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Wrote Mr. Leach a letter... (it comes across as a bit more religious than I generally present, but it was drafted with the recipient in mind.)


Hi Jerry,

I am a xx year-old transitioning MTF transsexual and I have struggled greatly with the moral implications of my choice. It would be helpful if the Bible clearly stated that transsexualism is or is not a sin, but there is no such direct guidance to be found. Obviously, at the time the Bible was written, there was no such thing as a sex change operation, nor is it likely that such a thing was even contemplated. I have not found the normally cited anti-homosexuality passages (i.e. Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13, Deuteronomy 23:17, I Corinthians 6:9; 10) to be particularly instructive on the issue of transsexuality. As such, I think the classification of transsexualism as a sin is far more a matter of human interpretation than it is the direct word of God.

I dont believe I ever chose to be a transsexual. If my actions manifesting my transgendered leanings, in fact, constituted my decision to be TS, then this would have been a decision I made around age 5. I do not believe God would inflict a lifetime of torment on an individual for a decision they made at such an early age. Having researched the hypothesized neurophysiological foundations for transsexualism (and, in fact, having attempted to develop a cure as part of an undergraduate research project), I believe that the best evidence available to date suggests that there is a physiological root cause for transgendered behavior. Although we cannot fully characterize it yet, I believe that it will be established within my lifetime, and it is very clearly the direction the research is heading.

That said, while I do believe that transsexualism is a congenital condition, how an individual deals with their transsexualism is still a manifestation of will. From a moral perspective then, how do we characterize the decision to transition? Is it a temptation we were meant to spend a lifetime resisting, or is it a test of faith, to be the person God intended us to become, in spite of the great hardships this would entail, principally at the hands of men? How many of the bad things about being transsexual are directly the result of societys lack of acceptance of transsexuals? A lack of social acceptance does not make something a sin in the eyes of God.

If societys opinion is not dispositive, the relevant question then, in my view, is how does transsexualism affect our personal relationship with God? I dont want to be a woman to be a harlot or a prostitute. I want to be a good Christian woman. I want to be a wife, and a mother. I want to give love and serve the Lord in this role. There is nothing wrong or un-Christian about being a woman, there is evidently only something wrong with becoming one. I believe the Lord expects my obedience to his will, but I also believe He wants me to be happy. I have prayed often to the Lord for guidance on what His plan is for me and how I may serve His will, but I have never received any revelation about whether it is His desire that I spend my life denying that part of me. I dont believe the Lord is cruel. I dont believe He would give me a female sense of self only to torment me throughout my life. If it was his plan that I were to endure such pain, for His glory, then I dont believe He would force me to guess His will on the matter.

Indeed, does that sound like the God you know? To give you a huge, life-defining conflict, the resolution of which requires either swallowing and suppressing your very sense of who you are, or transitioning and exposing yourself to the vicious scorn of men and women alike; and then not telling you how he wants you to decide? Do you sin by living out your life sullen and unhappy having decided not to transition? Do you sin in pride by changing the body God gave you? Does it require more faith to transition, or to not transition?

How many people in our culture hate and fear transsexuals? Hatred, fear, intolerance, bigotry these emotions are not of divine origin. That so many transsexuals are willing to endure them all simply because they feel in their heart that their souls are female, to me, speaks of great spiritual strength. How very unique among sins is transsexualism? It inflicts no harm on others, others are only injured if they chose to be, via their reaction to the person who suffers from it. The perpetrators of the sin of transsexualism do not seek power or dominance over others, they do not seek to hurt others or take anything that does not belong to them. They do not actively seek to defy God (in fact many seek His forgiveness throughout their transition). All they want is to be, on the outside, the person they see themselves as, on the inside. Will God judge them harshly? How will He judge those who oppress them? How will He judge those whose hearts are filled with hatred and disgust at the mere sight of them?

Transition may not be the best choice for everyone, but I would consider it quite tragic if a person were to live out their life in misery and unhappiness (or worse, to end it prematurely) for no other reason than the fear that transitioning would condemn their soul to Hell.

Kind Regards,
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