7 Tips for Caring for Trans People

How can Christians compassionately care for trans Christians? Here are the tips from the video:

1. Adopt a general posture of empathy and compassion - God made trans people in His image, and we must treat trans people with the dignity and respect every Imago Dei deserves.

2. Prioritize addressing mental health needs - Connect trans people with proven interventions to address depression/suicidality such as in-person talk therapy with a counselor to address grief/loss, regular exercise/physical activity, use of antidepressants, and a broader community of social support

3. Honor their lack of choice and explore options for morally neutral relief - Transgender people do not choose to experience gender incongruence. Help them resolve what they can and manage what they must.

4. Support their acceptance of some level of brokenness and suffering - Many trans Christians will continue to experience some persisting and painful gender incongruence, even after some social transition.

5. Address childhood shame from gender stereotypes - Many trans people were judged as kids when they liked or disliked something kids of their biological sex weren't supposed to. Help them identify shaming memories, create space to connect with any lingering painful emotions, name the falsity of cultural gender stereotypes, and honor the unique ways they express themselves, even when it’s contrary to cultural stereotypes.

6. Give permission to reject cultural gender stereotypes - While the core of a trans Christian's distress is an internal sense that one’s biological sex and felt gender are incongruent, feeling forced to comply with arbitrary cultural expectations can multiply distress.

Parents and pastors can join trans Christians by resisting historical over-prescription of what universal, Biblical masculinity and femininity are, while maintaining a God-ordained distinction between the biological sexes and genders.

7. Encourage them to share their stories and gather together - Trans Christians need to share about their experiences to be fully known and fully loved, and our churches need to hear the stories of trans Christians who are faithfully stewarding their brokenness.

Watch the video at https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2iDX8_Jccc/