Gender Identity

                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.