Feminism vs. Christianity: Homosexuality and Transgender Identities
Being a feminist has been a great thing for me, but also a huge challenge.
Feminism, by definition, is the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.
That means that women deserve equal rights TO men. This does not make women dominant over men. It does not oppress men. It does not mean that women are worth more than men.
Feminism is about equality.
There were three waves of feminism, each having meant very different things in society.
The first wave of feminism was for women’s suffrage. Women wanted the right to vote. They wanted to feel like they had some semblance of power over who was in control of their government.
After women received the right to vote, many women felt they were done. They did not push the issue. However, other women became outraged that men still held all the power. Thus leading to second wave feminism.
Second wave feminism is the one we all hate. Even today’s feminists. Second wave feminism was the era of bra burning and endless promiscuity. These were often the man haters of society who gave feminism a pretty bad rep.
Today, we are in Third Wave Feminism. Today’s feminists are fighting for equal pay, fair beauty standards, and putting a stop to sexual violence.
Recently I met a friend’s new boyfriend. After knowing him all of five minutes, he felt it necessary to tell me that he hates ALL feminists. I’m not really sure what all was said after that because in my head I was too busy deciphering how moronic he was being. ALL feminists? Why? Had I done something to him? Had I said something offensive? No, I hadn’t. I hadn’t done a single thing. His prejudice was completely uncalled for and unwarranted, as is much of the prejudice I receive on a daily basis for using the “F” word; feminism.
Yes, I am a feminist.
No, I am not a man hater.
I go on dates. I have guy friends (who are straight).
I have nothing wrong with masculinity. Or femininity. Or anything.
The biggest challenge I face with being a feminist is not dating, dealing with my friends’ douchebag boyfriends, or even things at work.
The biggest challenge is being a Christian.
I grew up going to church and was baptized. I believe in God and do my best to follow Christian values, but what I have come to realize is that people often use the Bible to defend their discrimination. They use it to validate their claims that men should be in charge of women, same-sex marriage is wrong, and that transgender people are going against God. This is where I turn away from Christianity. Because I refuse to believe that we serve a God who chooses not to love these people. I refuse to believe that the God I pray to and the one who guides me is somehow against certain sexual orientations or gender identities. I refuse to believe that God wanted a man to overpower me and tell me how to live.
Sexual orientation is not a choice. Gender identity is not a choice. The families we are born into are not a choice. There are a great many things in this world that can’t be explained. We live in a world that views things as black or white, never allowing for the grey areas we often find ourselves in. What about children born with ambiguous anatomy, having BOTH parts? What about that? Do we just choose for them and tell them to be a girl or a boy? Why do we get to choose? Do you remember Jamie Lee Curtis? Stunning woman, fantastic actress? What if I told you she has a Y chromosome? Does she seem like a man to you?
The fact that so many people can sit here bashing Laverne Cox or Caitlyn (Bruce) Jenner for their “choices” of gender identity absolutely amazes me. If Christianity is the thing that leads homosexuals and transgender people into depression or suicide, then I don’t want to be a part of it.
So the Bible says gay marriage is wrong. So what. You know what else the Bible says? Unwed people should not have sex, and if they do the woman is impure and can’t be touched and the man should be physically punished. Women should live in a shack during menstruation, away from all other people. Women should not use birth control. Women should not cut their hair or where pants…..
Why is it okay to pick and choose which parts of the Bible we find the most suitable to our personal beliefs and lifestyles?
God loves ALL people. Christians should not judge.
Are these not the main concepts of Christianity???
I am a feminist. I have many friends in the LGBTQ community and I stand with them 100%.
I do not hate men, nor have I ever been a man basher. I think women deserve equal rights. I think the definitions of masculinity are what often ruins men today and I think women are objectified way more than people care to recognize.
This world we live in can be so ugly, with war, racism, poverty, and LGBTQ prejudices.
Where is the love? Does it even exist anymore?
So people are calling Caitlyn Jenner a hero…….maybe she is and maybe she isn’t.
To transgender people, she is empowering. She showed them that being who you are is important. For those who don’t agree, well you have always identified with your birth gender….
What if you woke up one day and felt like you were in the wrong body? Do you know what that feels like? Because I sure don’t. What if you woke up and were not attracted to the opposite sex and only had feelings for those of the same sex? Do you know how much of a struggle that is in society and what that feels like? Because I don’t.
I don’t know the struggle. I don’t know what it’s like to feel disconnected from my own body or physical identity. I don’t know what it’s like to struggle with a different sexual orientation than what I was conditioned to prefer.
If someone has back pain, but it is not visible, do you tell them it doesn’t exist? Do you tell them that because you can’t personally feel it, it can’t be real? Think about that in terms of gender identity. Just because you’ve never experienced the effects of not identifying with certain gender identities or sexual orientation, that doesn’t mean it’s not a real thing or that people are making “choices” to be a certain way. Until you have personally experienced it, you won’t know for sure that it exists, but I refuse to place doubt on people.
As a society, we are teaching people not to be proud of who they are and who they identify as. But who are those identities hurting? Not me. I've never been hurt.
