Month: April 2022

The Truth about TRANSPHOBIA cannot be adequately addressed in just one blog. General consensus among those having minds trapped in the bubble of preconceived beliefs would simply put a period at the end of the word TRANSPHOBIA, and gladly admit, “Yes, I’m transphobic, and I stand proudly upon this as I know all I need to know, and I will fight your every effort to bring these abhorrent behaviors into accepted reality.” We hope following these last blogs on this subject, you will be more aware of this issue facing us today, and to be better able to deal with it in a rational, educated way. As of this writing, there remains so many unanswered questions as to why the “trans” issue is so prevalent. We believe it has been elevated to a state of awareness rivalling the gay and lesbian issues that were brought to the forefront in the Stonewall Riots (Uprising) on June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village in New York City. There is much debate about who actually started the riot, but what is not in dispute is that there were a variety of sexes, and their variants, including the transgendered, who frequented that facility. What is also evident is that from that riot, the gays and lesbians took center stage in the reforms over the following number of years. What had been predominately excluded from the movement were those who were transgendered. It wasn’t until years later when those who were transgendered began to gain a measure of recognition. But even as recently as in 2015, movements were afoot in the LGB community to disassociate from those who were transgendered (reference intellectualtakeout.org, June 29, 2016). We suppose this later acceptance of the transgendered into the social fabric is due in part to them being considered, if you will, the “poor sisters”, and because general awareness of this group has surfaced much later than the others. That could be why so much attention is now being given to this “trans” issue, and the rampant TRANSPHOBIA that is currently present. Why do we find it easier to recognize, relate to, or accept a person who is gay or lesbian, but yet we will ignore, avoid, and abhor those who are transgendered? Our goal in this blog is to delve into The Truth about those who are transgendered, exploring many aspects surrounding their existence.

We’ll start this portion of our blog by reviewing the many facts of human existence we already know. Picture in your mind that horizontal line we drew in a previous discussion of TRANSPHOBIA. On one end of that line is the girly-girl (oozes estrogen, loves Barbies, wouldn’t be caught dead in a pair of pants, and spends time curling her hair while carefully applying the full range of makeup every day). On the opposite end of the line are those macho men (oozes testosterone, loves GI Joe, welcomes a fight, and doesn’t like to shave believing, like Samson of old, that the amount of body hair equates to the amount of his strength). In between the two lies the vast expanse of humanity. Close to the very middle of the line are some women who act and think like tomboys, and some men who think or act more like women. We have all seen and associated with individuals along the whole line. Some were gay, some lesbian, and some we can’t even plot exactly where they might fall along that line. Where would you place yourself along that line? Do you recognize people crossing your daily life path who are either to the right or left of you on that line?

For a moment, let’s all recognize there are idiots, criminals really, men who will slap on a dress and wig and rob a business or molest a girl. These individuals only exacerbate TRANSPHOBIA. Unfortunately, in today’s media, bad and strange events make good news, and those who pretend to be “trans” only give those who struggle daily with being transgendered a bad rap as they are lumped into the same category as those who interlope for personal gain in this transgendered class of the people. The Truth is there is a stark division of morality and decency between the trans pretender and the one who is truly transgendered, and it is grave mistake to lump them into the same category, for they are far from it.

To begin our search for The Truth, consider the following that relates to “trans” issues. When a baby is born, the only test that determines what goes on the birth certificate is what lies between the baby’s legs, in the crotch area. There is usually no extensive blood or any hormone tests, no chromosome or genetic testing, and no brain scans to either confirm or deny the initial declaration, and that declaration may have actually taken place weeks before during an ultrasound. There is usually no study done of the baby’s chemistry or biological impacts within the mother’s womb. Let us all recognize that some babies are born with autism, some with birth defects, some with down syndrome, or a host of other difficult issues that must be dealt with by the parents and the growing child. Some of that is genetics, and the research to find reasons or causes is still on-going. Do you know that some babies are born as hermaphrodites (having both male and female sex organs or other sexual characteristics)? Is this God’s idea of a practical joke or is it the fact that we do not live in a perfect world void of anomalies, sometimes the result of mankind’s unrelenting pursuit of dangerous experimentation? (Does the Wuhan lab bioweapon COVID-19 virus come to mind?) In nature, many animals are hermaphroditic, where the species sex is not determined by the number of X or Y chromosomes but determined by the maturity around the environment of each species, like the earthworm, water fleas, leeches, starfish, corals, the poisonous frog, the guppy and parrot fish (lorecentral.org, July 11, 2019). Do you realize 1,500 animal species are gay (New Medical Life Sciences, Oct. 23, 2006)? Is God messing with us again?

