STRAIGHTENING OUT THE 'PRIDE RAINBOW' | KAIROS GLOBAL | JUNE 2024

Author: Bro Gem George

Intro: Bro Gem George breaks down the LGBTQ and gender ideology together with what the Church holds as truth in this regard.

Introduction

Today we live in a culture bombarded with confusions. You and I are fed with the lie that we can discover our own truth about everything and that nothing is absolute. Being the bulwark of truth and the conscience of the world, the Catholic Church has a very tough time in this era of the dictatorship of relativism. The teachings of the Church are very often presented in a twisted manner by the mainstream media creating an illusion of truth. In recent years, this is explicit in the issues concerning homosexuality and transgenderism. Consequently, people have a very foggy understanding about LGBTQ ideology, and the teachings and approach of the Catholic Church regarding it. Hence, clarity with charity is the dire need of the hour. The article attempts to foster a fundamental but lucid understanding of homosexuality and transgenderism in the light of the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Viewing the Rainbow Distinctly 

LGBTQ is an acronym that stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (or Questioning). Here's a breakdown of each term:

1. Lesbian: A woman who is emotionally, romantically, or sexually attracted to other women.

   
   

2. Gay: A term often used to describe men who are emotionally, romantically, or sexually attracted to other men. It can also be used more broadly to refer to anyone attracted to the same gender.

   
   

3. Bisexual: A person who is attracted to people of both their own sex and the opposite sex. Do not confuse this category with people having biological anomalies for their genitals – having traits of both male and female reproductive organs.

   
   

4. Transgender: A term used to describe individuals whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. For example, someone assigned male at birth but identifies and lives as a woman, or vice versa. This is totally based on a person’s self-perception and has got nothing to do with the biological reality of the person.

   
   

5. Queer (or Questioning): ‘Queer’ is an umbrella term that can encompass a range of identities that don't fit within traditional categories of sexual orientation or gender identity. It can also be used as a political statement of inclusivity and resistance to heteronormativity. ‘Questioning’ refers to individuals who are exploring or questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity.

   
   

Very often, the acronym LGBTQ could be seen followed by a ‘+’.  This simply indicates that the list of inclinations and identifications is not fixed and may lengthen unceasingly.

What about Intersex? It is a common misconception that intersex falls under the umbrella of transgender. An intersex is totally different from a transgender as the former is founded on the biological reality of the person while the latter on what one feels about oneself. An intersex is born with an ambiguous genital and doctors may be uncertain about whether the baby is a little boy or a little girl. Here, we must remember that when problems arise in sexual development, it does not make for a new ‘third form,’ or worse, for an infinite spectrum of different sexual forms. Intersex does not violate the binary nature of sex.

Now let us delve deeply into the two key terms viz., sexual orientation and gender identity which could be of great help in order to gain a lucid understanding of LGBTQ, each of which presents unique challenges and considerations.

Sexual Orientation: ‘I am Attracted, Therefore I am’

Sexual orientation refers to a person's emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction to individuals of the same gender, opposite gender, or both. Here, we vividly find the reductionist tendency to limit a person to his sexual inclination. It is very well known that sexual attraction is a natural phenomenon that every person experiences. Moreover, it is quite natural for a married individual to be attracted to someone other than their spouse. But, this never serves as a justification for legalising polygamy or for concluding that man has an innate inclination for polygamy. Undoubtedly, there has been an excessive and obsessive fixation on sexuality in the past few decades deeming it to be something without which man cannot survive, going even to the extent of defining a person based on it. Where does this hyper-sexualised culture originate from? 

The latter half of the twentieth century saw the intrusion of expressive individualism into the domain of human sexuality. We call the phenomenon the sexual revolution. The sexual revolution rests on the idea that fulfilment is a matter of personal, psychological happiness and anything which obstructs that, specifically traditional sexual moral codes, is by definition oppressive and prevents us from self-expression. Unleashing promiscuity, the sexual revolution separated sexual activity from the context of a lifelong indissoluble monogamous relationship. It ultimately made sexual desire the foundational element of human identity. The debates about sex were no longer about how we acted but about our being and identity. Consequently, it brought about profound shifts in attitudes toward women's sexuality, homosexuality, pre-marital sexuality, modesty and the freedom of sexual expression.

In the post sexual revolution epoch, chastity has become a forgotten virtue and people hold on to false notions on human sexuality. This includes considering the divinely established sacred institution of marriage as a mere license for free sex, the youthful period of singlehood as a season for sexual experimentation, and celibacy as unnatural. If viewed through the same lens of the pornographic culture, anything and everything including bestiality, paedophilia and no wonder homosexuality could be justified as morally upright, ultimately leading to a chaotic sexual anarchy. 

