The psychological and medical communities currently regard transsexualism as a diagnostically identifiable mental and medical disorder known as “gender dysphoria.” This clinical diagnosis qualifies patients for access to treatment and possible insurance benefits. Transsexualism manifests in various degrees along a spectrum, ranging from unexpressed feelings, to occasional cross-dressing or habitual transvestism, to persons who strongly desire or actually seek hormonal and surgical modification of their bodies and legal change of their birth-designated gender. “Transgender” and “transsexual” are synonyms usually referring to a rare psychological and sometimes medical condition of persons who identify themselves differently from their birth-assigned masculine or feminine physiology, hormonal characteristics and genetics.(1) Transgender persons often describe themselves as feeling trapped inside the wrong body type. The Current Confusion about Gender Diversity and Expression As our beliefs are worked out in personal and collective behavior, our desire is to be a prophetic voice proclaiming the power of Christ by which all persons can be “Made New” through His saving, sanctifying grace. This paper is an attempt to apply The Wesleyan Church’s biblical and theological understandings to a difficult pastoral and social issue. It means entering into public policy debates related to transgender issues with a biblical perspective with determination to uphold the divine origin, worth and eternal interests of others and with the courage to speak the truth in love. What does it mean for Christ-followers to offer grace and love to persons struggling with intersex physiology or with psychological uncertainty about their gender role in relation to others? For Wesleyan Christ-followers, it means entering into our neighbors’ personal suffering and confusion with humility and compassion.
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