Did You know – that normal human sexuality is more complicated than you might think?
The recent story of Bruce Jenner’s transformation to become Caitlyn Jenner has confused many folks and raised questions such as: What is transgender ? and Is transgender a pathological condition?
Although complicated to explain, transgender is a normal variation of human sexuality that occurs when the external sex characteristics of a person conflict with the person’s inner psychological identity and sense of themselves. Transgender are not crazy. Their condition is simply an anomaly of nature which can be corrected with hormonal treatments and surgical procedures. Treatment brings the person’s physical and external sexual characteristics into agreement with the person’s sense of his/her own sexual identity.
It is imporatnt to understand the medical facts because transgender folks face terrible ridicule and abuse and often suffer from depression because of the hostile circumstances within which they are forced to live.
Caitlyn Jenner’s story can be a teachable moment for our culture to mature and an opportunity for us as a society to grow in our understanding of the complex reality of human sexuality. Above all we must love and show compassion for transgender folks who have been misunderstood and have often had to live in the shaddows of society. Hopefully, inspired Jenner’s courage and example, our society will experience its own transformation in which transgender folks will be welcomed ande accepted as full members of the human family.