Bible passages on transgender &
transsexual topics
From the Hebrew Scriptures
(Old Testament)
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Some passages:
Genesis 2:18-22:
"And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will
make him an help meet for him. ... And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to
fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the
flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man,
made he a woman, and brought her unto the man."
In this passage, God is said to have created Eve from one of Adam's ribs, in
order to create a companion/helper for him. If Eve had become a FTM
transsexual, this would have thwarted God's plan.
Deuteronomy 22:5:
"The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a
man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD
thy God."
This verse is perhaps the most ignored passage in the Bible today. Girls and
women commonly wear jeans, slacks and other clothing that are essentially
identical to the clothing worn by boys and men.
This is the main biblical verse that is often quoted to condemn
transsexuality and cross-dressing. (A cross-dresser is typically a heterosexual
male who is sexually excited when wearing women's clothes.)
If you believe that a person's gender is defined by their gender identity,
then this passage does not pose a problem for transgender persons. A MTF
transsexual would be considered a woman and thus eligible to wear women's
clothing. However conservatives believe that genetic gender rules; a MTF
transsexual is still viewed as a male and thus ineligible to wear female clothing.
1 Samuel 16:7:
"... the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward
appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart."
This could be interpreted as supporting the acceptance of transgenderism and
transsexuality. The verse might imply that humans typically observe only a
person's physical appearance -- their genetic gender. On the other hand, God
observes the person's interior reality -- their perceived gender.
Psalms 139:13-14:
"For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I
will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy
works; and that my soul knoweth right well."
This is a psalm of praise to God who wonderfully and marvelously formed the
writer as a fetus in their mother's womb. One's genetic gender is determined
at conception; many researchers believe that the brain's gender identity is
determined during gestation. This psalm thus appears to be confirmation that a
transgender person/transsexual is exactly what God had in mind. Their Gender
Identity Disorder (GID) is
specifically designed, natural, and not an accident. Thus, it could be argued from this verse that persons with GID should be honored and
accepted as equal to cisgendered persons.
Ecclesiastes 11:5:
"As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow
in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of
God who maketh all."
This passage notes that humans cannot know how a fetus is formed in the body
of a woman. This is a work of God and cannot be fully understood. This might
be interpreted as implying
that we must accept, value, and support God's handiwork, including newborns
formed with a brain gender opposite of their genetic gender.
Zechariah 12:1:
"The LORD ... forms the spirit of man within him ..."
This implies that a person's spirit is separate from their body. This leaves
open the possibility that God occasionally makes the spirit and body of a
person to be of different genders. If this is God's intent, then it presumably should be
respected.