The Truth is, it has been accepted practice in western culture to limit sex to a binary choice in humans, and the external presentation has always been the gold standard. Any baby born deformed, sickly, or simply the wrong sex, faced, by ancient Roman law, religion, and the entire ethos of the ancient world, infanticide (killing/murder of children) by abandoning their newborns on the dung heaps or garbage dumps of cities. “Tertullian says Christians sought out the tiny bodies of newborn babies from the refuse and dung heaps and raised them as their own or tended to them before they died or gave them a decent burial.” (earlychurchhistory.org, “Infanticide in the Ancient World”.) Are we more civilized than they, and do we always choose to accept, love, and raise any newborn regardless of appearance? Do we question that love when the child grows, and we learn that within that child there is variance to our accepted belief of behavioral norms?

In our search for The Truth, let us also be real and understand that any transgendered woman (going from male to female), becoming so after puberty, will never have ovaries, experience childbirth, or have a true understanding of what a sis-female (identified as female from birth) had to endure in the rush of hormones and menstrual cycles every 28 days or so when growing up. Gender Confirmation Surgery (removing the male phallus and creating a female vagina), and even a limited Orchiectomy (the removal of testicles, the source of testosterone), can assist in solving a person’s Gender Dysphoria (“. . . a profound state of unease or dissatisfaction. It is the opposite of euphoria.” Wikipedia). In addition, facial and vocal surgery can make one look and sound more feminine, but all that is simply how you can appear to other people. The person becoming a transgendered woman after puberty will be left predominately with the body that the puberty testosterone gave them, like a bigger bone structure and stronger muscles. While becoming transgendered after puberty, any transgendered woman needs to understand that your life change does not give you the right to invade women sports! Those post-puberty transgendered women who insist on claiming all legal and moral rights to womanhood, only further inflame TRANSPHOBIA. As a transgendered woman, live your life as the person you may now be, but do so understanding that there are now limits to what you honestly have the right and privilege to do. Caitlyn Jenner, as a transgendered woman, has publicly stated she will not participate in a woman’s-only golf tournament, because she knows she can out drive them all. “I play golf and, seven years after my transition, I still have a big advantage over women players. I’m 6ft 1in. I have longer arms than the ladies and I can outdrive them by a hundred yards. Even being off testosterone and on estrogen for seven years now, what I’ve got left over is still more than they’ve ever had. So, it wouldn’t be fair.” (townhall.com; Madeline Leesman; Mar 18, 2022.) Wearing an NBA player’s jersey does not give a fan the right to play in the NBA. If you do not understand all of this, then you have been avoided dealing with The Truth.

Let’s briefly address those who have not yet reached puberty. There has been of late a push to allow teachers, educators and administrators at all levels, to act as a unique form of carpetbagger hired, elected, or appointed, to act as surrogate parents, making decisions for young people apart from those who are the only legal guardians, the parents. The Truth is that without proper parental legal consent, those who inject their own bias and beliefs into the young minds of innocent children are shaping those children into their own image and supplanting the natural order of a parent’s role. Discussions of sex and gender, or any leadings outside the parental approved curriculum, are to be strongly discouraged and avoided, and if necessary, reprimanded.

There is much discussion whether there is a difference between “sex” and “gender”. Those in the grips of TRANSPHOBIA would claim there is no difference. Those who make allowance for those who are “trans” might define the difference this way: “Sex is who you are in bed. Gender is who you are out of bed.” Some might say it this way: “Gender is between the ears while sex is between the legs.” Still, another way it could be stated is that “Sex is biological, while gender is behavioral.” The Truth about the definitions of sex and gender will hopefully be clearer as our series of blogs on TRANSPHOBIA continues.

