I
have been doing some study on transgender issues and been pointed to an edition
of “The New Atlantis” journal, which outlines some of the scientific
conclusions to date on both gender and
sexuality. It is a non-partisan and non-religious journal that seeks to make
public up-to-date research so that people are properly informed.
Because
there is so much misunderstanding fed to us through media and social media, I’ve
included the entire executive summary below. It only takes a few minutes to
read, but is important for us to be aware of for when our views as Christians are
challenged, or when we have to talk about these things with our children.
Obviously
the issues themselves are incredibly complex and should be handled with extreme
compassion, but whilst acknowledging things aren’t always as cut and dried as
below, the science is important.
You
will note that the three great myths on these issues are without basis:
1)
The first myth is that
people are born with a homosexual orientation or gender disconnect. This is often given as
a reason why such feelings should be accepted and embraced, but this assumption
is “not supported by scientific evidence.”
2)
The second myth is
that people’s feelings in these areas are fixed. This is also given as
a reason why such feelings should be seen as defining and embraced. Otherwise,
we are told, people will never be able to experience intimate relationships or
be their true self. In truth, both experiences are to some degree fluid, with
many (I should stress not all) children growing out of them as they get older.
This means that the way many children in particular are encouraged to act on such
feelings is deeply concerning. Ironically, it is that which could work against
their proper development and identity.
3)
The third myth is that
those experiencing homosexual orientation or gender dysmorphia will only be
fulfilled if they embrace their sense of who they are. The fact is that
both groups are far more likely to experience mental health issues, depression
and suicide. So this is not necessarily the case at all. Again, this shows how
serious it is when children are encouraged to make these things so defining.
The
Executive Summary
Some key findings:
Part One: Sexual Orientation
● The understanding of sexual
orientation as an innate, biologically fixed property of human beings — the
idea that people are “born that way” — is not supported by scientific evidence.
● While there is evidence that
biological factors such as genes and hormones are associated with sexual
behaviors and attractions, there are no compelling causal biological
explanations for human sexual orientation. While minor differences in the brain
structures and brain activity between homosexual and heterosexual individuals
have been identified by researchers, such neurobiological findings do not
demonstrate whether these differences are innate or are the result of
environmental and psychological factors.
● Longitudinal studies of
adolescents suggest that sexual orientation may be quite fluid over the life
course for some people, with one study estimating that as many as 80% of male
adolescents who report same-sex attractions no longer do so as adults (although
the extent to which this figure reflects actual changes in same-sex attractions
and not just artifacts of the survey process has been contested by some
researchers).
● Compared to heterosexuals,
non-heterosexuals are about two to three times as likely to have experienced
childhood sexual abuse.
Part Two: Sexuality, Mental Health
Outcomes, and Social Stress
● Compared to the general
population, non-heterosexual subpopulations are at an elevated risk for a
variety of adverse health and mental health outcomes.
● Members of the non-heterosexual
population are estimated to have about 1.5 times higher risk of experiencing
anxiety disorders than members of the heterosexual population, as well as
roughly double the risk of depression, 1.5 times the risk of substance abuse,
and nearly 2.5 times the risk of suicide.
● Members of the transgender
population are also at higher risk of a variety of mental health problems
compared to members of the non-transgender population. Especially alarmingly,
the rate of lifetime suicide attempts across all ages of transgender
individuals is estimated at 41%, compared to under 5% in the overall U.S.
population.
● There is evidence, albeit
limited, that social stressors such as discrimination and stigma contribute to
the elevated risk of poor mental health outcomes for non-heterosexual and
transgender populations. More high-quality longitudinal studies are necessary
for the “social stress model” to be a useful tool for understanding public
health concerns.
Part Three: Gender Identity
● The hypothesis that gender
identity is an innate, fixed property of human beings that is independent of
biological sex — that a person might be “a man trapped in a woman’s body” or “a
woman trapped in a man’s body” — is not supported by scientific evidence.
● According to a recent estimate,
about 0.6% of U.S. adults identify as a gender that does not correspond to
their biological sex.
● Studies comparing the brain
structures of transgender and non-transgender individuals have demonstrated
weak correlations between brain structure and cross-gender identification.
These correlations do not provide any evidence for a neurobiological basis for
cross-gender identification.
● Compared to the general
population, adults who have undergone sex-reassignment surgery continue to have
a higher risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes. One study found
that, compared to controls, sex-reassigned individuals were about 5 times more
likely to attempt suicide and about 19 times more likely to die by suicide.
● Children are a special case when
addressing transgender issues. Only a minority of children who experience
cross-gender identification will continue to do so into adolescence or
adulthood.
● There is little scientific
evidence for the therapeutic value of interventions that delay puberty or
modify the secondary sex characteristics of adolescents, although some children
may have improved psychological well-being if they are encouraged and supported
in their cross-gender identification. There is no evidence that all children
who express gender-atypical thoughts or behavior should be encouraged to become
transgender.
