Transgender youth easy target

 

A few years ago, a principal of a local school told a group of us they had some kids who were non-binary. Seeing the blank look on our faces, she said with a smile, “It’s a thing now.” 

Few of us knew what she was talking about. Even after some extensive Google research, I still didn’t understand. This was completely foreign to me. Do some kids actually not identify with either gender? Is it really a thing? 

There’s a lot of controversy over transgender issues, popularized by malcontent figures like Jordan Peterson in his public refusal to use pronouns other than he/she. Many states have passed anti-transgender legislation that appeals to their base but does little to address the issue. 

I’ve heard the arguments from both sides. The teenage years are a confusing time and perhaps some who identify as a different gender now may feel differently in adulthood. In other cases, the gender dysphoria begins at a very young age and is not likely going to change.  

As much as we like to think in black and white, there are many grey areas when it comes to sexual identity. How much is cultural and how much biological? When a girl says she has felt like a boy since a young child, we can’t dismiss this as mere confusion. When adults who have transitioned say they finally feel normal, we must respect their authenticity.  

It’s too easy for us who have never had such feelings to dismiss them altogether. What’s missing in this debate is an open ear. A little acceptance and understanding could go a long way. 

My 15-year-old daughter has friends who no longer identify as girls. She doesn’t have a problem with it, nor do her Catholic teachers. To the school’s credit, a group exists to provide support to these students. 

I admit, it takes some getting used to. I come from a conservative background, growing up in time when it was less common for people to be open about their sexuality. That was my cultural/religious upbringing and it left me close-minded. As with anything new, it takes time to understand and empathize. 

The most important thing is to not overreact. Our society isn't falling apart because some people do not identify with their assigned gender. There are many things to worry about in this world like nuclear war, AI and climate change! Transgender rights should be very low on our list of imminent dangers, unless we are so naïve to believe it to be contagious. Sadly, many parents fear just that. 

At this point, we can’t say with any certainty that greater gender fluidity in today’s youth is anything new because in the past, such self-expression would have been taboo. 

What we do know is that this is a marginalized group subject to depression, anxiety, and more prone to suicide. The last thing we need is to put more pressure on them than they’re already experiencing. Outright political attacks, like what’s happening in the US, will only worsen mental health among LGBTQ youth. 

I believe that safeguards are important, so that young people aren't making irreversible changes to their bodies that they may later regret. Let's take the time to research the consequences. 

But most of all, let’s try to understand the young people we’re supposedly trying to protect.