transgender

transgender - pastor aaron

A Safe Space to Learn, Ask, and Seek Support

Our world has changed rapidly in the last decade, especially in how young people think about gender. Many families, teachers, counselors, and students are unsure how to respond to this topic with both compassion and clarity.

If you are exploring this subject, if you love someone who is struggling with gender identity, or if you are personally experiencing gender dysphoria, we want to create a safe place to ask questions, understand truth, and follow Jesus with love and conviction. Your story matters.

If you would like someone to talk with or if you need prayer, support, or guidance, please complete this form. This allows us to offer help that fits your situation and walk with you in a personal and confidential way.

What Is Transgender Identity and Gender Dysphoria

The term transgender refers to a person whose biological sex does not match the gender they identify with. The term gender dysphoria refers to the psychological distress that can occur when there is a disconnect between biological sex and internal identity.

The emotional struggle is real for many students and adults. The confusion, isolation, or mental pain that some young people feel can be overwhelming. Our heart is to treat individuals with compassion, patience, and dignity while helping families understand what Scripture, science, and long term research reveal.

People are not issues to solve. People are to be loved.

Why This Is a Difficult and Sensitive Conversation

Many parents have watched their children wrestle with identity, belonging, or emotional stress. Some young people have experienced suicidal thoughts or mental health challenges connected to gender dysphoria. These stories are heartbreaking and deserve tender care.

We do not approach this subject casually. We do not dismiss the emotional struggle that many young people feel. Our desire is to respond with compassion and wisdom while also helping families consider long term consequences that are often irreversible.

How Culture Has Shifted in the Last Ten Years

Historically, gender was determined by biological sex. This has been consistent for every culture throughout human history. Only in the last decade has society placed psychological identity above biological sex.

This shift is brand new in human history. Only 0.6 percent of the population identify as transgender, yet the idea is being promoted as if it represents a large portion of society. Much of this change is driven by social media, entertainment, peer influence, and education rather than long term science.

Young girls, especially teenagers, represent the fastest growing demographic identifying as transgender. Before 2011, studies showed almost no gender dysphoria in adolescent girls. Today, five percent of all teenagers identify as transgender.

This sudden rise requires careful, compassionate examination. Something significant has changed.

How Social Pressure and Education Affect Young People

Children and teenagers naturally experiment with interests, friendships, and identity. A pediatrician once described this pattern by saying that kids will try on personalities until they find one that fits. This is normal development.

The concern today is that young people are being encouraged to treat temporary exploration as permanent truth. If a girl is athletic or prefers traditionally masculine interests, she is sometimes encouraged to question her gender rather than simply express herself freely as a girl.

Young people deserve freedom to explore interests and personality without having their identity redefined.

The Influence of Social Media and Peer Groups

A major study of 256 parents of adolescent girls with rapid onset gender dysphoria found:

65 percent had prolonged immersion in social media
More than 70 percent belonged to a friend group where multiple peers came out as transgender
This pattern often emerged suddenly rather than from childhood behavior
Over 47 percent had worsening mental health, while fewer than 13 percent reported improvement

This phenomenon is known as peer contagion. It reflects social pressure more than biological experience. This is not rooted in long term science or consistent childhood patterns.

The Science Families Need To Know

Historically, most children who experienced gender dysphoria before puberty naturally realigned with their biological sex. Studies show between 85 and 90 percent no longer identify as transgender after puberty.

This means that most young people who struggle early often grow out of it without medical intervention. Yet the current model in many schools and clinics pushes early affirmation and medical transition before natural development has a chance to unfold.

Puberty blockers, cross sex hormones, and surgical treatments are irreversible. Long term research on young people is extremely limited. No one fully understands the lifelong physical or psychological impact of these treatments on adolescents.

Families deserve time, clarity, and medical caution.

The Growing Concern Among Medical Professionals

Dr Ruse, a pediatric endocrinologist and specialist in gender medicine, reports that:

Historically, clinicians waited, supported the child, and allowed development to unfold naturally
Most children realigned with their biological sex without medical treatment
The current model often assumes affirmation is the only acceptable treatment
This shift was not the result of new scientific evidence but ideological pressure

Suicide rates, self harm, and mental health struggles did not improve after medical suppression in major long term studies abroad. Some clinics in Europe are now pulling back from progressive treatment guidelines because research does not support them.

Affirmation alone is not the solution.

How Christians Can Respond

Jesus teaches us to respond with compassion and grace. Every person deserves dignity, love, and patience. At the same time, compassion does not require us to affirm a belief that contradicts biology, Scripture, or careful science.

Christians are called to:

listen without judgment
offer emotional support
invite young people into safe relationships
help families navigate fear or confusion
hold onto biblical truth about male and female
protect children from irreversible medical decisions
speak up when something threatens their wellbeing

Loving someone does not require affirming every feeling or preference. Real love seeks long term flourishing and emotional peace.

How We Want to Support Families

If your child is navigating gender identity or emotional distress, you should not face this alone. We are here to listen, pray, and connect you with responsible support. Faithful counseling, pastoral guidance, and healthy community can make a meaningful difference.

No one needs to make rushed or pressured decisions. There is a better way forward that protects both emotional health and physical wellbeing.

How We Welcome People at Trace

If someone attending Trace identifies as transgender, we welcome them with compassion and dignity. We will listen, we will show love, and we will invite them into a journey of spiritual growth. People are not projects or problems. Everyone deserves grace.

At the same time, we will not affirm medical decisions or gender ideologies that contradict God’s design for male and female. Truth and compassion can coexist. Grace listens. Truth leads. Both together reflect Jesus.

You Are Not Alone

Whether you are a parent, a teacher, a counselor, a teenager, or someone personally wrestling with identity, we are here for you. You can ask questions, seek wisdom, and process emotions without fear or shame.

Jesus offers identity without confusion, peace without pressure, and a pathway toward healing and dignity.

Reach Out for Care or Prayer

We are committed to compassion and clarity. We are committed to the wellbeing of families. And most of all, we are committed to Jesus, who invites all of us into a better way.