt that a “girl" who now identifies as male won't  be allowed to compete against other “boys" will be enforced.

   What can be done? Contact your state legislators making your objections known. Inform your friends and neighbors about the illegal and harmful laws. Encourage them to use any and all forums to squash these laws.

    Teenagers have enough problems without having to deal with a bunch of well meaning adults telling them they can't compete on the field as the person that perceive themselves to be.

    One other thing; advocate for the removal of gender identity from birth certificates. Gender identity should be left up to the individual and they should be allowed to change their minds. And as adults we need to stop assuming gender identity. Just because someone my have the outward appearance of one gender doesn't mean they identify as that gender.

Peace and Love

John R Akins

An old hippie from the Middle of Nowhere