Transgendered, Washrooms and Missed Opportunities
In recent weeks, I have seen the same kinds of messages appearing on my Facebook newsfeed. There have been images after images about the controversy over transgendered people using washrooms according to the gender they identify with.
I am sure that some people are legitimately concerned that a male sex offender will dress up as a woman and attempt to seek out a young girl. However, there has always been the danger of sexual abuse in washrooms. What is to stop that same male from dressing as a man and seeking out a young boy?
My concern is not so much a legitimate fear but rather the public face that Christians are putting on this issue. The message that is being sent out is that this is all about some hairy guy in a dress looking to cause some perverted trouble. I have seen pictures of the “Transvestite from Transylvania” posted as if this was the real issue.
Most of the memes that are getting posted are directed at mocking the idea that a person would want to use a washroom according to their chosen gender identity. It is something be laughed at and made fun of.
While this is an easy route to take, I want to ask about the long-term effects of such a response.
In much of my reading I hear a regret from evangelical leaders about the bridges that were burned with the homosexual community by previous generations. The thoughtless comments and baseless accusations have left the church without a voice to that community. Current leaders are trying to find new ways to speak to the homosexual community with both truth and love.
Here we are with a second chance to have a positive impact on those who are transgendered. Transgendered people are not perverts that get their kicks by dressing up in women’s clothes. They truly believe that their real gender is not the same as what they were born with.
It does not matter what we believe about why that happens, it just happens. Imagine being that person. Imagine one of your children being that person. Imagine the psychological pain that they are going through.
Does Jesus have something for the transgendered? Does he care about their pain? I know that he does.
That leaves us with the question of how well the church is doing right now at communicating Jesus to the transgendered. Does mockery by Christians bring them closer to Jesus?
I am not suggesting that Christians should or should not support washroom laws. I am talking about how we communicate what we believe and the level of respect that we show to people who are different from us.
Ask yourself the next time that you share a washroom meme if a transgendered person saw that, would they be more or less likely to hear about Jesus from you?
This post by a father of a transgendered teen got a lot of comments when I posted it on Facebook. I encourage you to read it. Even if you disagree with what he says, allow this voice to enter into the conversation.
