Transgender Decisions

I have been listening to talk radio on my way to work here in Utah lately, and it has at least kept me informed about what some of the big topics are in the news.

Recently, the Department of Education and the Department of Justice gave some guidelines which encouraged schools to allow transgender children to use whichever restroom or locker room they choose. I don't think that President Obama is necessarily being a tyrant, or that children will be abused. (After a couple cases of abuse, I imagine that even most current supporters of the new guidelines would have a change of opinion.) However, I do think the guidelines send a very powerful and detrimental message to children.

This decision of gender is occurring at an even earlier age than the decision of marriage; it is occurring before children learn about who they are in a family setting. Even if you think it is appropriate for adults to decide to have a same-sex marriage, five years old is pretty young to make decisions that can dramatically lessen a child's likelihood of having their own children in the future. Choosing one's gender is one of many decisions that I don't think should be made before one's frontal lobe is fully developed or during the confusing changes of puberty.

While children are still making some basic decisions about morals, principles, and problem solving, they are being told that it is okay to change gender as soon as they want. Changing their gender at this time may seem to fix certain problems, but it does so with great future costs which society is inappropriately discounting.

I believe that what is best for children with gender confusion is to be told that it is okay to have that confusion, that they are still amazing, and that they can work through their confusion without changing gender.

Giving children affirmation that their gender of birth is part of God's plan will give them more long-term confidence to overcome obstacles that could reduce their probability of having a happy family.