When rules are designed to impact critical and consequential decisions, then those rules should be based…as much as possible…on facts that are provable and indisputable. For example…my reservations regarding capital punishment are not based on the sacrifice of one’s life for a heinous crime; but rather the credibility of our justice system to guarantee the guilt of the one being put to death. The more impactful the decision will be, the more important that it be correct.
This
is perhaps the biggest problem that permeates the transgender discussions
taking place at all levels of our culture and society. The biological
test for the classification of male or female is proven science; it is
reliable. It is simple and
understandable. The fact that an
individual might identify as male or
female is entirely unreliable and open to question. Experience has shown us that in many cases,
when a determination is based on terms that are subject to circumstance or opinion as opposed to proof…the personal motivations and emotional state of the person
making the decision play a large part in the reliability of the choice. This reality is apparent in many areas of
human behavior that extend well beyond those of gender identification.
Our
nation is seemingly captivated by the Lindsay Clancy trial. In that trial, the critical issue is not
whether or not the mother killed her children…it is whether or not she was in control of her actions when she killed
her children. Her defense is that she
was not. Whether or not she was is the
entire point of this trial and the jury will decide her fate. My point is that what she claims to be truth…that being her lack
of control…is not reliably provable and must therefore be legally considered
and adjudicated. Even then, when the
final verdict comes in, you can rest assured that there will be much discussion
about how valid that verdict is.
The
human mind is a complex, onion-like organ that mankind, in spite of all our
wondrous technology and medical advancements, still does not completely
understand. No doubt, some accused
individuals in the past have used the Clancy defense premise in a false and
devious way to escape accountability for their crimes. Some might have been valid; some might
not. When societal circumstances demand
it, criminal law addresses this gray area as best it can…leaving the final
answer open to the determination of a jury.
The law does this because there is no universal and indisputable
response to the legal question; so it must remain open in order to account for
all possibilities.
This
situation may exist in criminal law, but it does not exist in the overwhelming number
of cases where gender identification is being debated today. Accommodation for gender confusion can be accomplished
without reinventing and disrupting existing mores, habits, and realities. If we cannot always be certain about what is going
on in our own heads…how can we be certain
about what is going on in other’s?
America’s
professional sports leagues have become infected with social posturing and
virtue signaling to a point where it is oftentimes difficult to watch and enjoy
the product they exist to promote…sports. The NFL was for a long time the worst actor
in this foolish charade with their kneeling, end zone logo and helmet messaging,
and their general attitude towards all
things being acceptable in a social context. But the NFL has clearly been displaced by the
WNBA as the most notorious violator of common sense. The WNBA’s rules clearly state that its
players must be women; but it somehow cannot bring itself to define precisely
what a woman is. This is madness.
Apart
from providing boundless opportunities for entrepreneurs to make money, the
WNBA exists to provide opportunities for young, female athletes to make a
living playing professional basketball.
While this is a noble and righteous cause, the WNBA somehow struggles to
bring itself to clearly defend that for which it stands. The ownership and general management of the league
and the teams predominantly insist on using their popularity and visibility to
promote every social cause under the sun…sometimes
to the detriment of the young, female athlete.
It is the height of stupidity to ignore the fact that in the main, male
athletes are physically superior to female athletes. It is equally moronic to ignore the
likelihood that a male athlete might simply identify themselves as a female, in
spite of their biological gender reality, simply to take advantage of the WNBA
and the financial opportunities it offers to young women.
The
legal implications of the federal Title IX law mandate equal and fair
opportunities for both genders, male and female, in schools that receive
federal funding: https://familypolicyalliance.com/savegirlssports/
. The law is clear, concise, based on a
fundamental premise of equity and reason, and should not be open to debate
about who and how it impacts
people. Most rational and reasonable
people have come to terms with this and run their organizations in compliance
with its principles. Most notably,
future Olympic Games will not permit biological males to compete in female
events. The WNBA has taken a marvelous
product and perverted it to promote the radical ideals of a few powerful and
influential individuals. It is a damn shame that something with so
much potential and promise for young women is being tarnished and trashed by
blatant stupidity.
As
in most things human and civic, tolerance is a precious and necessary quality for
all of us to possess. None of us…not one…has sufficient wisdom and
knowledge to determine the absolute right and wrong in all things. But the need for humility and tolerance
should not negate the application of simple common sense and reason when it can
be integrated into the process. Gender identification is one of those areas
where common sense and reason has been carelessly…or intentionally…disregarded.
A
child cannot vote. A child cannot view
an R-rated movie. A child cannot purchase
liquor, beer, or guns. A child cannot drive
a car. A child cannot do many things in
our culture and society because we as a collective realize that they are not
yet sufficiently mature in an emotional and developmental sense to make
responsible decisions concerning their own welfare. Why in heaven’s sake are we allowing our
children to be subjected to extreme, biologically altering surgeries because
they might think they are somehow put
together incorrectly?
