There has been a sea change in the fabric of society. Gone are the days when the 'gender binary,' that is “male” and “female,” was automatically assumed.  It is nowadays common to encounter at least three categories “Male, Female, Transgender” when you fill official forms. This and other  compelling reasons makes it mandatory for us to know what is going on in the world in this area. In India 4.9 lakh people identified as transgender in the census in 2014. However the actual figures are expected to be far higher. In Tamilnadu alone around 6.5 lakhs are expected to participate in their annual festival at the Koovagam, Koothandavar festival in 2019. They are quite often in the news. In this context there is also the current effort to redefine gender. So, if we need to be relevant, we need to be aware of the issues in our times. Respected Bible scholar John Stott in his book  The Contemporary Christian, wrote that “a follower of Christ should have a Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other. Without both, he is unarmed. With the newspaper only, you have the calamity and depravity in the world with no hope to offer. With only the Scripture, you have hope but no sense of where to apply it.” Ignorance is not bliss in these cases as some current issues have a direct bearing on Scripture and the Faith.

How do we understand this gender diversity as the Bible has only two categories, 'male' and 'female.' Several questions can rise. Is the Bible outdated and irrelevant in our times? Was there a third gender already,  that is, were the eunuchs mentioned in the Bible, the transgenders we encounter? What is the Biblical way of understanding this changed scenario? How do we help our children navigate a changed world with gender ambiguity? To help answer these, I want to briefly explore these and some related terms. to help us have clarity of thought and have information that can help us understand the Biblical view in these changed times.

When people talk of transgender, they may refer to at least one of the following four categories.
1. Biological or Medical condition
2. Social
3. Cultural/Religious
4. Psychological

Biological
I propose to first cover the biological medical condition called Hermaphroditism. Merriam Webster;s dictionary defines it like this “: possessing both male and female reproductive organs, structures, or tissue :” In this broken world, we suffer from various kinds of illnesses, there is a sickness that affects gender. Traditionally this condition has been labelled “Hermaphroditism.” To put it simply, a person having this sickness has the organs of both sexes on their body in some form, often one more developed than the other. On a case by case basis there exists medical treatment for such conditions, and many have integrated into the dominant sexuality expressed in their condition, either male or female. However this condition is very very rare. 99.98% of all human beings are biologically male or female. Only 0.02 % have this kind of an anomaly. Please note that these people are not a new gender. Though current terminology refers to them as “intersex,” They can resolve to being either male or female according to their physical givenness. To have a clear medical view of this illness, you can read the research by the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, Inc. at the online Medical Dictionary. These are very rare cases and they normally do not become public. At this point, there is something very important that we should note. The current social reference to transgenders almost entirely does NOT include hermaphrodites. This is because the current basis for classification for transgenders, is not biology but psychology. Some hermaphrodites may join the current transgender community, but to the current transgender group, it does not matter what you are biologically. We will see more of this in just a while. Hermaphrodites like all human beings, face the real fact of sickness that affects all of us in some form. For them it deals with their sexuality. We need to show utmost kindness and support for  people with this disease and help them wherever we can in their journey towards normalcy.

This medical condition does not present any challenge to the Biblical categories of male and female as this is not a new gender but a disease concerning gender. Next this condition is extremely rare as only .02 % of peole have this condition and 99.98 % are physically either male or female. There are efforts to include some changes in the XX, XY categories into hermaphroditism and broaden the base of the disease. But this is not medically valid as the above mentioned study shows.

Social/Functional
Social. We move on now to the next group. These are the eunuchs we have read of in the Bible. Webster's dictionary defines them as “1 : a castrated man placed in charge of a harem or employed as a chamberlain in a palace." All eunuchs were primarily men or boys, never women or girls. In the first category above, these men were made eunuchs for royal service. They were guards or officials (Esther 2:21) or placed over the kings harem as in Esther 2:3. Invariably, many officers and aids under queens were eunuchs as in Esther, Queen Jezebel (2 Kings 9:32,33), queen Candice (Acts 8:27). This practice of making people eunuchs for special service was common in ancient times in various cultures. There are records of how eunuchs were well known and enjoyed great influence and power in ancient China. The functional. Other than people set apart for service, there are the 'castrato.' This inhuman practice continued till the 1900's, where boys were castrated so as to retain their soprano or alto voice. Thankfully this barbaric practice has been discontinued.

