Autonomy: LGBTQA+ Issues

 This post is the second part on the topic of autonomy.

“Gender is between your ears and not between your legs.” - Chaz Bono

Before diving in, I must clarify how autonomy relates to Dark Paganism. Dark Paganism’s focus is on honoring and cultivating the Self. Since autonomy is a characteristic of the Self, it’s vital that we understand autonomy and what supports or restricts it.

 Gender Identity and Transgender Rights

We all know the nursery rhyme. Little boys are made of snips, snails, and puppy-dog tails, while little girls are made of sugar, spice, and everything nice. The root of this nursery rhyme is the mistaken belief that gender is binary, with male and female being the only options. This binary view is based on the assumption that gender is determined by anatomy. It holds that male genitalia equates to the male gender while female genitalia equates to the female gender.      

Reality is much more complex. It’s now understood that each person has a gender identity based on how they feel and who they know themself to be. Sometimes the gender identity matches their anatomy, but not always. Gender identities include the classic male and female (‘cis-gender’) along with transgender, gender-neutral, non-binary, agender, pangender, genderqueer, two-spirit, third gender, and all, none, or a combination of these.

Sexual Orientation

We shouldn’t confuse sexual orientation with gender identity. While gender identity is about how someone knows themselves or how they feel, sexual orientation is about who you’re attracted to and to whom you want to have a relationship. Sexual orientations include gay, lesbian, straight, bisexual, demisexual, pansexual, and asexual.

Similar to the mistake that gender is binary, a mistaken belief is that sexual orientation is binary. In this error, it’s thought that men are naturally attracted to women, and women are naturally attracted to men. Anything else is thought to be aberrant and unnatural. A more progressive belief holds that a person is either gay or straight. However, this is still erroneous, for it’s still binary thinking. It’s now understood that sexual orientation is a spectrum, not a binary state.

The Question: Is There Harm? 

The critical issue here is whether there is harm to others if someone identifies and expresses themselves as other than cisgender or as something other than heterosexual. 

The answer is simple. No, there is no harm.

Critics try to generate controversy and claims of harm where none exists. Usually, these arguments are wrapped in religious language (“God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve”) while others manufacture non-existent victims. Critics claim that allowing children to know about transgender issues and different sexual orientations somehow causes them harm. Or that women are somehow harmed by trans-inclusive language. And allowing people to use public restrooms based on identity rather than birth certificate somehow poses a danger of predators, they claim.

However, under close examination, all of these claims of harm fall apart. The religious argument is irrelevant, of course, in the modern secular society. Plus, this knowledge does not harm children. Nor or women’s rights harmed by trans-inclusive language. And transgender using public restrooms based on identity threatens no one.

Is there harm to the individual if the State restricts the expression of gender identity or sexual preference? There’s a lot of evidence that those individuals are harmed. Violence against the LGBTQA+ community is substantially higher than against the cisgender/straight. Workplace discrimination is much higher, as well. And suicide rates among transgender youth are at a shocking rate.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there is no harm to society by allowing the LGBTQA+ members of society to live their lives as they deem fit. However, there is significant harm done to the individuals when the State tries to regulate and restrict in these cases.