Before we get into the facts potentially causing this seeming surge in “trans” issues creating TRANSPHOBIA, we want to explore how other cultures, even in our own Nation, deal with those who are “trans”, and why do they seem to find cultural value in these people. Looking to other cultures helps us to better know The Truth. Let’s look to many of the Native North American views of gender and sexuality in pre-colonial times. “A lot of gender and sexuality in Native North American culture is covered in William Roscoe’s ‘Changing Ones’. ‘Two-Spirit’ is the English translation of the Anishinabe/Ojibway term niizh mantoag. This has developed into a pantribal term in the 1990s that tries to cover the gender and sexual variations among all the different tribes across North America.” “According to Roscoe, the Crow’s third gender was called Bote. Bote was determined from whether or not a male/female preferred women’s/men’s work.” “Roscoe points out that in the Navajo tribe, the Nedleehi were more influenced by sexuality.” “. . . being Nedlieehi was a broader spectrum with the Navajos. Nedleehi could just have the sexuality aspect and not crossdress, or perform work of the opposite gender, or a mix of both.” “. . . like the Crow and most other tribes, being Two-Spirit meant you were spiritually gifted and became a shaman.” (Odyssey, Matthew Paige, March 28, 2016.) These “trans” people also included the Winkte of the Lakota society, and more broadly from around the world, the Bakla of the Philippians, and the Hijra from India, just to name a few. “The Zuni Ihamana were born biologically male, but dressed in women’s clothing, and performed typical female roles, such as cooking, weaving and pottery making. They were admired for their skills as artisans, and often served as mediators and teachers.” “. . . Two Spirits were considered a distinct and separate gender – one that combined and balanced both male and female essences. As such, their world view and experiences were unlike those of binary genders. They were therefore seen as extra ordinary, possessing a sacred quality.” “. . . Native people believed a person could be born with both male and female spirits, and that this was a manifestation of the sacred. There was no judgement based on gender or sexuality – A person was valued based upon their contributions to the tribe, and by their character. Two Spirits people and their accomplishments were, and still are, worthy of celebration.” (John Malloy Gallery, “Names and Roles of Two Spirit People: An Historical Perspective”, Cherie Randall.)

Our search for The Truth continues next week as we consider some real-life examples, and as we then explore more deeply the science and potential causes for those who are transgendered. As we aim to stop and reduce the growth of TRANSPHOBIA, we must always be reminded that our individual FREEDOM and LIBERTY applies to all in this great Nation of ours. Tolerance was demanded just a few short years ago, but now, it seems most have drawn a hard line and become rife with intolerance, and that applies to both ends of the political spectrum. As we mentioned in our last blog, the Bible says: “You shall love your neighbor as thyself” (Leviticus 19:18, Mark 12:31). Similarity of thought, or joint agreement, is not a prerequisite to love.

In this series of blogs on the topic of TRANSPHOBIA, we have so far established the groundwork upon which to build a better understanding of the nature of the word “trans” and how it applies to our understanding of those who may find themselves tangled within its confining web of their personal reality. We have no illusions that all who read this series of blogs will suddenly change behaviors, because we know that to do so takes weeks of study, meditation and reflection to gain a better understanding and application of the knowledge obtained. We do hope, however, that this is the beginning of a road leading to a better comprehension, and leading to a determined process, to resolve conflicts in perceptions and awareness that now exist, so that those who may fall into the web of “trans” issues can find hope, understanding, and most of all, acceptance. Not necessarily the type of acceptance where all are in 100% agreement, but where a mutual understanding, immersed in love and respect, can be beneficial to all. The Denial of the exploration of facts is prelude to the TRANSPHOBIA mindset.

Let’s begin this discussion by revealing why The Denial is rampant. The feminist movement really began in 1848 with woman’s suffrage, seeking equal rights, and then exploded with the woman’s liberation movement in the 1960s. Let us be the first to express that what we are about to detail cannot be blamed in total on these movements but are only part of the slope that has slid us to where we are in this Nation today. There really can be no argument to the fact that the male species has over time been vilified, made less important to the preservation of our species. During WWII, “Rosie the Riveter” was the embodiment of woman strength, and power, and without her, our Nation might have been serving today under a very undesirable flag of an Aryan race. However, the independence women achieved during this time has slowly over time eroded the importance of men. In fact, today, men have been vilified in many ways. Just the very terminology used in women’s health issues subconsciously blame men, words like menopause, menstruation, and menstrual cycle or menses, all being things women would love to avoid! We could also examine the phycological effect on all by thinking of other words like manslaughter, manipulation, and maniacal. Do you get the picture? Examine the number of what we call “stupid men commercials” on TV and in radio, where the man always seems to be the idiot, with the woman being the level-headed adult in the room. If you do not recognize this, then you are in the grasp of The Denial.