What does the Bible say about these people. The Lord Jesus said “For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others-and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19:12 12). Here are the three categories of eunuchs, those who are (1) born this way, (2) made so by others and (3) those who choose to live this way. Those who are born this way are the sexually dysfunctional, including hermaphrodites. Those “made so by man,” belong to the category seen above (caregivers to the queens, etc). “Those who choose to live this way” are those who have the gift of being celibate. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary says “and there be eunuchs which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake—persons who, to do God's work better, deliberately choose this state. Such was Paul.” (1Co 7:7) It is important to note that in the Bible, 'those who chose to live this way' referred to people who turned away from sexuality and family commitments to serve the Lord undisturbed. They were not castrated, but voluntarily chose the celibate life. In ancient times, one church father got confused and did get castrated thinking that was the mandate. He was wrong. To the early church and to the Lord, the context was voluntary celibacy.

What does the Bible say regarding castration and physical damage to our bodies? First, it is prohibited to emasculate oneself. Deuteronomy 23:1 says “No one who has been emasculated by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of the Lord.” The message is plain, it is totally unacceptable. But typically God, who always gives a way of escape to mankind, says this to eunuchs banned by their actions from His presence. “For this is what the Lord says: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant— to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will endure forever.” (Isaiah 56:4,5). In other words, to the eunuchs who seek reconciliation with God, obey His words and seek His ways, God will give them a special place in His presence. God is serious about this. He sent an evangelist all the way into the wilderness to meet a solitary seeking eunuch (Acts 8:26-40). God's love is amazing.

Thus far, we have covered eunuchs and hermaphrodites. Neither of these categories attempt to unsettle the Biblical gender categories. The eunuch is not a new gender rather an emasculated man. Their roles in marriage or sexual activity is irrelevant as these roles included sexual abstinance. However the other categories we will look at below attempts to challenge Biblical norms.

Cultural/Religious
This group is diametrically opposite in terms of sexual behaviour to the group (eunuchs) above. To the group above, castration was to remove sexual activity and to promote celibacy. To this group, it is for the purpose of altered sexual activity. The transgenders on Indian roads, marketplaces, toll plazas are almost entirely made up of males who have, for religious purposes, castrated themselves and dress as women. These people are called Hijras or Aravanis. There is a religious underpinning to this group. At the Koothandavar festival in Ulundurpet men undergo a ritual that traditionally involves castration, to be married to the god Aravan at the Koothandavar temple. These are the ones we see at intersections and marketplaces. They ask for money in exchange for their blessings, which traditionally has been seen as relevant. There are such transgenders in other professions too. Recently one stood for public office. Since they are castrated, the sexuality they practice is similar to homosexuality. What is the Bible's response to them? God's love is impartial. The Bible has just one entry point for all people – irrespective of their background, that is, “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” There is an effort made by some to integrate this community with the Church without requiring any change in their sexual practices. That is an unbiblical response. God's love is certainly open to all. All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory and we need to repent and be reconciled with God through the Lord Jesus. Any integration without repentance from their ways is not Biblical.

Psychological
We have looked at the local cultural/religious tradition regarding transgenders and we move on to the most actively promoted movement worldwide. This is the psychological category of transgenders. They too are referred to as transgenders, but the underlying philosophy is not the Eunuchs of old or the Koothandavar culture but the gender fluidity theory. Their stance is built on a broader and more general base. Webster's dictionary says “Transgender :: of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity differs from the sex the person had or was identified as having at birth." However, this group is primarily comprised of both biological males and females, who identify as the opposite sex. They feel that they are locked into the wrong body and experience a distress (gender dystrophia) because of it. This is seen as a psychological condition rather than a biological condition. Take the case of Bruce Jenner, an Olympic athlete who 'transitioned' to become Kaitlin Jenner, a woman. Bruce a biological male felt that he identified more with being female and he underwent a 'transition.' In some countries, it is mandatory that you should call such people by pronouns of their choice. So if this person is a biological male but wants to be referred to as “she” you are expected to comply. All of this is based on a theory referred to as 'gender fluidity.'

What is “Gender Fluidity” all about? Webster puts it this way: “Gender fluidity is the ability to freely and knowingly become one or many of a limitless number of genders, for any length of time, at any rate of change. Gender fluidity recognizes no borders or rules of gender.” Collins Dictionary says “You can use gender to refer to one of a range of identities that includes female, male, a combination of both, and neither.”

