To the editor:
I am an old man who was born homosexual and raised in the Catholic Church. I was told that God is love and that man was made in his image. Being an average youngster with all appearances of being “normal,” I was, however, well aware of the stigmatization of homosexual people.
I never thought of myself as a deviate, an abomination, or a pervert. But I did question why a loving God would endow me with this sexuality that condemned me to derision and persecution. I am now at the end of my life and have survived, in spite of this loving God.
And now society, including me, has come face-to-face with the transgender phenomenon. I am very ignorant here. I remember Bruce Jenner’s story years ago and was confounded as to why a handsome, perfectly-male athlete would want to become a female. But, for me, this became history.
And, yet, today, it seems like this phenomenon is front and center. I am amazed at all the stories of individuals who want to lead a gender life opposite to their born gender.
What I would suggest is a willingness to research more and try to understand what causes a person to identify as transgender. I did not choose to be homosexual. Can it be possible transgender people do not choose this, but that it is an established orientation with which they are born?
Our understanding of life and human development has made great strides (well, sort of). But the distorted teachings of religion and our fear of the “other” have closed too many minds to the infinite possibilities that make up the human psyche. Transgender people do not deserve derision and exclusion. They need and deserve our attempt to understand.
Do you remember how, years ago, writing left-handed was considered not normal and children were forced to try to write with their right hands? Hmm!! Maybe we humans have not yet made great strides. Xenophobia and hate yet reign. I highly recommend the letter to the editor from last week by Nyla DuBois for more insights regarding this subject.
Sincerely,
Walter Haug
Marblehead