There have even been attempts to present homosexuality and other paraphilia as something very natural. There are gay advocates who justify this behaviour pointing out the fact that such practices exist in the animal kingdom. A behaviour existent among animals is no reason for it to be morally acceptable to humans. Some animals kill their young ones. Others cannibalise their mates. These behaviours are more frequent in the animal kingdom than homosexuality. Yet, we do not give blanket approval to those practices. 

Science assures that there is not one gay gene that determines a person’s sexual orientation. But, there are studies which show that genetics along with environment play a part in shaping one's sexuality. Are not all sinful inclinations in man to a great extent influenced by genetics and environment? This finding is in perfect congruence with the Christian doctrine of the fall and original sin. Nobody is born gay. But, all human beings are born with the original sin – a proclivity to sin. Not even a vast majority of LGBTQ communities subscribe to the ‘born that way’ argument these days.

The Catholic teachings on sexual morality are irreconcilable with homosexual acts. In the light of natural law, the Church firmly exhorts that sexual act should never be separated from its end of procreation. Whenever the purpose and ends of sex is evaded, the act degenerates into merely the using of another person, reducing him/her as a sexual object of pleasure, which undermines the dignity of the human person. As the Church upholds the truth that a human person is of infinite dignity created in the image and likeness of God, she never tolerates any act that depreciates human dignity.

Does the Church have a discriminatory approach towards homosexuals? Is it that the homosexuals alone have to tread the burdensome and narrow path of self-denial when it comes to chastity? From the secular perspective, the teachings of the Church may appear discriminatory to homosexuals because they analyse them solely with reference to homosexual acts. They do not have a comprehensive overview about what the Church teaches about chastity, especially in the married state, and do not realise the great difficulty involved in living it out. The Church solidly teaches contraception is a grave sin and that each and every sexual act should be open to a new life. Living out chastity for a married couple is equally difficult or sometimes more difficult than for a person having same-sex attraction. So, the thought that the Church is being unfair and tough to homosexuals needs urgent revision. 

The Church is misunderstood and hated since she is neither zealously announcing her teachings to the world with clarity, nor do her children put them into practice with fidelity. Hence, more than ever before, it is the pressing need of the time to proclaim and declare the profoundly beautiful teachings of the Church on chastity and sexual morality, especially those pertaining to the wedlock as it is the most overlooked. A clarion call must be sounded to proclaim the vicious nature of masturbation, pornography, contraception, etc. with a greater vigour and re-establish a culture rooted in chastity. The Church could capitalise on her sound and solid resources like ‘Theology of the Body’ to manifest to the world the grandeur and splendour of her doctrines in this area. A thorough study of such resources leaves no room for a second thought regarding the immorality of homosexual acts, impossibility of same-sex marriages and imbecility of gender theory.

Today, we know that there is a ubiquitous outcry to persuade and exert pressure on the Church to approve and legalise homosexual acts. People who do this have the least idea on how the Church functions. The Church is driven by the Word of God, who is the revealed truth, Jesus Christ himself. Even if the whole world threatens the Church to endorse homosexual acts, she would remain intransigent, firmly and faithfully holding on to the truth passed on to her by her Lord, Master and Bridegroom. Even if a lion’s share of the Catholics decide to quit the Church on this issue, she would remain calm and poised, maintaining her holy intransigence, because the Church is  not a democracy and truth is not determined by the majority opinion. 

Not only that the Church teaches us to accept, respect and be compassionate to men and women who have deep seated homosexual tendencies, but also she is always willing to offer pastoral care to them by listening and accompanying them in their journey to conversion and healing. Being fully aware of their difficulties and struggles, she is at their service to administer the sacraments which are the fount of grace for them to grow in self-mastery and holiness. But people who deliberately continue their sinful life and celebrate the vicious culture of immorality intentionally distance themselves from the loving embrace of the Church. The Church is the continuation of Christ who compassionately called sinners to repentance and hence she cannot associate with the unrepentant pursuit of sin. Blessing or celebrating sin is contrary to her very nature. This is why the Church sternly discourages her children from participating in all sorts of celebrations related to the Pride month. During this month of the Sacred Heart, the Holy Mother Church invites us to grow in devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and make reparations for the horrible acts of blasphemy done against him.