Let’s be frank for a moment. The testosterone level in men has been declining for years. “Seventy-year-old men in 1987-89 had an average testosterone level that was almost 100 points higher than even 55-year-old men in 2002-04. Meaning that the average 22-year-old man today, has an average testosterone level roughly equal to that of a 67-year-old man in 2000. Therefore, it’s likely that your testosterone levels are half of those of your father and undoubtedly significantly less than your grandfather.” “The negative trend seems to be getting worse and happening to men at much younger ages than ever before.” (Parla, Roberta Stringer, June 17, 2021.) You are in the grips of The Denial if you haven’t paid attention to all of the ads on TV and radio talking about “ED” (Erectile Disfunction). Testosterone impacts many areas in the body, namely the brain (like sex drive and confidence), muscles (growth, strength, and endurance), bones (mass density), bone marrow (red blood cell production), sex organs (sperm production, erectile function), and skin (hair and collagen growth). “External toxins are also wreaking havoc with male hormones. Chemicals (including parabens and phthalates) in our environment are disrupting our hormonal balance, causing various degrees of reproductive havoc on a daily basis. These are called hormone or endocrine disrupting chemicals – also known as EDCs. They are undoubtedly playing a role in testosterone levels declining at 10% per decade.” (Parla reference above.) So why is the testosterone level in men decreasing? “Low testosterone in men is called hypogonadism. If a man has this condition, it means that he is not producing enough testosterone. Male hypogonadism may be congenital, or it may develop later in life. By congenital, we mean that he is born with that defect.“ (NFSMI.ORG, January 20, 2021.) Several reasons for low testosterone are known for sure, like obesity, age, smoking, pituitary disorders, injury to or undescended testicles, and stress are the evident ones. Less known is “Klinefelter Syndrome”, a genetic anomaly where the Y chromosome is replaced with another X chromosome, so that the normal XY genetic makeup is replaced with an XX. Still another is the “Kallmann Syndrome” which is characterized by failure of puberty to begin, or the inability to go through puberty completely. These are not all the known potential reasons. Cancer treatment with radiation and chemotherapy treatments can affect spermatogenesis (sperm production) and can become permanent. Mumps and other infections can cause extended hormonal problems. (NFSMI.ORG, January 20, 2021.) If you have avoided recognizing the above facts, then you are in the grasp of The Denial. What does all of this have to do with TRANSPHOBIA?

When considering the seemingly increasing number of “trans” related issues facing us today, one has to wonder if this lack of testosterone, and societal changes diminishing the male species, has to have some impact? There is a story told about two men coming home at night, and one of them dropped his keys. The other man went to go help his friend find them but noticed the man who had dropped his keys was looking in an area under the streetlight. He questioned his friend as to why he was looking in that area, telling him that they had been nowhere near that streetlight. The man who lost his keys simply stated, “I thought I would look over here because the light is better.” We wonder if the whole cause of the “trans” issue is being basically ignored, seeing only what has been believed from the past, without looking in the right places, looking for the answer to the question, “Why”? Where has been the science and study to resolve this question? Are we content to live in The Denial, and not be concerned with those who are afflicted with the “trans” issue? And while we are at it, rather than condemning those who are gay or lesbian, where have been the widely disseminated studies and research answering the questions of “Why are some people gay or lesbian?” We just seem to, over time, accept that as fact, while at the same time many quietly believe them to be unworthy of respect and acceptance.

Conservatives, even this website, often claim the “woke” among us just do not fill up their knowledge bucket with enough true facts to make better informed decisions. However, the same applies to many conservatives who are often blinded by the bubble they surround themselves with and then fail to explore truths outside the generally accepted mantra, and the full truth is then often not explored, nor is there even a desire to do so. If you do not believe this to be true, then you are in the grips of The Denal. Sometimes personal thought and belief is like the lane in a bowling alley. Once you are in the gutter, there is a strong tendency to remain therein. We have never witnessed a bowling ball ever jumping itself out of the gutter. The only way to get out of the gutter is to stay away from it and never get into it! Staying in the lane of science and knowledge is always the best course to follow.

