My Great Journey Part 8C
In the previous section, we explored
the important of life in Jewish tradition and law. We saw that to save a life is so important
that it actually supersedes observance of Sabbath and other Mitzvot
(commandments, or religious obligations). In the next section, we will explore
some of the specific Mitzvot that we must transgress, in order to
live as transgender people, i.e. to live authentically and to our full
potentials.
Recently there have been several
doctors and psychologists who have written about or run programs designed to
dissuade transgender people from transitioning, and to try to “convert them” to
force them to detransition. These
include Paul McHugh, MD, from Johns Hopkins University.[1]
McHugh stated that transgender people should not be allowed to access Gender
Confirming Surgery (GCS). His thesis is
that because of the very high suicide rates and rates of other mental health
issues in the transgender community, allowing GCS is wasting precious medical
resources that could better be expended elsewhere.
McHugh’s work has been discredited,
because he ignores a very significant factor in his paper. He fails to take into account all the
external stressors that transgender people face. These include cost and inaccessibility of
treatment, stigma, societal hurdles such as North Carolina’s HB2, etc. It is not, as he asserts, that transgender
people are mentally ill, but rather that society drives transgender people to
desperation.
The Torah teaches (Lev 19:14):
יד
לֹא-תְקַלֵּל חֵרֵשׁ וְלִפְנֵי עִוֵּר לֹא תִתֵּן מִכְשֹׁל וְיָרֵאתָ
מֵּאֱלֹקיךָ אֲנִי ה':
Lo t’kalel heireish,
v’lifnei iveir lo titein mikhshol,
v’yareita mei’elokekha, ani H’.
You shall not curse the
deaf, nor shall you put a stumbling block before the blind; you shall fear your God, I am
H’.
Rashi[2] on this verse states:
לא תתן עצה שאינה הוגנת לו
Lo titein eitzah she’einah hogenet lo.
Do not give advice that is not appropriate for the person.
This is critical here. McHugh is giving extremely bad advice in his
article (and no doubt did in his clinic as well), which can lead to transgender
people experiencing significant mental health crises. So, we see from our verse
and its interpretation, that it is a huge failing to knowingly give people bad
advice; this is especially true if that bad advice will lead to severe
emotional trauma, and perhaps even loss of life.
Another provider who has been
discredited, who was harmful to transgender people was Kenneth J. Zucker, of
Toronto. He is noteworthy for advocating
so-called “conversion therapy”.
Conversion therapy tries to convince a transgender person that they are
in fact not transgender, and that they should be able to live in the gender
they were assigned at birth. Conversion therapy has been proven to be
ineffective and dangerous. Zucker has
been discredited and removed from his position.
Providers such as McHugh and Zucker, as
well as past providers such as Money, did irreparable harm to many transgender
people, by forcing them to live in genders different from their true
gender. This actually results in the
very mental illness these providers claim to be curing.
Torah is very clear, that we must
choose life, and that we must not do things to people, in the name of Torah,
medicine, or any other authority, that puts them in a greater risk of losing
their lives.
The best possible thing that one can do
to enhance the life of a transgender person is to support their transition, to
the endpoint that they deem appropriate. This is true at every level of society,
from birth families, to friends, employers, medical providers, and ultimately
to clergy and government at all levels.
It is true that certain religious laws
are transgressed when a transgender person transitions. However, Jewish law is clear. One must transgress a Mitzvah (Commandment)
rather than die, with the exception of murder, sexual immorality or idolatry.
In other words, if someone holds a gun to your head and tells you to curse God,
commit murder or adultery, you must refuse and sacrifice your life. For EVERY other Mitzvah in Torah, you are
OBLIGATED to transgress them, if to do so means that you will live, but if you
follow them you will die.
This will be a
vital consideration as we consider, in the next chapter, the traditional Torah
law that creates hurdles for transgender people.
As a side note, regarding saving lives,
if you or another transgender person you know, is in a significant crisis, or
just needs more information, please contact, or urge them to contact, the Trans
Lifeline, www.translifeline.org.
US:
(877) 565-8860; Canada: (877)
330-6366.
[1]
His article was published in the Wall Street Journal at http://www.wsj.com/articles/paul-mchugh-transgender-surgery-isnt-the-solution-1402615120
[2]
11th Century French commentator on Bible and Talmud.
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