Individuals,
families, communities, and nations can know the importance of identifying
gender correctly. Gender is one of the ways individuals identify themselves and
each other. A correct identification is essential to people knowing who they
really are.
In 1995 the First Presidency and
the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints published a proclamation on the family. The second verse of the proclamation
discusses the gender issue. “All human beings – male and female – are created
in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly
parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of
individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose” (emphasis added).
Since gender has been a part of
people since their premortal lives, it cannot be simply a mistake in how
physical bodies develop. Males were males and females were females long before
their physical bodies were conceived. Each came to earth with a specific
purpose. One day every person will stand before God to report on their earthly
experience and how they handled their physical bodies. No one can mess with God’s
plan and succeed!
Walt Heyer is an author and
public speaker. He writes to raise public awareness about people’s experiences
with gender change. The Daily Signal published one of his articles “I Wish I Had Been Told About These Risks Before I Had Gender Surgery.”
“Many Americans are unaware of the serious problems that face
transgender persons…. While it may not be politically correct to link
psychological disorders with the transgender population, the researchers see
the evidence that a link exists. As a
former transgender person [emphasis added], I wish the guy who approved me for gender surgery would have
told me about the risks.
“The experience of many gender-confused
individuals is that medical professionals are quick to reach a diagnosis of
gender dysphoria and recommend immediate cross-gender hormone therapy and
irreversible reassignment surgery without investigating and treating the
coexisting issues. Research has found that powerful psychological issues, such
as anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, or alcohol or drug
dependence often accompany gender dysphoria.”
Heyer reviews findings from a study published in JAMA
Pediatrics in March 2016 that “shows a high prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses
in a sample of 298 young transgender women aged 16 through 29 years old.”
The
study found that more than “40 percent had coexisting mental health or
substance dependence diagnoses” and “one in five had two or more psychiatric
diagnoses” with the most common disorders being “major depressive episodes and
non-alcohol psychoactive substance use dependence.”
In
spite of these findings, there are no required tests to determine gender
dysphoria. “This condition can’t be verified through lab results, a brain scan,
or review of the DNA makeup.” Research studies (2013, 2009) looked for a “transgender
gene” but could find no evidence of one. “No alternations in the main
sex-determining genes in male-to-female transsexual individuals were found, suggesting
strongly that male-born transgender persons are normal males biologically.”
The
study concluded that transgender people need “improved access to medical and psychological
care” because their mental health and substance dependence disorders need to be
addressed.
Thoughts
and feelings are never constant, but DNA is constant. The gender of mortals was
determined in the premortal life. The DNA of a man or boy will always be male,
and the DNA of a woman or girl will always be female. This is according to God’s
plan and cannot be changed by mere mortals. There is little wonder that there
is confusion and depression involved when a man thinks he is a woman or a woman
thinks she is a man.
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