Dear Editor,
Social media is still buzzing with images, memes, videos, and posts after Bruce Jenner's public announcement to identify as a woman, Caitlyn. Many lauded him for his courage, others expressed great contempt.
Incontestably, it is the age where people seek to redefine masculinity and femininity, subtracting and adding defining features to their satisfaction as a means of altering the biological and social construct of gender. Women are surgically morphing into men and vice versa. Is this normal behaviour?
Dr Paul McHugh, former psychiatrist-in-chief for the Johns Hopkins Hospital and its current distinguished service professor of psychiatry, said that transgenderism is a "mental disorder" that merits treatment. Transgenderism or gender dysphoria does not correspond to reality. These individuals assume that they are different from the physical reality of their maleness or femaleness as designated by nature. He mentioned that the severity of the disorder can be linked to a person suffering from anorexia who looks in the mirror and, though skinny in reality, still thinks he/she is overweight. McHugh further stated that realignment surgery does not change men to women or vice versa; it simply creates feminised men and masculinised women. Being a man or woman cannot be artificially created because of the purposes of our biological designs in our respective genders. We have been graciously endowed with assets and features defining our sex. It's more than physical characteristics that set the distinction between both sexes. Jenner will never have a womb, and every single XY chromosome in his body betrays all his efforts and are purely aesthetic.
The concept of gender dysphoria is a perceived reality, and any attempt to change one's sex is wrong and an affront to God's good design of humanity. Jenner is running from who he is and is therefore a coward, not an icon of gallantry.
This highlights the responsibility we have as a society to groom our children and young people in an environment that facilitates emotional, social and spiritual stability and security. Encouragement for this disorder only perpetuates identity crisis. Our responsibility is to mend the broken; not celebrate them in their brokenness.
Shanique Shand
The Love March Movement
lovemarchmovement@gmail.com
Jenner is not brave; he has a mental disorder
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Social media is still buzzing with images, memes, videos, and posts after Bruce Jenner's public announcement to identify as a woman, Caitlyn. Many lauded him for his courage, others expressed great contempt.
Incontestably, it is the age where people seek to redefine masculinity and femininity, subtracting and adding defining features to their satisfaction as a means of altering the biological and social construct of gender. Women are surgically morphing into men and vice versa. Is this normal behaviour?
Dr Paul McHugh, former psychiatrist-in-chief for the Johns Hopkins Hospital and its current distinguished service professor of psychiatry, said that transgenderism is a "mental disorder" that merits treatment. Transgenderism or gender dysphoria does not correspond to reality. These individuals assume that they are different from the physical reality of their maleness or femaleness as designated by nature. He mentioned that the severity of the disorder can be linked to a person suffering from anorexia who looks in the mirror and, though skinny in reality, still thinks he/she is overweight. McHugh further stated that realignment surgery does not change men to women or vice versa; it simply creates feminised men and masculinised women. Being a man or woman cannot be artificially created because of the purposes of our biological designs in our respective genders. We have been graciously endowed with assets and features defining our sex. It's more than physical characteristics that set the distinction between both sexes. Jenner will never have a womb, and every single XY chromosome in his body betrays all his efforts and are purely aesthetic.
The concept of gender dysphoria is a perceived reality, and any attempt to change one's sex is wrong and an affront to God's good design of humanity. Jenner is running from who he is and is therefore a coward, not an icon of gallantry.
This highlights the responsibility we have as a society to groom our children and young people in an environment that facilitates emotional, social and spiritual stability and security. Encouragement for this disorder only perpetuates identity crisis. Our responsibility is to mend the broken; not celebrate them in their brokenness.
Shanique Shand
The Love March Movement
lovemarchmovement@gmail.com
Jenner is not brave; he has a mental disorder
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