Let’s set the record straight. We no longer live in the Garden of Eden! If you believe this earth is heaven, then you are in the grasp of The Denial. This world was cursed by God and His human creations are flawed to this day (Genesis 3:16-19). Weeds grow in our flowerbeds and gardens. Violence rocks our streets, and mischief of all sorts invades our neighborhoods. Evil abounds, and few if any are immune from its presence or effects. No one knows all the reasons why people are as they are. God does not make human junk, but mankind has certainly been able to screw up that which was perfectly created! Our bodies are a composition of multiple influences such as social, economic, genetics, industrial, chemical, behavioral and biological. Consider the various human “creations” over time and how they have influenced our bodies and lives. DDT was thought to be the answer to irradicating insects, and the diseases borne by them, but it turned out to do more to irradicate good human health. Asbestos was widely used before anybody began the scientific research and find out why so many were falling ill and dying. Agent Orange was used extensively in war, and veterans and indigenous peoples of Southeast Asia are paying the price for its use years later. Each and every year, some great advancement, pill or chemical, has to be removed from the marketplace because of unintended consequences due to a failure to properly vet the product before distribution. We wonder how long before the COVID-19 vaccines are removed because of the number of illnesses and deaths they have caused?

If you are living believing that all new advances are void of any harm, then you are in the grasp of The Denial. The same is true with being transfixed by the TRANSPHOBIA craze. We have allowed ourselves to be influenced by a few who have failed to “look in the hard places, away from the streetlight”, to do the deep dive of scientific research to find the answers to the question, “Why?” It is always easier to assume you know the answer, and repeat the mantra, whatever it is, than to seek out the truth, be respectful until it is known, and realize that all of us are flawed in one way or another. The Holy Scripture tells us the second greatest commandment is to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:31.) Note that the “neighbor” is not defined. The neighbor could be your enemy, or someone who walks to the beat of a different drum. Regardless, the command is to “Love”. As we have mentioned before, if you seek FREEDOM and LIBERTY, then it must apply not only to you, but to everyone, even if you do not understand them. As it says in the sentence in the picture at the beginning of this blog, we must recognize and accept that “all they really want is to be found.” It is long past time to do the deep dive, legitimate scientific research, and explore the areas that are dark to our knowledge, away from the light of current beliefs, perceptions, and ideology.

Somewhere along the line, we have been told that the difference between a man and a woman is like the difference between night and day. Yes, there are biological differences, but we often overlook the vast number of similarities. Most people have two arms, legs, eyes and ears. Most have one mouth, one nose, and one heart. Both are a system of nerves, muscles, and joints, and both share the same largest organ, that being the skin, although we find that can vary in color, texture, and level of beauty, as defined by the vain among us. The one thing that most defines what side of the sex we stand on, is how we dress. Here in lies The Irony of TRANSPHOBIA. Now, before you jump to the conclusion that dress alone is the defining quality, let’s just agree for now that the outward appearance usually wins as the initial source for categorization.

