By Father Casey
I grew up in the 1980s, so my childhood coincided with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. I was in middle school when its slow deterioration accelerated and Gorbachev presided over its end. So, my lifetime has mostly been outside of the shadow of the Cold War.
Which makes this weeks’ events as bizarre as they are tragic and terrible. It is like the tape from 1991 is playing in reverse, and we have returned to the darkest days of Soviet brutality. I hope we will pray with all our might for the people of Ukraine, and for the leaders of the nations who are seeking ways to oppose Russia’s cruel and needless invasion. It is far too early to know how else we might help, but for now it is our job to pray.
Even as we pray over the disturbing events across the world, it is important to maintain awareness about disturbing news closer to home. On Monday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a new interpretation of state law that describes certain types of medical care for transgender youth as “child abuse.” The next day, Governor Abbott directed state agencies to investigate allegations of abuse, warning that doctors, teachers, and parents who fail to report could face consequences.
It is important for me to share three points in response to this announcement.
First, this opinion does not have the weight of law. Episcopal churches and schools are under no obligation to comply, and we will continue to proudly welcome all people into our community.
Second, this announcements comes in direct contradiction to the recommendations of the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Texas Pediatric Society, and the Texas Medical Association. Which is to say, the scientists and professionals who work most closely with children experiencing gender dysphoria (the feeling that you identify with a gender different from the sex assigned at birth) oppose the attorney general and governor’s decision.
Third, Transfiguration is proud to be the church home of numerous non-binary and transgender persons, who bless us with their presence and active participation. I have been privileged to hear several of their stories, which often included times of terrible depression as teenagers, when they struggled to figure out how to live out their authentic identity. They found a pathway to health and wholeness only when they received the support of friends and/or family and the supervision of skilled medical professionals.
To describe such support as “child abuse” is not only ignorant, it is dangerous. Trans youth suffer extremely high rates of homelessness, abuse, and suicide. Trying to criminalize basic medical care will only result in more suffering and lives lost.
Transfiguration will continue to open our embrace wide to all people, of that you can be assured. Let us also pray and work for a change in the attitudes of our state leaders, so the health, safety, and rights of our transgender neighbors will be unequivocally protected everywhere.