Terms like “Reproductive Rights” and “Gender-affirming Care” are bandied about by the Left like they are cherry popsicles on a hot summer day.
As several of us have said, the Left can only accomplish what they want by redefining the terms. They can’t tell voters that they want to kill unborn babies, so they call abortion “Reproductive Rights.” They can’t tell parents of confused children that they want to mutilate their children’s bodies and prevent them from reproducing, so they call it “Gender-affirming Care.”
Both of those redefined terms are the exact opposite of what they are about. So-called reproductive care prevents a woman from reproducing. Instead of affirming and agreeing with the natural and God-given gender of the child, gender-affirming care attempts to change it.
Gender dysphoria is a mental illness that should be treated with counseling and the individual should be encouraged to accept themself as God created him or her. But what causes young people, or even children, to believe that they were born in the wrong bodies?
Walt Heyer suggests three main causes of the current push for gender transition. First, there is what he calls “adverse childhood experiences.” Childhood trauma of various sorts, including but not limited to sexual abuse, causes some children to believe that something is wrong with them, so they seek out alternatives to what we might consider normal or natural.
Secondly, Heyer suggests that indoctrination off the internet contributes to a desire to be something I’m not. The more so-called influencers promote the idea of gender dissatisfaction, young people whose mental capabilities have not yet matured can buy into the idea that if I could just change my gender then everyone would love and accept me.
Third is social contagion. If I have friends who are exploring gender transition and I want to fit in and be accepted in the “group,” I may have the tendency to “go along” with what could turn out to be a very destructive decision.
Heyer also notes that there is a big difference between the “victims” of the gender transition movement and those who are promoting it. We need to address and challenge those in the medical professions who promote gender transition while we provide loving care and acceptance for those who have been deceived into receiving such “care.”
Dr. Jennifer Bauwens serves as Director of the Center for Family Studies at Family Research Council. In her role, she researches and advocates for policies that will best serve the health and well-being of families and communities.
Jennifer has a Ph.D. from New York University, where she was bestowed the Robert Moore Memorial Award and granted valedictorian for her dissertation on Hurricane Katrina.
Dr. Bauwens has worked extensively as a clinician providing trauma-focused treatment to children in foster-care and behavioral health settings and to adults who’ve experienced interpersonal traumas, such as sexual abuse and assault. She created programs to mitigate the effects of traumatic events for survivors of domestic violence and abuse, and she’s trained on violence prevention for youth and adults in both national and international contexts.
Her scholarship has focused on the effects of psychological trauma, including man-made and natural disasters. She’s worked on projects to investigate the long-term psychological aftereffects of witnesses and survivors from September 11, 2001, and other acts of community violence. Additionally, Jennifer has taught on psychological trauma and research methods in several graduate programs, including Rutgers University and Princeton Seminary. She has also served as an editorial consultant for, and published in, peer-reviewed journals focused on clinical practice and traumatic stress.
Dr. Bauwens is co-author, along with Walt Heyer, of Embracing God’s Design – Addressing the Spiritual and Psychological Crisis Behind Transgender Identity, which was released in May of this year.
Please join us for this stimulating and informative conversation.