If we were to go back a few years into history, we might want to disapprove of how many of our Founding Fathers dressed. In formal settings they often wore powdered white wigs and ruffled shirts, an influence from European customs. If they walked among us in that attire today, what would we say if we saw them? If our ancestors of just 100 years ago were to view women today who, in the vast majority, wear only pants styled after men’s jeans, what would our great-great-great relatives think about their attire today? The Irony is that we are so willing and able to disassociate ourselves from the context of history in favor of the current culture and fad. Let’s even travel to other parts of our world. The Whirling Dervishes might seem a bit out of our sphere of comfort. “Dervish is a Persian word that broadly refers to followers of a Sufi Muslim religious order known as the Mevievi Brotherhood.“ (Scovie Precision Turning, Scott Stacy.) Wearing long flowing skirts, they energetically spin about in a ceremony known as sema, holding their right arm up to receive heavenly blessings. You might be surprised to learn that men wearing something other than pants was pretty common in history. “. . . the notion that pants are masculine – and skirts are feminine – is much newer than most people think.” “. . . the tradition of men in cloth wraps, skirts, tunics, robes and other non-pant items is vast and ancient.” “Skirts were the matter-of-fact wear of many of humanity’s most ancient civilizations, on both sides of the gender binary. Gauzy wraps and loincloths for Egyptians, togas denoting class and status for Greeks and Romans, ornate military costumes for Aztecs: many ancient costumes were based around the idea of the skirt, purely because they were easy to construct and created huge freedom of movement. Whether you were fighting, building, farming or engaging in some kind of religious ritual, skirts were cheap and efficient to use. Short skirts among soldiers from the height of the Roman Empire, noted an exhibition at the Met called ‘Braveheart: Men In Skirts’ were considered proof of virility, and allowed for swiftness while in combat.” “Two factors, theorists note, determined the use of pants by either gender: cold and the necessity for horse-riding.” Riding an animal “. . . just wasn’t practical in skirts . . .” (Bustle, “The History Of Men & Skirts, From Ancient Times To Today”, JR Thorpe, Updated Oct. 11, 2021.) Pants became the practical attire for men going to war on horses, and since the men did the fighting, the pant was the choice of wear for men only. The wearing of pants seemed to hang around even though few these days ride horses. Here is a shocker for those who distain the wear of nylons, “As men’s tunics became shorter and tighter-fitting in the 15th century, fashionable men began to wear hose or stockings as outer leg wear.” It really wasn’t until the 19th century when the custom of pants for men and skirts for women became the dominate theme. “. . . the idea that skirts are entirely feminine is in fact very Western-centered. In several cultures, from India to Japan and Southeast Asia, robes and skirts remain completely acceptable wear for adult men.“ (Bustle article as noted above.) We dare you to tell a Scott to stop wearing his kilt! But, we find it perfectly acceptable to joke about, “Is he or isn’t he?”, wearing anything underneath. The Irony is that for some we make allowance, but for others we do not.

Addressing the outer wear of either a man or woman is not the defining issue of what makes a man or a woman, it is only an indication of what may lie within the individual, both physically and mentally. The Irony is that we totally accept women wearing jeans, while at the same time we are ignorant of the historical context. The Irony of TRANSPHOBIA is exacerbated by the conclusions we draw based upon how one is dressed, while giving little to no thought to an individual’s history, including from conception, through child-rearing age, and up until the age of accountability. That is where one becomes an adult and makes personal informed decisions based not just on their feelings, but also upon personal research leading to an understanding of who they really are and how they choose to fit within society. All of that is usually never considered by an observer, only assumed by personal bias and limited knowledge about the person being observed.

Often, those of religious belief, base their understanding of the TRANSPHOBIA issue upon ancient Biblical texts where the culture of that day lived differently than civilization today. One specific text that is often cited as their proof that men should not wear women’s clothes, comes from the text found in Deuteronomy 22:5. First, note that the command is not simply given to the man, but the reverse command is also given to the woman. The reason for God’s command is unknown, only speculation exists. Perhaps barbaric nations around them participated in sexual immorality in their temples of prostitution where they would exchange clothes, so a distinction needed to be made between the amoral nations and God’s people. One interesting thing needs to be realized within this very chapter. If one is to take this command as a command for all time, danger lies ahead in this understanding. Look to verse number 8. If you live in a house without a papapet (an exterior wall extending above the roof line to prevent someone from falling off the roof), you would be in violation of God’s law in this chapter. Look to verse 9. If you plant more than one kind of seed in your garden, you are taking a risk of defiling your garden. Consider verse 11. If you wear clothes of materials with mixed origin, in this case wool and linen, you would be in violation of God’s law. Have you checked the labels on your clothes lately? Take a look at verse 12. Every garment you cover yourself with should have tassels on each of the four corners. Do you even know what a tassel on a garment looks like? If you abhor the act of stoning, then do not read verses 13 to 25, because we can assure you, there would be hordes of stoning within our Nation each and every day. The point is that one cannot lift from holy scripture a single text to support your personal belief, one that lines up with your feelings of the day. The Old Testament was never intended to be used as a guide for life today. It is a historical document teaching how God intended His people of those days to act, and recorded the many failures along the way, useful information today to know about the nature and character of God and understanding pitfalls along the way and how reconciliation with God is possible. The Irony is that while many claim to profess strict adherence to God’s law, it would seem that many skip over and ignore the parts that may inconveniently applied to them in their lives today.

The Irony of TRANSPHOBIA is often shrouded by us in preconceived perceptions and an unwillingness to explore issues we find uncomfortable, and ones we even have grown up believing to be abhorrent and repulsive. The Irony is that many preach the importance of knowing the truth yet succumb to an incredible lack of desire to seek out and understand their personal bias exemplified in TRANSPHOBIA.

