The surge for LGBT rights in America has made great strides in the past few months. Identifying as LGBT is not nearly as condemned as it was just five years ago. Still, there is tremendous misunderstanding among the rest of the country concerning transgender people. It is true; the Bible says that homosexuality is a sin. I don't believe that has any bearing over our laws, but the issue of changing your gender is completely forged and misunderstood.
The main argument against changing your gender is that "God does not make mistakes." If God didn't make mistakes, then in theory we should not change anything about ourselves. If we are born with a defect we should not change it because God intended us to be that way. We shouldn't fix cleft palates, we shouldn't treat mental illnesses, or anything that was given to us at birth. One could even go as far as to say that we shouldn't dye our hair, straighten our teeth, or paint our nails.
It's still hard for me to understand how someone could feel insecure about their gender. The thought of being male makes me want to vomit (I mean how do you shave your face?), but the fact of the matter is that being the gender they were assigned at birth makes them want to vomit. That, even, is an understatement. It drives them so far as to self-harm, and sometimes commit suicide.
My sisters and I recently started watching the new docuseries on TLC called "I Am Jazz." The eight-episode show follows Jazz Jennings, a 14-year-old transgender girl. While watching this brave girl speak about the simplest of things, like being nervous for soccer tryouts, or wondering if a strapless top is too showy, I questioned how anyone could doubt the existence of gender dysphoria. How can you deny a boy who is so obviously a girl the right to live like who they feel they should be?
I feel that there is a general sense of discomfort among people who do not support the right to be transgender, mostly concerning the discomfort of a male using female facilities, and vice versa. Honestly, if you were born a brunette and you feel like you should have been a blonde, you're allowed to change it. Of course, the decision to change your gender is a bit more serious, but the point is that it is legitimate. People deserve the right and, most importantly, the ease of being themselves.