If you are not confused at this point, you probably know what the argument is about. If not you are probably as confused as I was when I first heard all this. Many questions arise. What is the basis for this kind of thinking? Is it not extremely easy to determine who is male and who is female? How can there be any confusion? Well the issue is this. The theory divides “sex” from “gender.” Thus far we have seen these together. That is, the bilogical sex that is determined at birth is also referred to as the gender of the baby. However, this theory attempts to divide it. So here is how it goes. They say, sex has to do with the biological anatomy that we inherit. We are born either biologically male or female. Gender is more to do with the stereotypical behaviours social constructs and roles that have been associated with the different sexes. It is socially acceptable to be tough and aggressive as males and be gracious and gentle as female etc. This kind of stereotypes are 'constructs'  that have been tagged to the sexes. But in real life, there are gentle and gracious men and aggressive women. They do not fit stereotypical behavioural expectations. So we can be any sex at birth, but we can change to any gender we choose. So, they say biological sex is received at birth but the social expectations roles and constructs for these sexes are "constructs." These can be changed. This is their contention in a nutshell. So a biological male can be "feminine" as per social constructs.

History has seen many examples who do not fit into stereotypes. But then tough Joan of Arc was not called “Male” and genteel William Wordsworth who 'wandered lonely as a cloud' called a “Female” because of their dispositions. Dispositions, behaviours etc are only a part of the picture. There are essential fixed biological functions that only males and females can perform in terms of reproduction. Gender fluidity advocates are guilty of special pleading. They stress only one aspect of a complex whole to make their case.

Science is by no means unanimous in endorsing this theory despite claims to the contrary. Scholars from Johns Hopkins note “A major new study of sexuality and gender by two of the top experts in the field at Johns Hopkins University finds there’s little scientific evidence for the “born that way” theory, nor is gender identity “an innate, fixed human property independent of biological sex.” Some medical institutions including Johns Hopkins have stopped performing sex change operations as these operations do not resolve the issue but only increases the problem. Their research is available here.

What is the outcome of all this change? There are many. There are laws protecting transgenders and some countries have taken it to ridiculous extremes. Sex altering hormones are being injected into children saying that they belong to another gender because they said so. Seriously? Yes. A statement by a small child is encough to move the child on to invasive medical procedures. The world's youngest child to receive gender reassignment surgery is 4 years old!!

The collateral damage is alarming. The rate of lifetime suicide attempts across all ages of transgender individuals is estimated at 41%, compared to under 5% in the overall U.S. Population. One study by Lawrence S. Mayer, M.B., M.S., Ph.D. Paul R. McHugh, M.D. (Sexuality and Gender) found that, “compared to controls, sex-reassigned individuals were about 5 times more likely to attempt suicide and about 19 times more likely to die by suicide.” They also found that compared to heterosexuals, non-heterosexuals are about two to three times as likely to have experienced childhood sexual abuse. In comparison to the general population, adults who have undergone sex-reassignment surgery continue to have a higher risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes.

Some activists claim that social stigma/pressures that the transgenders face causes them to take their lives. This is absurd. Never before in history have transgenders been more socially accepted. Granted there are pressures faced by them, but then everybody faces pressures. In fact Christians face more deadly pressures than transgenders. The Sri Lankan massacre of Christians is a reminder that the most persecuted people in the world are Christians. Every month on average, 345 Christians are killed for faith-related reasons, 105 Churches and Christian buildings are burned or attacked, 219 Christians are detained without trial, arrested, sentenced and imprisoned. But Christians are not committing suicide in those numbers (19%) because of such pressures. The reason why transgenders are committing suicide is undeniably because they are deeply distressed by what they are internally experienceing by identifying as another gender.

How do we relate to these kind of transgenders? For a start we need to understand that the fall has affected all of us in different ways. When we relate with such people, we need to remember that they are individuals with personal struggles. We need to be sensitive. While we can be clear the the Bible teaches that life, gender and our ethnicity is a gift received from God at birth and not something we had chosen, we need to be gentle in our dealings with them. For many transgenders, the path they are following is traumatic to themselves. If they enquire about our position, we could invite them to find their identity in God and His word and explain the Biblical position to them. In God there is hope because God is the healer of all our brokenness and the Ultimate giver of hope. As mentioned earlier, there is only one way to God, for all of us have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. The way to God is through repentance and belief in Christ.

Friends, we need to constantly remind ourselves that the Bible and its worldview is under assault in a world that is in rebellion against God. God has given free will to all and we choose the direction that we want to go and bear the consequence of that choice. There are many who choose ways that are against the teachings of the Bible. We can be gracious to them but clear on what the Bible teaches. Ours is not a popular position as we cannot please the world as well as please God. But then we cannot redact scripture to suit popular opinions. It has been rightly said that “if we take only what we want from Scripture and leave what we do not want, it is not Scripture we are believing in but ourselves.” We cannot reconstruct Scripture to suit our times. If we do so we are presenting our own twisted version and not the Biblical position. May the Lord help us to have both grace and truth in all our communications in these turbulent times.