As it is with all of our blogs, we encourage all of us to make decisions that will always lead us to FREEDOM and LIBERTY, and often times that will require each one of us to challenge the foundations we thought were firm, upon which we stood. Believing in those two precepts is not simply a challenge for us personally, but also a challenge for us when relating to others, as their FREEDOM and LIBERTY is as important as is our own within this great Nation in which we live together. The Irony is that while we often preach FREEDOM and LIBERTY, we at the same time will deny the same to those we disagree with, or to those who choose a different path from the one we choose to walk. TRANSPHOBIA is akin to a form of mental disease. This mindset allows some to excuse their personal bias, while at the same time justifies the incrimination and segregation others. In the coming weeks, we will be exploring how many are consumed in what we will call “The Denial” of many facts surrounding TRANSPHOBIA, and we will consider “The Truth” that many choose to ignore, either because of preconceived bias or simple lack of knowledge, shunning a more in-depth search through investigative science.

This is likely to be a several blog series dealing with the “trans” issue in our Nation and world today. This is not an easy subject to approach, as it would seem we are trying to swim upstream against the majority view of truth and morality. In the conservative realm of politics, it seems there is only one acceptable view of this issue. While we have consistently explored Democratic, liberal, and woke attempts to reframe our Nation’s core beliefs and structure, and extolled constantly how we must fight to resist this movement and to retain our God-given FREEDOM and LIBERTY, we have not been as motivated to explore how those on the conservative side of politics also have flaws, short-comings, and can often be swayed by “talking heads”, and dare we say “woke conservatism”, where certain core beliefs can become rampant within the echo chamber of conservative political discourse, often void of a deep dive into the facts. All we intend to do in this series of blogs is to try and re-frame the discussion around TRANSPHOBIA so that all can begin to understand how much we really do not know about the “trans” issues, and how much there is yet to learn about this topic. Let’s begin with a few facts we believe all can agree with.

We have become quite familiar with surveys that will ask us to rate something on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the worst and 10 being the best. We recognize that we all see issues slightly differently, for a myriad of reasons, and rarely do we see eye-to-eye on every subject we could evaluate. When you look upon a forest of trees and shrubs in full bloom, what color of green do you see? How many different shades of green do you see? Do you even know how many shades of green there are? If you have ever been to a home improvement or paint store and been browsing for just the right color, your mind was probably blown away realizing how many different shades of one color actually exist. One website (color-meanings.com/shades-of-green) actually lists 134 shades of the green color. We bet that we could come up with multiple times that number just by combining two or more of those 134 different shades. Picking out the right shade of green is not as simple as it seems. This is a form of variety that makes a very bland world more interesting. Most of you probably own a printer. If you have ever had to replace ink cartridges, you know there are not 134 separate cartridges for the color green, yet if you print out a color page, green is displayed quite well, even though most printers have only four basic cartridges, black, magenta, cyan, and yellow jaune. None of those colors happen to be green! The creators of that technological marvel have learned that most colors, or close facsimiles to them, can be derived from those 4 basic cartridges. Pretty impressive. It should also be pointed out that we do not live in a monochromatic world, controlled only by the colors of black and white, and the various shades mixing the two of them create. If you have not seen the 1998 movie “Pleasantville”, you should watch it and see the conflict that arises out of the addition of color to a color-blind society, but there are also some wonderful surprises along the way as the movie moves to its conclusion. William Cowper’s 1785 poem, “The Task”, included the proverbial expression, “Variety is the Spice of Life”. Where would human existence be if all of us had the same job interest and talent, all looked identical, and all had the same speech dialect and inflection. If all were plumbers, when the electrical grid failed, where would be the electricians to effect repairs? If all were drummers in the orchestra of life, where would the blending of different sounds come from to move us with harmonies produced by different pitches produced from different instruments? Human life always existed in a world of color, even though most of past ages were void of color TV or color film. Most of us are moved by the colors of a beautiful sunset, or the variety of colors exploding in the skies on the 4th of July, or when viewing the undulating ribbons of the Northern Lights. Variety does move us emotionally, and it fills our souls with wonder and amazement. Do you really want to live in a world where the only colors are black and white?

