In response to the column ”
Many are left in the dust by trans movement
” by Roxane Salonen:
I grew up during what would be the peak of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. And as I grew up, I was given messages across our culture every day about how being gay was a sin and this was a disease they deserved. I grew up seeing the church loud and proud about praying the gay away. And heard countless stories of religious trauma from other LGBTQ+ people, trauma often inflicted by people who professed love and faith.
For a long time, I was afraid of the church. I was afraid of religion. The only stories I ever heard were ones of harm. And what opened my heart to seeing it differently was a study on transgender people’s religious experiences. It was about the love trans people got from the god they worshipped. That even when the church abandoned them, their Bible still gave them comfort. And I realized, for some people, faith was extremely important. And a point of joy and love in their life. And I found there were so many beautiful lessons we could take about treating, understanding, and helping each other.
I agree with you, Roxane, that I’d like some folks to be much less obsessed with trans people. In Maine, a trans runner took first place, inviting the usual political vitriol targeting and bullying trans children. This was rebuked by the 2nd place competitor, a cisgender girl, who
called the attack ugly
. Who, prior to this obsession and hate, thought it was a happy day.
In Utah, the government did a
study on the medical evidence
for trans people after banning gender-affirming care in their state. A thousand pages long, it supports what all major medical associations and
our state doctors say
— care is lifesaving and backed by extremely strong evidence.
In your article, there is a question, “What areas of medicine do we allow children to diagnose themselves?” And children are diagnosed by doctors, Roxane. Doctors and families who listen to their child. Doctors who are capable of assessing the difference between gender dysphoria and anxiety. But regardless, if a child told me they were in pain, I would listen.
I’m trans, and it’s something I knew about when I was a kid. But I was too afraid to tell anyone. I felt like I was mentally ill, a freak, and that I didn’t deserve to be alive. For over two decades it was a weight on me every day. I never want anyone to feel like that, Roxane. And kids are still silently suffering every day like I did, I got the data.
Roxane, I will choose to believe you’re not every anti-trans religious person we see online. If you will believe that I’m not a radical trans activist who is part of a nefarious gender movement, but just a homebrew North Dakotan that loves this state and genuinely wants the best for the people in it. Reach out if I can help, and I hope Jubilee is treating you well.
Faye Seidler is a suicide prevention advocate and frequent contributor to Inforum.
