A Christian case for Trans acceptance... / A.J. Hendry

Since Posy Parker the kōrero around the inclusion of Trans people within the church has kicked off again. But, how much of it reflects the heart of the Christian faith?

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

Since Posy Parker came to Aotearoa, the kōrero around the inclusion of Trans people within the church has kicked off again. I don’t want to go into what happened at Posy Parker’s event, the protest, the counter protest, what you may or may not think about what happened on that day.

What I want to focus on is how Christian’s engage with this conversation. A conversation that has at its heart real people, human beings who are far to often victims of harassment, abuse, and exclusion.

When approaching any conversation around the human rights of Rainbow people, it’s important for me – as someone who identifies with the Christian faith – to acknowledge the manner in which Christianity has so often been used as a tool to undermine the rights of Queer people. An example of this occurred the very weekend of the Posy Parker visit, when Brian Tamaki and Destiny Church utilized the weekend’s events to push forward their agenda against sexuality education in schools, in the hopes of driving conversations about sexuality back into the closets.

This sort of behavior however simply highlights the mindset of many Christians.

The reality is, many Christians are afraid.

Afraid of this changing world.

Almost a decade ago now we were afraid that allowing Gay people to marry would destroy marriage (it didn’t). Prior to that, we were afraid that a law designed to prevent adults from hitting kids and calling it “discipline” (the anti-smacking law) would take away our rights as parents (it hasn’t).

And now as the world continues to change, we are afraid again.

This time, our fear is rooted in the existence of a community that represents 0.8 percent of New Zealand’s adult population. This is of course, our trans whānau.

The common line of course is that we – Christians – are not afraid of trans people, we love them, we just think they are lost, broken, sinful, in need of saving (like ourselves we would hasten to add). Equally, some Christians might say we are concerned about the impact of trans ideology on kids and the agenda behind it.

We of course reject the inference that we might at all be Transphobic.

And yet, there are narratives within some Christian circles that stray awfully close to that line.

Transphobia is defined as an irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against transgender people.

I want you to hold that definition in your mind as you reflect on conversations you’ve had about trans people with your Christian friends.

Perhaps, you’ve heard friends talk about the trans agenda, a.k.a the gay agenda. It’s one of those stories that exists within some Christian communities. That the Rainbow Community has an agenda to undermine and destroy the church. Some people fear that there is some insidious plot brewing that is targeting our kids, seeking to turn them trans. Other’s – such as our friend Posy Parker – insinuate that the real motivation behind much trans-advocacy is their desire to sexually assault and exploit children. Again, reflect on recent protests which have occurred here in New Zealand and abroad, where people have protested Drag Queen Story Time events at libraries, bearing messages such as ‘stop letting pedophiles read to our children’.

These attitudes are fear based, irrational, and discriminatory.

When you’re accusing an entire community of people of being pedophiles who are out to harm your kids, I can’t find another word for it but to name this transphobia.  

I can accept that there is diversity within the Christian community on many issues relating to faith and queer Liberation. What I can’t accept however is the acceptance of discriminatory and vulgar narratives being shared and supported by those who identify as followers of the Way of Love. The world is complex, and big, and so very grey, and yes things are changing, our position in the world and society at large is different than it was. This can be scary. Hard to navigate. And yes, there is is of course so much that we don’t understand.

And yet, Jesus simplifies it for us.

When you don’t know what to do.

When the ground shifts beneath you.

When you’re unsure what the right answer is.

Jesus invites us to walk the path of Love.

And no Love is not wishy-washy or airy-fairy. Love, true Love, is exemplified on the cross. It is sacrificial, enemy loving, all embracing, all encompassing, always enough.

Love is our guiding pou, the foundation of our faith, the path those who follow Christ are required to walk.

When you reflect on the conversations you’ve been having about trans people with your Christian friends, and in your faith communities, when measured against the overwhelming Love of God, does it stand up? Or does it fall short?

Does your kōrero, and that of your friends and leaders bear within it the grace and humility one would expect of a follower of Jesus? Does it acknowledge that core reality the Christian story points to, that of the imagio dei, that trans people are made in the image of God, and bear the Divine image within them?

And if it doesn’t, then as followers of the Way, and disciples of Christ, what must we than do? How must we than change?

I acknowledge there will be differences in theological perspectives within the church. And yet, one thing we should all be able to agree on is that no matter who you are, or how you identify, all people are worthy of Love and respect.

For many Rainbow people, what some Christians name the "gay agenda" is really just LGBTQ+ people's desire to be able to exist without hate and discrimination.

LGBTQ+ people are loved and accepted by God regardless of any theological details you or your church may be wrestling with. You don't have to have a fully fleshed theology around sexuality, gender identity, and queer Liberation to state this as truth.

In fact, there is a growing movement of people within the Church who are become increasingly uncomfortable with the fear-based rhetoric aimed at Rainbow people. Many would like to see Church leaders more clearly articulate God's acceptance of Rainbow people, and condemn the fear driven rhetoric that exists in Christian spaces.

And yet, despite the awakening which is occurring in Christian circles, people are afraid. Afraid to speak up. Because, to do so may cost you your friends, your reputation, and for those employed by the church, it might even cost you your job.

I hear and acknowledge the heaviness of that cost. And I put to you, that this is the cross Christ calls us to pick up. To step into solidarity with those on the margins, to name the Divine image within all people, to proclaim boldly the Good News that regardless of religious tradition, Queer people are Loved and accepted, beautiful children of God.

If you hold this conviction, there is never a better time than now to speak up, to name it, to be clear with your community where you stand.

And yes, there is a price to pay.

And yet, the cost of silence is measured in the pain, suffering and continued exclusion and isolation of those LGBTQ+ whānau that exist silently within your community.

As he says to the rich young ruler, Christ says to us.

Give up your privilege, your reputation, your comfort, and come and join in solidarity with me.

#LoveIsTheWay

A.J. Hendry is a Laidlaw College graduate, and a Youth Development Worker and housing advocate, working in the Youth Housing and Homelessness space. He leads a service supporting rangatahi experiencing homelessness and is also an advocate working collectively to end youth homelessness in Aotearoa. He is also the curator and creator of When Lambs Are Silent.