Gender Identity and Transgenderism: ‘I feel, Therefore I am’

Transgender is an individual who believes that his/her gender is different from the biological sex he/she is assigned at birth. For example, someone who was assigned male at birth and having the biological characteristics of a male, but identifies himself as female, is a transgender woman. Here, solely one’s subjective perception is emphasised more than one’s biological reality as a man or woman: ‘I feel therefore I am’. Consequently, when a biological male identifies as female, he then even goes to the extent of undergoing a sex reassignment surgery to conform his genitals to that of a female. (Same applies for the other sex as well)

Follow-up studies of those who undergo sex-change surgeries have shown that they experienced highly elevated suicide rates, even many years post-surgery. Dr Paul McHugh, who served as psychiatrist-in-chief at the Johns Hopkins Hospital for more than two decades, was one of the first to raise concerns about transgender approaches that rely on hormones and surgeries. He noted that even though follow-up studies of sex-change patients may have indicated satisfaction with the outcome on the part of the patients, the numerous psychological problems they experienced prior to their surgeries including problems with emotions, relationships, work, and self-identity remained unchanged. Dr McHugh concluded that ‘to provide a surgical alteration to the body of these unfortunate people was to collaborate with a mental disorder rather than to treat it.’ Therefore, we must compassionately address their underlying mental health concerns through evidence-based therapies, including appropriate psychiatric and interpersonal outreach and counselling.

The repercussions that entail the promotion of transgenderism in society are not limited to this. The indoctrination of gender ideology into the hearts and minds of children at a very young age leading them to gender confusion must be prevented at all cost. Parents have a serious obligation to protect their children in this respect. It has been observed that young people with authentic support and encouragement outgrow their dysphoria and come to accept their birth sex once their turbulent adolescent years have passed. Another issue is the participation of trans women in women's sports.  Even if a transgender ‘woman’ has taken testosterone inhibitors, he has already benefitted from increased bone density and muscle mass given to him through puberty. We cannot close our eyes to this stark injustice faced by female athletes in this regard. The list does not end here with the issues faced by women concerning privacy in restrooms and changing facilities.

Today, we live in a society that rebelliously rejects and denies God. This is at the very root of the transgender ideology. Hatred of God makes it intolerable for the modern mind to accept the truth that their nature as man or woman is received as a gift from God. In the words of the Guinean Catholic prelate Cardinal Robert Sarah: ‘Gender ideology is a Luciferian refusal to receive a sexual nature as a gift from God.’

At the same time, let us not forget that gender dysphoria is a psychological reality which could cause severe physical and mental stress and hence, it needs to be dealt with sensitivity. We need to hold on to the individual with one hand and to the truth with the other. The Church always endeavours to speak the truth uncompromisingly in genuine and authentic charity.

Family, Fatima and the Fierce Battle

Today, if we look around, it appears as if the whole culture is designed to attack and destroy family and marriage. The transgender propaganda engenders ideological colonisation which ultimately lays the axe at the root of marriage and family, totally sabotaging the gender roles and the order which God envisaged for families. As revealed by Sr Lucy, the visionary of Fatima:  ‘The final battle between the Lord and the kingdom of Satan will be about marriage and the family.’ No apparition in the history of the Church has been as prophetic as the Fatima apparition. In the subtle world war against family revealed in the apparition, the LGBTQ propaganda holds a prominent place in the arsenal of Satan along with the other powerful weapons of abortion, contraception, pornography, feminism, artificial reproductive technologies, etc. But, there is nothing to panic about or to be afraid of. Our Lady goes on to affirm later in her revelation that she has already crushed the head of Satan and that the battle has already been won. We just have to remain fearless and faithful in the battlefield, taking the weapons of prayer and penance, hoping to see the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Our Blessed Mother against all evils. Praying the Rosary demands special mention here as our Blessed Mother revealed herself as Our Lady of the Rosary at Fatima and emphasised the daily recitation of Rosary. Recall what Fr Reginald Garrigou LaGrange, OP, the great Dominican theologian of the twentieth century, said with reference to the Church’s triumph over Albigensian heresy: ‘What the words of the preacher were unable to do, the sweet prayer of the Hail Mary did for hearts.’

In high school physics, we learn that when white light passes through a glass prism, a rainbow is generated by a phenomenon called dispersion of light. The dispersed light, when further allowed to pass through an inverted glass prism, gives back the original white light nullifying the dispersion effect. The ‘ideological prism’ that formed the pride rainbow was perhaps the sexual revolution, individualism and relativistic thinking. Now, what could be that ‘inverted prism’ which has the potential to ‘nullify the pride rainbow’? Is it a culture rooted in virtues especially that of purity and chastity ordered towards a civilisation of love and life? Is it a burning zeal, passion and commitment to truth and a firm decision to combat relativism? Think, figure out and act.

Brother Gem George is a Dominican in the making and belongs to the Indian province of the Order of Preachers.