Homosexuality, Bisexual and Transgender/Transsexual topics:

2016-DEC:
Still more negative comments on the
National Geographic Magazine's
issue on gender identity.

Part 6 of seven parts

This topic is continued here from the previous essay

Still more negative responses to the National Geographic magazine about gender identity on other web sites:

• Baptist Press published an article titled: "Transgender child on Nat. Geographic cover." Diana Chandler wrote:

"A 9-year-old boy who considers himself female is featured on the cover of the January 2017 National Geographic. The entire issue is dedicated to subjective gender identity primarily through the eyes of children while excluding biblical authority. Two different covers of the Jan. 2017 issue of National Geographic feature several children and young adults said to be classified under a range of descriptors related to the two genders. But the idea of transgenderism [sic] or gender fluidity is itself a fallacy void not only of Scripture but also of science, Christian commentators told Baptist Press. ₁

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She quotes the opinions of three conservative Christians:

• Glenn Stanton is the director of family formation studies at Focus on the Family. He said:

  "It's just simply absolutely false and pure ideology that gender is fluid. Across human culture and history there are males and females. ... There is no science whatsoever that has determined a 3rd or 4th or 5th gender. ₁

Webmaster's comment [bias alert]:

He appears to misunderstand the concept of gender fluidity. He seems to imply that transgender individuals and their religious and medical supporters believe that there are many genders: male, female, in addition to as many as three other genders, which he does not define. In reality, all of the transgender persons with whom I have had contact recognize only two genders: male and female. Most adult transgender individuals fit into one of two groups: MTF (male to female) who were identified as male at birth, and now identify permanently as female, and FTM (female to male) who were identified as female at birth, and now identity permanently as male. However, a minority of transgender persons are gender fluid. They recognize the same two genders, male and female. To my knowledge, none have created a third or fourth gender with which they identify. They may:

• switch between the two genders from time to time, or
• identify as being a blend of the two genders, or
• identify as being of neither gender; to them, gender has no personal meaning.

But they don't define any new genders beyond female and male.

• Ken Ham is the founder of Answers in Genesis (AiG). He believes in a fundamentalist interpretation of the bible and strongly promotes Young Earth Creationism. He said that National Geographic personnel are:

  "... really not out to discuss all the different views and to put in what the biblical view is, because they really want to impose a particular view on the culture, and the particular view they want to impose is you can be anything you want, and ... nobody can tell you that it's definitely male and female.... What they're really saying is we're going to tell you you can be anything you want to be." ₁

  The GodReports.com web site states that:

  "Ham said the growing acceptance of gender fluidity is a symptom of a culture that has taken the Bible out of public schools and promoted the theory of evolution, and also the result of the church being lax in teaching the truth of creation.

  'The devil knows if you can get the education system,' you can lead astray generations of children who are by nature susceptible and impressionable.

  'I believe what we’re seeing is as a whole, the culture has abandoned God’s Word. God is turning this culture over to judgment and unfortunately there are tremendous consequences,' Ham said. 'Romans 1 makes it very, very clear that a sign God is turning a culture over to judgment is this increasing rejection of your fundamental sexual nature and not even just a rejection of it, but basically a celebration of [that rejection] because Romans 1 says they approve of these things'." ₂

• One Million Moms (1MM) is a division of the American Family Association. 1MM's goal is "to stop the exploitation of our children, especially by the entertainment media (TV, music, movies, etc.)." They posted an essay about the National Geographic's 2017-JAN magazine and 2017-FEB documentary. It is titled: "National Geographic attacks most vulnerable." ₃ The article states:

"Advocates for sexual confusion have quickly moved from using adults to promote their agenda to exploiting children as the face of their cause.

Susan Goldberg, the National Geographic editor, should be ashamed of herself for using a young child in such an abusive manner. The overwhelming majority of doctors and psychiatrists label what this child is going through as 'gender dysphoria' and National Geographic is praising it as 'beautiful.'

Webmaster's comment [bias alert]:

Prior to 2012, the terms "Gender Identity Disorder" and "GID" were used to describe the internal conflict experienced by transgender and transsexual persons between their birth-identified gender and current gender identity. This term has since been regarded as stigmatizing because of the presence of the word "Disorder." The new, generally accepted term is "Gender Dysphoria." "Dysphoria" is a psychiatric term that means: "a state of unease or generalized dissatisfaction with life."

I suspect that National Geographic is not referring to Avery's Gender Dysphoria as beautiful. What is more likely regarded as beautiful is her acceptance of her gender identity. She sometimes refers to having some "boy parts," but accepts that as OK.

One Million Moms has prepared a petition for its readers to send to the National Geographic editor stating:

"I am offended by your choice to place a young child that is struggling with gender dysphoria on the cover of your January edition. Out of all of the 'transgender' adults you could have chosen as your feature, you chose to exploit a young boy. Your entire feature focuses specifically on children, which is exploitation at its worst.

From the beginning of mankind there have been only two sexes: male and female. No child should be used to push an unnatural social agenda. I am asking that you publicly apologize for taking advantage of these children in this manner and commit to avoiding similar actions in the future." ₃

• One News Now (ONN) is affiliated with the American Family Association, a conservative religious organization. Charlie Butts and Billy Davis wrote a report titled: "AFA: Maybe it's not wise to celebrate mental illness?." They quote Walker Wildmon of the American Family Association (AFA) as saying:

  "What National Geographic is doing is exploiting children to further a social agenda which is transgenderism [sic], homosexuality and all other sexual deviancy." ₄

  The ONN article states:

  "National Geographic is known for its globe-trotting stories and award-winning photos of faraway lands, but a "special issue" of the monthly magazine features a nine-year-old transgendered [sic] boy on the cover. The issue is entitled 'Gender Revolution'." ₄

  Some readers of the ONN article posted comments. Martin Rizley wrote an eloquent posting:

  "People´s eyes should be opened by this to see the 'demonic connection' between Darwinian fairy tales (National Geographic has been a huge promoter of Darwinism for years) and pagan views of sexuality -- both have the same source in the power of Satan, the master deceiver, who darkens men's minds with clever lies presented as truth and backed up with alleged 'scientific proof' (empirical data viewed through the lenses of unbelief), all aimed at discrediting the Bible's authority or clarity, so that people end up rejecting God's clearly revealed truth in favor of myths that have come 'fresh off the press' from the Father of lies. It comes as no surprise to me that people who believe in their heart of hearts that their ancestors were bacteria also come to believe that children can be born who are literally 'girls trapped in boys´ bodies.' Both of these myths come from the same book of fairy tales and are exposed by the same book of truth. Is it any wonder why Christians tend to be skeptical of the supposedly 'objective" claims of "science' when those claims directly conflict with the teaching of Scripture? The new 'gender ideology' of the left is now being presented with the same intolerant dogmatism that has been used to push the macro-evolutionary view of origins for the last century and a half -- all in the name of 'science' (so-called)." ₄

This topic continues in the next essay:

The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.

1. Diana Chandler, ""Transgender child on Nat. Geographic cover," Baptist Press, 2016-DEC-22, at: http://www.bpnews.net/
2. Diana Chandler, "National Geographic cover features transgender child," Godreports, 2016-DEC-28, at: http://blog.godreports.com/
3. "National Geographic attacks most vulnerable," One Million Moms, 2016-DEC-21, at: http://www.onemillionmoms.com/
4. "AFA: Maybe it's not wise to celebrate mental illness?, One News Now, 2-16-DEC-20, at: https://www.onenewsnow.com/

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Copyright © 2016 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Original posting: 2016-DEC-27
Latest update : 2016-DEC-31
Author: B.A. Robinson

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