The majority of the American population is in favor of protecting transgender people against discrimination yet it is also the majority that is alarmed by the changes in transgender issues happening too quickly, while only a few are showing support for medical care support for gender transitions.
The Pew Research Center in Washington released a study Tuesday about gender identity and transgender issues and it surprisingly revealed that Americans have complex views and are generally torn when dealing with these issues.
Sixty-four percent of the population strongly favor the creation of transgender nondiscrimination laws, while 10% oppose it and 25% neither favor nor oppose it. Fifty-seven percent said that there is a great deal or a fair amount of discrimination against transgender people.
However, people are torn over the extent to which society has accepted transgender people, with 38%, mostly young adults and Democrats, saying that society has gone too far, the other 36% saying it has not gone too far while the majority, at 54%, said it has either gone too far or just right in terms of acceptance.
Sixty percent of the U.S. population stated that gender can be identified by the sex assigned at birth, and only 1 out of 4 said that additional options should be present on forms and online profiles other than male or female.
"The fundamental belief about whether gender can differ from sex assigned at birth is closely aligned with opinions on transgender issues. Americans who say a person's gender can be different from their sex at birth are more likely than others to see discrimination against trans people and a lack of societal acceptance. They're also more likely to say that our society hasn't gone far enough in accepting people who are transgender," the study revealed.
The majority at 43%, mostly adults from ages 65 and up, however, is quite disturbed with transgender issues changing too quickly while 28%, mostly young adults, expressed that the pace is just right.
'Belief Completely Tied Up With Political Affiliation'
The study further found out that the standpoint of an individual regarding transgender issues and gender identity is "completely tied up" with one's political affiliation.
Democrats and Republicans who agree that gender identity is determined by sex at birth do not have the same viewpoints on transgender issues. Sixty-one percent of Democrats and only 31% of Republicans who stated that a person's gender is determined by the sex assigned to them at birth said that there is at least a fair amount of discrimination in society against transgender people. Sixty-two percent of Democrats and only fewer than half of that percentage from Republicans that said gender is identified by sex at birth stated that they give full support to policies that protect transgender people from discrimination.
According to The Hill, "(This) finding has played out across the nation this year, and lawmakers in mostly conservative-led states have denied the existence of transgender people and alleged that transgender identities are merely part of a "woke gender ideology" that is being pushed on the nation's youth by Democrats."
Eighty-five percent of Republicans and Republican leaners support the legislation that transgender athletes should only play on sports teams that match their gender at birth, which is consistent with the fact that there are already two dozen states that have introduced this measure, and 10 out of the 24 states have already signed this into law.
Forty-six percent of the population is pushing for laws that will make it illegal for health care professionals to provide gender-affirming medical care like puberty blockers and hormone therapy to transgender youth below 18 years old, while 37%, mostly Republicans, agree that parents of transgender minors allowing their children to go through gender-affirming medical care must be investigated for child abuse.
Forty-one percent of Americans agree to make it illegal for public school educators to address gender identity with students while 38% oppose this.
Parents And Church's Roles In This Complexity
It can be recalled from an article here at Christianity Daily that author and speaker, as well as Celebrate Kids founder and president, Dr. Kathy Koch said that it is very essential for parents and churches to be fully equipped and be more prepared in handling sexuality and transgender issues, emphasizing that parent and especially pastors should prioritize attending conferences, reading periodicals and consuming contents that would allow them to understand how to address these issues boldly but with love and compassion.
Koch's advice is so much needed now more than ever with the confusion and complexity of American's views towards these issues, as the study showed.
Moreover, it is important to highlight that what really hinders families, especially the Christian ones, to address these issues properly is the avoidance of the issue altogether. There is so much struggle in admitting the "presence of heterosexual sin".
She urged families to embrace and "love them in the moment of their pain" and to invite one's self in their journey so that they may not feel alone and attacked. Instead of hurtful words that rebuke, the words gently spoken should be "How can I walk with you?" and "Let me pray for you."
In church, the doctor encouraged the people in the pew to stop the judgment that is blocking healing and restoration and instead "welcome the prodigal home" and be a safe place for conversations with no judgments but only with grace, compassion, and understanding without losing the weight of truth and the consequences of sin.
Amidst these complexities, the church could show love and can unite the division into choosing God's truth over the world's.
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