These
brutal, sometimes barbaric gender-altering surgeries are irrevocable. They are most
times based on the opinions and decisions of people who are not even vested in
the welfare of the subject; they are not
parents or guardians. Why would we,
as responsible adults, allow our children to make decisions of this consequence
when we know….when it established through
our existing laws and practices…that they are not competent to make a
decision this important? Why would we
want our culture and society to permit decisions and actions of this magnitude
to occur outside the realm of the traditional family structure?
Our
nation is based on the Constitution and that document provides essential rights
which in turn require essential tolerance.
But that tolerance has limits.
Those limits should be applied judiciously and equitably, but they must be applied. An individual’s personal decision to pursue
their desires and private agenda is properly permitted within the realm of our
Constitution. But when the pursuit of
that personal desire adversely affects the freedoms and liberties of other
individuals, then there must be guardrails and safeguards to insure
co-existence and fairness. To me, gender
identification falls squarely in this zone.
Every person, when they achieve competence to make such a decision, has
the right to call themselves whatever gender they desire. What
they cannot do is demand of others the same denial of certain realities,
especially when that denial limits the freedoms and opportunities of the
others. The tail cannot be allowed
to wag the dog. A small minority should
not be permitted to dictate to a larger majority.
Gender
identification issues have likely existed since Adam and Eve, but they have
only recently risen to such a high and visible stature in our culture and
society. In July of 2021, the U S Census
Bureau added voluntary questions to its data requests regarding sexual
orientation and gender identity. It should be noted that the response to
these inquires are based entirely on self identification. As discussed before, when the implications
of the action have far reaching impacts, we should adhere as much as possible
to absolute truths and not opinion.
The
U S Census data clearly has such far reaching impacts. Since 2021, the Census Bureau has made
several changes to this gender identification information gathering effort
which have, in effect, recognized the fact that they were not only attempting
to apply certainty to an uncertain supposition…but they were also opening up an
immense can of worms in an area best left alone. Bearing
in mind that these statistics are based on self identification, consider
the following national statistics for gender identification. Decide for yourself how valid these numbers might
be.
What does it mean to be
transgender?
According to a Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention page, “transgender” is an umbrella term for people whose gender
identity or expression is different from their sex assigned at birth.
On the other hand, “cisgender” is a term for “individuals whose
current gender identity is the same as the sex they were assigned at birth.”
What percentage of the US
population is transgender?
About 0.95% of the nation’s
adult population identifies as transgender, according to Household Pulse Survey
data collected from May to September 2024. This is equivalent to approximately
2.3 million adults.
Most
of the adult population (97.35%) self-identifies as cisgender. Another 1.70% do
not identify as male, female, or transgender — these people may use terms like
non-binary, intersex, or gender non-conforming, depending on the individual.
Transgender
Population in the United States
The most
recent authoritative estimates — combining U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse
Survey data with Williams Institute modeling — show that about 2.8 million people aged 13 and
older in the United States identify as transgender
Breakdown
by Age Group
·
Youth (13–17): ~724,000
people, or 3.3% of
this age group
·
Young adults (18–24): ~483,000
people, or about 2.7% of
this group
·
Adults (18+): ~2.1
million people, or 0.8% of
the adult population
·
Seniors (65+): ~186,000
people, or 0.26% of
this group
Gender
Identity Distribution Among Adults
Among
the ~2.1 million transgender adults:
·
Trans women: ~698,500 (32.7%)
·
Trans men: ~730,500 (34.2%)
·
Nonbinary: ~707,100
(33.1%)
Context
·
The U.S. Census Bureau
began collecting gender identity data in 2021 via the Household Pulse Survey,
which is now the primary source for national estimates
·
These figures are based on
self-identification and do not include people who may not have responded to the
question.
·
Younger age groups show
significantly higher identification rates than older ones, reflecting
generational shifts in language, safety, and visibility
In
summary: About 1%
of U.S. residents aged 13 and older identify as
transgender, with the largest shares in youth and young adult populations.
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While acknowledging that there are individuals who are legitimately confused about their gender and oftentimes this confusion is in conflict with their biology, it is also important to recognize that gender identity…when not based on science or biology…is a self identified condition. Self identification is as nebulous as the wind. We might today be a Democrat and tomorrow be a Republican; today an addict, tomorrow a recovering person; today optimistic, tomorrow depressed and morose; today buttoned down, tomorrow grunge; today married, tomorrow divorced. Are we not all somewhat subject to the innate desire to be included, recognized, and part of a specific group or clique and this need drives many of our social choices? Is there any doubt that when considering a child or an adolescent, this desire is even more powerful and oftentimes drives a person to make decisions or take actions that are later greatly regrettable?
Gender identity is a personal crisis for many and should be recognized with compassion and empathy. But it serves no useful purpose to expand this crisis to those who are not involved with it and who might even be harmed by its broader applications. Compassion and empathy are not mutually exclusive from common sense and reason. We can be caring human beings without practicing nonsensical and ill-conceived solutions to problems that simply do not exist, or more importantly…misapplying those solutions in ways that create collateral damage to innocent victims.
