You are on page 1of 3

Transsexuals should seek therapy, but much depends on what sort 29/09/2009 13:53

Transsexuals should seek therapy,


but much depends on what sort

Should Christians endorse Gender


Reassignment Surgery (GRS) as
an option for transsexuals?

By ROLAND CHIA

I THINK it is best if we begin with a working definition of transsexuality. A transsexual person is


someone who is uncomfortable with the behaviour required for his or her chromosomal gender. In other
words, a transsexual is someone who rejects his or her biologically and genetically determined sex, and
prefers to live as a member of the opposite sex.

Studies conducted in the US show that the incidence of transsexuality is relatively low: about 1 in 30,000
males, and 1 in 100,000 females. In the UK, the incidence of transsexuality is less than 0.003% of the
population.

There is no consensus on the cause and origin of transsexuality. Most studies maintain that feelings of
discomfort, known as gender dysphoria, begin from childhood. Studies have also indicated that
transsexuality could possibly be associated with clinical, behavoural and family factors, but none of
these is conclusive. No clear reproducible sex hormone abnormalities are found in transsexuals. That is
why those undergoing Gender Reassignment Surgery (GRS) must be treated with adequate sex hormones
for the target sex. Studies conducted on identical twins seem to indicate that transsexuality has no genetic
basis either.

Historically, transsexuality has been considered as a psychiatric condition. But since GRS became
available in the 1970s, transsexuality has been relabeled as a medical condition.

Can the Bible provide guidance on transsexuality? We must begin with what the Bible has to say about
human sexuality and reflect on the specific issue of transsexuality from that standpoint. Genesis 1
provides the clearest statement regarding gender, that human beings are created as male and female (v
27). This basic statement also means that a person's sexual identity is biologically determined and part of
who he or she is.

Genesis 2:18-25 sets out God's ideal for sexual relationships: they should be monogamous, heterosexual,
and open to the possibility of procreation. This is the creational ideal with regard to human sexuality,
http://www.methodistmessage.com/aug2006/goodq.html Page 1 of 3
Transsexuals should seek therapy, but much depends on what sort 29/09/2009 13:53

and God's people are expected to live according to this ideal even in this fallen world. That is why any
breach of sexual differentiation, like cross-dressing, is an abomination to God (Deut 22:5).

This ideal, as we know, is disrupted by human rebellion which led to the Fall. Sin did not only alienate
human beings from their Creator; it also brought about a perversion which touches human nature in
every aspect. In the case of transsexuals who feel that their bodies and sexual identities are at variance,
the distortion is more pronounced, making their struggle more intense. But the distortions, contradictions
and ambiguities brought about by human rebellion touch every single human being.

Should transsexuals seek therapy for their condition? Of course they should, but much depends on what
sort of therapy is sought.

Since the emergence of sex-change surgery in the


early 1970s, many transsexuals have undergone this
almost irreversible procedure, in which extensive
plastic surgery is performed, and extensive
preparation and follow-up required. In the past, the
accepted medical wisdom is that GRS should be the
absolute last resort. But more recently, "transgender"
activists, who are often allied with gay liberation
movements, have argued that transsexuals are entitled
to whatever surgery they want. GRS has also become
more common because of medical centres in
countries like Thailand, which would perform the
surgery with "no questions asked" for anyone who
can pay for it.

GRS is not an option for transsexual Christians seeking therapy because it transgresses the divine
creational ideal for human sexuality and sexual relationships.

The Bible appears to favour the view that human sexual identity is determined biologically. Put in
modern scientific terms, human sexual identity is built into our constitution mostly by the genes we
inherit and the embryogenesis process we undergo. According to this view, transsexuality is not
deterministically enforced genetically or biologically, but rather has a psychological origin. This means
that transsexual operations will not correct the profound psychological disquiet experienced by
transsexuals.

Psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Jon Meyer at Johns Hopkins found very little change in the psychological
condition of post-surgical transsexuals, despite their claim of being happier and more fulfilled.

On the basis of such research, hospitals like Johns Hopkins have stopped performing gender
reassignment procedures in adults with sexual dysphoria. Similarly experts in the field at the Portman
Clinic in London no longer make such procedures available because they believe that offering GRS to
transsexuals is preying on their delusional fantasies. For these doctors transsexuality is a form of

http://www.methodistmessage.com/aug2006/goodq.html Page 2 of 3
Transsexuals should seek therapy, but much depends on what sort 29/09/2009 13:53

psychiatric condition called "autogynephilia" which is a kind of sexual misdirection which is manifested
in cross-dressing and which eventually leads to the surgical option. To provide surgical alteration of the
body is therefore to collaborate with a mental disorder rather than to treat it.

Christians suffering from sexual dysphoria should seek psychiatric help. The Christian community should
never agree that transsexual operations be allowable for Christians. But it should at the same time be
willing to support the Christian transsexual who is willing to work patiently through the issue.

Readers who are struggling with gender dysphoria or who have family members or friends facing this
problem may contact Choices for assistance (website: www.choices.org.sg; Telephone: 6274 1475).

Dr Roland Chia is Dean of Postgraduate Studies and Lecturer in Historical and Systematic Theology at
Trinity Theological College.

QUOTE:

GOD'S IDEAL FOR SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS

Genesis 2:18-25 sets out God's ideal for sexual relationships: they should be monogamous, heterosexual,
and open to the possibility of procreation. This is the creational ideal with regard to human sexuality,
and God's people are expected to live according to this ideal even in this fallen world. That is why any
breach of sexual differentiation, like cross-dressing, is an abomination to God (Deut 22:5).

http://www.methodistmessage.com/aug2006/goodq.html Page 3 of 3

You might also like