Psalm 139:13-15 teaches that God designs each of us in intricate detail before we’re born. This passage affirms that God “intricately” formed our “inward parts” and “knit [us] together in [our] mother’s womb,” and, therefore, each of us is “wonderfully made.” That means transgender people aren’t an accident; they’re part of God’s magnificent creation design.

Jeremiah 1:5 and Isaiah 45:9 teach that each aspect of our being serves a purpose in God’s greater scheme of things. Transgender and nonbinary people bring unique perspectives and experiences that enrich our world.

I Corinthians 15:42-57 and II Corinthians 5:1-8 teach that our physical body is temporary, whereas our inner being (i.e., our soul) is eternal. So if there’s ever a conflict between our temporary physical body and our inner eternal being, which should yield? In Christian theology, the obvious answer is that conflicts between our temporary body and our eternal soul must be resolved in favor of our eternal soul, as is confirmed by 1 Samuel 16:7, which reminds us that, “The Lord sees not as humans see; humans look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” In other words, the soul matters far more than the body. That’s why Christians do not hesitate to alter their bodies in many different ways. Examples include: braces for teeth, prosthetic limbs, LASIK eye surgery, cutting our hair, appendectomies, vaccinations, and medicines that alter our “natural” body chemistry. So why do some Christians get all bent out of shape when the same principle is applied to transgender people?

Deuteronomy 22:5 is part of the Old Testament Mosaic Law.  It says that men should not wear women’s clothes and vice versa.  Some Christians believe that means trans people shouldn’t wear clothes that conform to the gender of their inner being.  There are two problems with that conclusion.  First, the New Testament clearly and emphatically teaches that Christians are not bound by the Mosaic Law.  E.g., Matthew 17:24-27, II Corinthians 3:6, and Galatians 5:16.  As a result, many Christians frequently do things that are contrary to the Mosaic Law, including eating pork and shellfish, wearing clothing made of blended fabrics, getting tattoos, etc., etc.  It is wildly inconsistent to insist Deuteronomy 22:5 still applies while freely ignoring other Mosaic rules. 

Second, even if Deuteronomy 22:5 did still apply to Christians, we’d still have to decide how to define “man” and “woman” for purposes of applying the rule.  If someone’s temporary physical body appears to be one gender, but their eternal soul is a different gender, is that person a male or female in God’s eyes?  As already noted in the prior question, God looks at our inner being, not outward appearance.  Therefore, God would want a person to dress in a manner that conforms to their inner being, whether that’s male, female, or a creative blend of both. 

Yes, in Matthew 19:11-12. In verse 12, Jesus refers to men “who have been eunuchs from birth.” Who were these “born eunuchs” Jesus was referencing? Some have suggested that Jesus was referring to men with genital birth defects, but that interpretation is not consistent with available evidence. For guidance as to what the term “born eunuch” meant in Jesus’ time, scholars look to the Talmud, a collection of Jewish oral tradition from around the time of Jesus. There are two passages in the Talmud that shed light on what it meant to be a born eunuch. In one of those passages, Rabbi Eliezer says he believes born eunuchs, can be “cured.” (Talmud Bavli, Tractate Yevumos, The Schottenstein Edition, Mesorah Publications Ltd., Brooklyn, NY, 1999, Chapter 8, 79b.) Clearly, Eliezer was not referring to genital birth defects since that kind of surgical technology did not yet exist. So what did Eliezer think could and should be “cured” in born eunuchs? The second Talmudic passage tells us. That passage lists warning signs to watch out for to know if you are interacting with a man who was a born eunuch. The signs include absence of a beard, softness of hair, smoothness of skin, a high pitched voice, lateness of pubic hair, a body that did not steam when bathing outdoors in the winter, and failure to pee with enough force to make it arch. (Talmud Bavli, Tractate Yevumos, Chapter 8, 80b.) This list strikes us as humorous, but you see what it is, right? It’s describing men who failed to live up to gender stereotypes – men who didn’t present themselves in a gender-conforming way – men who were what we today would call “gender fluid.” In other words, the term “born eunuch” was an ancient way of referring to people that we today would call gender diverse, i.e., transgender or nonbinary. And here’s the most important point. Jesus did not condemn born eunuchs. He did the exact opposite! In verse 11, he indicated that being a born eunuch was (and is) a gift, i.e., something “given” to some people by God from birth.

Isaiah 56:4-5, “For thus says the Lord, ‘To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.” If God loves and celebrates gender-diverse people, shouldn’t we?