[hulagirl]

Well, don’t want to start a firestorm here, but I have firsthand (maybe it’s second hand) experience w/that problem. I know it’s virtually impossible for people w/out this “gender identity” problem to understand this, but think of it as a deformation of the soul/part of the mind that controls how we feel about our male or femaleness. I don’t know why it goes wrong (from birth) but it does. It goes wrong before anyone gets a chance to abuse or cause environmental factors to influence feelings of sexuality. I’ve seen it happen to my daughter, who thought she was a boy from the time she could speak. It’s terribly painful for her and us. She’s not getting a sex change but I can tell you, it’s no easy deformation to have. Sometimes “as God makes you” is very deformed; from a deformed body to a deformed mind, this world is fallen and we need to extend compassion to folks w/this terrible malady.

[mlizzy]

No firestorm from me. My best friend since 1975 married a man who later decided he wanted to be a woman. He finally went ahead with the full operation. They *did* get divorced but he forced himself back into a "living-together situation."

I believe that *all* difficulties in this world can be ironed out through the Love of God. Leave Him, and the avenues of healing are closed. Embrace Him on His cross (until you can hear Him breathing if necessary), and eventually -- it can take some time -- your problems dissipate into pure Love for Him, His mother, the angels and saints, and direction doesn't seem all that difficult anymore. Maybe God wants those who seemingly don't fit in, to try harder than most. (In other words, they might consider it to be a special calling from God, not a curse.)

[Claud]

It must be a terrible cross, and you are absolutely right about us needing to show compassion.

Obviously you know this subject intimately and seem to be opposed to a sex change—can you elaborate on why? I’ve been trying to sort out this issue myself and I have a suspicion that sex changes don’t help any, but I’d like your opinion.

[dools007]

You are absolutely right. The fact is that “deformed” people are born every day. Some of these “deformities” can be corrected and they are corrected. I’m thinking of cleft palet for one. No body would suggest the condition not be corrected because they were born that way. I defy anyone to explain how gender mistakes are any different.

I’m sure you’ve considered your daughter’s situation carefully and, with her, have chosen the road you and she are traveling. But if it were me I would support my son or daughter’s efforts to make his/her physical self match his/her mental self. For me, condemning someone to homosexualality is far more troublesome than undergoing a sex change.