In the previous paragraph we talked about the rating scale of 1 to 10. Let’s explore this type of scale to humans, and more specifically to that which we will call a girl or woman, using the classical sense of the word. The English language always seems to evolve, incorporating an ever-broadening use of new words or terms. The Renaissance (French word for rebirth), “Generally described as taking place from the 14th century to the 17th century . . .” (History.com), was a period wedged between the Middle Ages and modern-day civilization. The cultural advances during the Renaissance exploded during this time, and included advances in “. . . classical philosophy, literature and art. Some of the greatest thinkers, authors, statesmen, scientists and artists in human history thrived during this era, while global exploration opened up new lands and cultures to European commerce.” (History.com.) During this time, new terms were used to describe human behavior, terms like “Tomboy”, “. . . originally used to refer to, ‘brash, boisterous, or self-assured youth’, date to the mid-16th century.” (knowyourmeme.com/memes/tomboy.) “But by the 1590’s, the word underwent a shift toward its current, feminine usage: a ‘wild, romping girl, [a] girl who acts like a spirited boy’.” “The tomboy conjures an image of a girl in overalls and baseball hats, wearing short hair and nondescript shoes. she probably isn’t into Barbie.” “Many girls, of course, exhibit both girly and tomboy traits, and the infinite shades in between. Nevertheless, the tomboy is an overlooked part of how American society understands gender, race, class, and sexuality.” (The Atlantic, “A Short History of the Tomboy”, Elizabeth King.) Most of us have to admit that we have interfaced at some point in our lives with a tomboy. Some have falsely believed we were looking at a lesbian, but that belief is ill founded and a dangerous leap of understanding without the proper context or knowledge. For the most part, we have rationalized that a girl being a tomboy is not a bad thing, it’s just the way they are. Just because she would rather wear pants or blue jeans instead of a dress or skirt, and has an interest in football or wrestling, doesn’t make her any less a girl or woman, she’s just a different shade of the same general category of girl or woman. We believe we all accept this as the way it is. Our question to you is this, “What goes on inside her that makes her a tomboy?” The question is not the simple answer conveyed by outward expression through her actions and what she wears, but what ticks inside her brain making her feel different than say a “girly-girl”, one who prefers dresses and Barbies? Has that question ever been answered? Why is it that we accept knowing girls or women as tomboys for who they are, but seem intent on vilifying boys or men who act more like girls than boys?

There is little doubt today that girls and women feel more comfortable in jeans than dresses. Just go out shopping today to any store and count the numbers clad in either attire. We believe the overwhelming number will be found wearing pants of some ilk. When the night falls, and the clubs open, these tomboy appearing girls and women seem to convert in a few hours to visions of glamor and beauty. They are like chameleons, able to change their appearance to coordinate with their surroundings. Now, we are not condemning this behavior, we are just pointing out the reality in which we find ourselves. We doubt few have disagreements, and certainly would vilify, with how those girls and women express themselves in how they dress, either way. Remember the sliding scale from 1 to 10? The range between the girly-girl who likes Barbies, to the tomboy who prefers playing football, spans a broad range of those who identify as girls or women. What makes them so different has never really been researched. We have just accepted this over time as the way it is. Assume the girly-girl is a 1 on the scale, and a tomboy is a 10. We accept this broad range of style and action and do not question the right of either to exist anywhere along that line from 1 to 10. Why do we not allow the same FREEDOM and LIBERTY for boys and men, recognizing that they also have a right to exist anywhere from a 1 to a 10? Is that their problem, or is it ours? What goes on inside to make them a 1 or 10 on our scale? Have we done research to find out, or ever even asked the question?

As it is in all of our blogs, we always strive to retain and protect our FREEDOM and LIBERTY. These two attributes are not just for you, but for each and every one who is a citizen of this wonderful Nation, whether they be girls and women, or boys and men. While you seek these attributes for yourself, you must of necessity allow these attributes to exist for others, regardless of your personal likes or dislikes. FREEDOM and LIBERTY apply to all equally, or they do not apply to any at all. In this series of blogs, we intend to open minds so we can be more informed and then better understand the statement posed in the short video clip above, “You don’t know anything about me.” It is time to put on our big-boy pants, expand our understanding outside the bubble of our current knowledge and experience, and learn more about this “trans” issue, and hopefully greatly diminish TRANSPHOBIA.