Have you?
Feminism, by definition, is the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.
That means that women deserve equal rights TO men. This does not make women dominant over men. It does not oppress men. It does not mean that women are worth more than men.
Feminism is about equality.
There were three waves of feminism, each having meant very different things in society.
The first wave of feminism was for women’s suffrage. Women wanted the right to vote. They wanted to feel like they had some semblance of power over who was in control of their government.
After women received the right to vote, many women felt they were done. They did not push the issue. However, other women became outraged that men still held all the power. Thus leading to second wave feminism.
Second wave feminism is the one we all hate. Even today’s feminists. Second wave feminism was the era of bra burning and endless promiscuity. These were often the man haters of society who gave feminism a pretty bad rep.
Today, we are in Third Wave Feminism. Today’s feminists are fighting for equal pay, fair beauty standards, and putting a stop to sexual violence.
Recently I met a friend’s new boyfriend. After knowing him all of five minutes, he felt it necessary to tell me that he hates ALL feminists. I’m not really sure what all was said after that because in my head I was too busy deciphering how moronic he was being. ALL feminists? Why? Had I done something to him? Had I said something offensive? No, I hadn’t. I hadn’t done a single thing. His prejudice was completely uncalled for and unwarranted, as is much of the prejudice I receive on a daily basis for using the “F” word; feminism.
Yes, I am a feminist.
No, I am not a man hater.
I go on dates. I have guy friends (who are straight).
I have nothing wrong with masculinity. Or femininity. Or anything.
The biggest challenge I face with being a feminist is not dating, dealing with my friends’ douchebag boyfriends, or even things at work.
The biggest challenge is being a Christian.
I grew up going to church and was baptized. I believe in God and do my best to follow Christian values, but what I have come to realize is that people often use the Bible to defend their discrimination. They use it to validate their claims that men should be in charge of women, same-sex marriage is wrong, and that transgender people are going against God. This is where I turn away from Christianity. Because I refuse to believe that we serve a God who chooses not to love these people. I refuse to believe that the God I pray to and the one who guides me is somehow against certain sexual orientations or gender identities. I refuse to believe that God wanted a man to overpower me and tell me how to live.
Sexual orientation is not a choice. Gender identity is not a choice. The families we are born into are not a choice. There are a great many things in this world that can’t be explained. We live in a world that views things as black or white, never allowing for the grey areas we often find ourselves in. What about children born with ambiguous anatomy, having BOTH parts? What about that? Do we just choose for them and tell them to be a girl or a boy? Why do we get to choose? Do you remember Jamie Lee Curtis? Stunning woman, fantastic actress? What if I told you she has a Y chromosome? Does she seem like a man to you?
The fact that so many people can sit here bashing Laverne Cox or Caitlyn (Bruce) Jenner for their “choices” of gender identity absolutely amazes me. If Christianity is the thing that leads homosexuals and transgender people into depression or suicide, then I don’t want to be a part of it.
So the Bible says gay marriage is wrong. So what. You know what else the Bible says? Unwed people should not have sex, and if they do the woman is impure and can’t be touched and the man should be physically punished. Women should live in a shack during menstruation, away from all other people. Women should not use birth control. Women should not cut their hair or where pants…..
Why is it okay to pick and choose which parts of the Bible we find the most suitable to our personal beliefs and lifestyles?
God loves ALL people. Christians should not judge.
Are these not the main concepts of Christianity???
I am a feminist. I have many friends in the LGBTQ community and I stand with them 100%.
I do not hate men, nor have I ever been a man basher. I think women deserve equal rights. I think the definitions of masculinity are what often ruins men today and I think women are objectified way more than people care to recognize.
This world we live in can be so ugly, with war, racism, poverty, and LGBTQ prejudices.
Where is the love? Does it even exist anymore?
So people are calling Caitlyn Jenner a hero…….maybe she is and maybe she isn’t.
To transgender people, she is empowering. She showed them that being who you are is important. For those who don’t agree, well you have always identified with your birth gender….
What if you woke up one day and felt like you were in the wrong body? Do you know what that feels like? Because I sure don’t. What if you woke up and were not attracted to the opposite sex and only had feelings for those of the same sex? Do you know how much of a struggle that is in society and what that feels like? Because I don’t.
I don’t know the struggle. I don’t know what it’s like to feel disconnected from my own body or physical identity. I don’t know what it’s like to struggle with a different sexual orientation than what I was conditioned to prefer.
If someone has back pain, but it is not visible, do you tell them it doesn’t exist? Do you tell them that because you can’t personally feel it, it can’t be real? Think about that in terms of gender identity. Just because you’ve never experienced the effects of not identifying with certain gender identities or sexual orientation, that doesn’t mean it’s not a real thing or that people are making “choices” to be a certain way. Until you have personally experienced it, you won’t know for sure that it exists, but I refuse to place doubt on people.
As a society, we are teaching people not to be proud of who they are and who they identify as. But who are those identities hurting? Not me. I've never been hurt.
Have you?
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