Australia’s Largest Christian News Site

The media pushes a one-sided view of transgender ideology. Let us turn to scripture to discover our true identity, created in the image and likeness of God.

One morning I came across a TV program on the ABC called My Life. Made by the BBC, it was described by the ABC as “a BAFTA-winning unscripted documentary series where children and young people speak entirely from their point of view about their lived experience.”

Out of interest, I continued watching. The focus of this program was a twelve-year-old named Leo. It wasn’t long before I heard him say, “I am a boy stuck in a girl’s body.”

Simplistic Bias

The rest of the program explored first how his mum reacted to Leo’s disclosure and then followed his attempt to have his name and gender on his birth certificate and passport changed to represent his perceived real identity. Along the way, he was introduced to another transgender youth and an adult who had transgendered years earlier.

What shocked me most was how the content was presented.  It validated the boy’s perception of himself without question. There was no exploring the journey that brought him to that conclusion about his identity. It was obviously a series that schools could include in their curricula for discussion.

I wrote to the ABC with my concerns over the content:

“The program is biased towards transgender people and should not be aired on a children’s channel as the issue of gender confusion is so complex. There is no single answer to this issue and the ABC is being irresponsible in presenting a one-sided view in the transgender debate.”

Their response to my complaint can be summarised by the following comments:

“The ABC provides the voices and stories of as many children and young people from around the world as possible, so that young Australians can see and better understand the world as it is. There is no position taken by the ABC or the BBC on the issue of gender identity in this episode” and “this program is not making a statement.”

I disagree with their view, as the program unquestionably and I believe intentionally sought to normalise the transgender idea.

Vulnerable Youth

As a retired teacher, I am quite aware of how impressionable young people are. We were all in their shoes once — as Ecclesiastes 1:9 says, “There is nothing new under the sun.”

Questions and sometimes confusion over identity are common experiences as we develop and mature. Unfortunately, in our present culture, young people are bombarded with mixed messages about what is right and wrong.

More than anything, they are being told directly or indirectly that it’s OK to do whatever you feel like doing or being. It’s your human right. Sounds like ancient Israel’s problem hasn’t left us:

“There was no king in Israel. Every man did what was right in his own eyes.”
~ Judges 21:25

Other issues come into play as well. Our family environment, life experiences, peer influences, school curriculum and personal choices can all affect how we see ourselves and subsequently behave. Let us never be fooled into believing that transgendering can ever fix a person’s gender identity problems.

True Identity

The truth is,

• Many who have transgendered in the past now regret what they did.
  “Charlie Evans, aged 28 years, from Newcastle, UK, says hundreds of people who want to return to their original gender have contacted her since she announced her detransition and stopped taking her hormone therapy. The number of young people seeking gender transition is at the highest it has ever been, but little is reported about how many of them regret the decision later, finding they are unhappy with their new gender.” (news-medical.net, 23/3/2022)
• God created our gender. The Bible says,
  “So God created man[kind] in His own image; in the image of God, He created him [mankind]; male and female He created them.” ~ Genesis 1:27 (NKJV)
• Jesus died on the cross and was raised from the dead to give us abundant life. The Bible says,
  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son [born into the world like us], that whoever believes in [trusts, relies upon, surrenders to] Him should not perish [live in fear and confusion] but have everlasting life [know your loved by God, joy, peace, forgiveness, confident in who God made us]. ~ John 3:16 (NKJV)

Finally, let God help you become the person He created you to be. The Bible says,

“Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
~ Romans 12:2 (NLT)

___