The above screenshot is from a response to one of my tweets on the social media hellscape formerly known as Twitter. It’s a typical response from right-wing bigots to anyone on social media who recognizes that gender is far more complex than their binary, often gender essentialist, views. Another typical response is, “Pronouns in bio, opinion irrelevant,” or condemning me, Trans folks, and other allies, to hell for worshiping Satan, and caving in to “culture” over Biblical truth. Many of these people are operating under the misinformed idea that Trans people suddenly started existing because of a nefarious plot by “the godless Left” and “cultural Marxists.” The fact is, that Trans and nonbinary people have been around for millennia, and if you don’t believe me, just google it. They are often revered and seen as having a special purpose/way of being human by many cultures. Much to the chagrin of bigots, LGBTQIA people in general are finally getting positive representation in popular culture in the same way that straight, white people have been getting for centuries…which brings me back to pronouns.

I have my pronouns in my Twitter bio and in my email signature. When someone challenges me on social media for so doing, I point them to Matthew 7:12 – my favorite go to verse for challenging bigotry and ignorance – and tell them that I take that verse very seriously. Because I am a cisgender, white male, society has mistakenly seen me, and those like me as normal (despite the fact that I am truly a weirdo, but I digress). Trans and nonbinary, aka enby, people want to be seen as normal people too. They do not want to have to fight to have their existence acknowledged and accepted. They are worthy of receiving the same human rights and dignity that I as a cisgender white male receive from society as a matter of course, simply for being white and cis. Being Trans, nonbinary, gay, lesbian, asexual, or intersex, is just as normal as being cisgender. Human diversity is the norm. By putting pronouns in my bio, I am acknowledging the legitimacy of Trans and non-binary peoples’ genders, while simultaneously denouncing the ignorance, hatred, and political attempts at stripping away the human rights of LGBTQIA people that is happening all over the U.S. and in other parts of the world.

The Southern Baptist Church, that bastion of white, male supremacy, and slave holder religion, indoctrinated me in my 20s to believe that being straight was “normal” and anything outside of that view was demonic. That view for me, mercifully and through divine grace, has long since crumbled as chaff and been blown away on the wind. I am grateful that I no longer carry the burden of that bigotry and ignorance. The current manifestation of LGBTQIA hatred and bigotry is being fueled by people who have been similarly indoctrinated, so I feel that I should do my utmost to respond to their hatred and ignorance with grace, along with solid theological reasoning, in hopes that they, like me, will come to see clearly how wrong their bigotry and hatred is. I am not always successful with this, especially when people like Matt Walsh, Chris Rufo, Moms for Liberty, or other political hate-mongers are calling for fascist style oppression of Trans or enby folks, but I will continue to work on it.

Using a Trans or enby person’s preferred pronouns is an act of loving kindness and respect. Doing so affirms the humanity, dignity, and self awareness of enby and Trans people. Simply put, it is the right thing to do. By putting my pronouns on social media, I am signaling to Trans and enby people that they are safe interacting with me. I struggle to see why anyone would object to that, despite knowing the pervasiveness of satanic hatred. When in doubt, choose kindness, respect, love, and grace over the uncertainty of right belief.

If you enjoyed this piece, you will enjoy my soon to be released book. Available on Amazon.com from Quoir Publishing. Theological Musings Volume 1