What’s Wrong with Being Different?

Pride

Being Different in a World of Judgement: Finding Acceptance Within

10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. ROMANS CHAPTER 14 KJV (kingjamesbibleonline.org)

Introduction

As children of God, we are not to judge but love one another. God made us all different for a reason. Being different gives different perspectives on things, it gives new ideas, fresh solutions, it keeps the world we live in from being boring and mundane. A lot has changed for Jesus’ time, and He knew it would, but what remains the same is our love for another. The instructions left for us remain the same: “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Ephesians-4-32/ Which means we are be kind and not evil, loving and not hating, understanding and not fearful of all things we don’t understand. Basically, we are not perfect and God has forgiven us for that so why can we not forgive others?

“So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Romans-12-5/ Regardless of race, religion (and now especially) gender we are still one body with Christ. It is not for us to criticize someone else just because we don’t agree, like or understand why they do what they do. We are to love regardless and support however we can those in need of our support. Turning our backs to them is like turning our backs on God. How would we feel if God turned His back on us for the choices we made that He did not agree with or understood why we made that decision?

Our Children Today

Children today are angry, depressed and confused and no one wants to help them. When young people hit 12/13 years old (some sooner) they are coming into their own. Hormones are wild as they are trying to figure out who they are and how they are different from their peers. Now add in their gender identity and you have a whole new set of questions they don’t understand. Us, in the older generation, need to come to grips that times have changed and how our parents used to talk to us about life, love and relationships is more involved and more detailed now.

So, how would you respond if a young person (you knew) came and asked you for advice because they feel they may be gay, a lesbian or transgender? Would you criticize them, try to understand them or try to support them because you know they are scared themselves?

Transgender Defined

So, let’s talk about Transgender and what it means. It’s hard to hate, disagree or support something and you don’t know what it means or what all it pertains. On the Human Rights Campaign website (Glossary of Terms – Human Rights Campaign (hrc.org)) they define Transgender as: “An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or expression is different from cultural expectations based on the sex they were assigned at birth. Being transgender does not imply any specific sexual orientation. Therefore, transgender people may identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc.”

Did you read that? That means it has nothing to do with how they dress, it just has to do with how they identify themselves. Society would have to believe it as male dressed as a female and vice-versa, but that is not the case. It just depends on how they identify themselves. Pay attention to “Being transgender does not imply any specific sexual orientation.”

Which means you cannot put them in a box with everyone else of the Love Community. It does not suggest they are just gay, just a lesbian or even just straight. It means they can identify as whatever makes them comfortable. We have to remember, we are all children of God regardless of our life choices, and as such, we should be able to communicate with each other, understand each other, stand up for each other and support each other when needed. Sadly, we don’t do any of it.

The New Law

So, let’s talk about what is bothering our youth this time. I get tired of people deciding what is best for me without asking me first. Just because you don’t like, or agree, with my choices does not mean something is wrong with it. It is more disrespectful when you over-step the parent and basically take their rights to decide, with their children, on what is best for them. The government has gotten so high and mighty that they have taken the parents’ rights to decide what is best for their own children. To take away the rights for young people to decide what gender they are more comfortable with is just wrong. Not only that, but to make a stupid law to stop others from helping our youth find peace is asking for the violence that we have been seeing…that we know about as of now.

The map shows the states that have bans on gender affirming care, and once again Tennessee is just following everybody else because they can’t stand alone for what is right.

Action and the Reaction

What have I always said? “Every action has a reaction? So, Tennessee knew doing this would have push back or maybe they didn’t think it would? I’m not an expert on Constitutional law, but if the DOJ is coming for you for Constitutional violations…that is not good. On the site (Transgender: Biden DOJ sues Tennessee for alleged discrimination (cnbc.com)), it is saying their 14^th amendment rights (U.S. Constitution – Fourteenth Amendment | Resources | Constitution Annotated | Congress.gov | Library of Congress) are being violated. What does the 14^th amendment say? “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” Meaning you cannot take away my privileges because you feel like it without going through the proper legal channels and giving me a chance to speak on it on my own behalf.

How did this happen? The parents raised holy hell and the government had to respond. I applaud the parents because the government doesn’t know what is going on in their house. The government didn’t ask the parents how their child may be suffering from depression, or may be suicidal, because they are not happy with their gender. The government did not take the time to “actually” talk to this kids that feel that way to understand what is bothering them and how they can help. The government did not attempt understand why a person would want to change genders at a young age and decided to try to stop them from changing it. Guess what? They did not stop anything; they are just going somewhere else to get it done.

The Parents

The parents who are the ones seeing how depressed their children are becoming. Withdrawing from things that brought them joy, not hanging out with their friends, not doing well in school anymore are now having to deal with the government who would rather they keep their gender preference to themselves and being happy in their own skin. How they are treated differently in school, how people look at them like they are the problem, how nobody wants to include them in anything and now the government is trying to act like they don’t even exist because they don’t understand them? The parents are the ones who have to deal with trying to support them and ensuring them that it is the world, not them, with the problem.

LGBTQ+

Gays and Lesbians have always been around. Growing up we had them in our schools, neighborhoods, they were everywhere and you know what?? It did not bother us. We were glad to call them our friends and we defended them just like anyone else in our inner circle. We did not treat them any differently because of sexual preference. The difference between back then and now is, back then they were not flamboyant like some of the youth today. Don’t get me wrong, they were proud of who they were, but back then there was no need to go all out about it. Today, you have so many living that lifestyle and they are not ashamed of it as they should not be. They are happy and they want the world to know they are comfortable in their own skin. That’s why I love, and stand with, the love community. No matter how much they try to erase them, kill them, ignore them or deny them, they come back stronger and full of more love. You will not silence them, you will not erase them and you definitely will not ignore them.

What Can We Do?

Listen to our young people. They are hurting, angry, confused and all they want is to exist, be heard and be loved. They have questions, but no one wants to give them answers and then wants to say something when they find the answers on their own.These young people are trying to find where they fit in in this world, just like us, why won’t you help them? They are trying to get answers on what they are feeling, why won’t you answer them? They are feeling like they are alone, nobody wants them, no one understands them, no one loves them…why can’t you show you care?

Taking Action

My calling was to motivate/inspire anyone regardless of their race, religion and especially their gender. If we breathe the same air, I’m here for you. My job is to keep you motivated to do what you can to uplift the next person that will uplift the next person and so on. Judging is not in my vocab because I don’t need nobody judging me for what I choose, or not choose, to do. I am here for all who need a voice, until they find their own. Some may not like this topic, and that’s okay. According to research, from The Trevor Project, “45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year.” Also that, “60% of LGBTQ youth who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to get it.” So why are some still judging these babies. Remember you are doing things in your life, right now, that God is not happy with too. How would you feel if He ignored or tried to erase you?

Websites used and for further research for you to do

Glossary of Terms – Human Rights Campaign (hrc.org)

The anti-drag bill passed in Tennessee is straight from history’s playbooks : NPR

Transgender: Biden DOJ sues Tennessee for alleged discrimination (cnbc.com)

Bills defining gender ‘too narrow,’ sex ‘more complicated than just male or female’ claims NPR | Fox News

I am a nonbinary young person in Tennessee: My clothing is not drag (yahoo.com)

Montana Republicans barring trans lawmaker Zooey Zephyr made her hero (usatoday.com)

Kentucky Republican calls out GOP for anti-LGBTQ bills no one wants (usatoday.com)

The Trevor Project: 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health

Ways to get motivated/inspired

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