I may not be an expert when it comes to human biology, but I'd say that I know better than to allow myself to fall under ignorance or denial. Having said that, I think that this is a topic that hasn't been spoken or touched on in a while, and I'd say that my views have only slightly changed since I've last spoken on the matter.
It is only God who is all knowing; we as human beings have no place to judge, shame or discriminate against others, whether we agree with a person's choices in life or not. In saying this, I'm not saying that we should never criticize someone if certain words or actions have a negative effect on other people's lives. So if a family member or loved one in your personal life is doing something that makes you feel threatened, unsafe or uncomfortable, then of course it's okay to tell that person that their words or actions are having a direct effect on you. On a societal level however, one must understand that telling someone you barely know that their life choices are something you hate or strongly dislike is only bound to make the situation worse.
So I guess the only thing that hasn't changed in my stance is that I realize people are granted the freedom to choose. Humans were granted the ability to think, feel and love by God, but not everybody is going to recognize God for who He is. This is all just a matter of perspective and maturity in my honest opinion. Whether one wants to acknowledge it or not, gender IS a social construct, and gender is NOT the same as a person's biological sex. Sociologists and other experts in human biology could lay out all the research out there just to disprove this, but the further humanity develops, the more complicated this subject is going to get. People are going to push the boundaries of what gender means for various reasons. The two most pressing problems that I could potentially foresee within this matter are identity and mental health. People want to feel like they belong somewhere, yet on the same side of the coin, a lot of people in this world just don't know how to express what they're feeling deep down. A lot of people have issues with opening up and trusting others. More importantly, there are SO many people who are just struggling in isolation, and not realizing that they don't have to feel alone with whatever their situation is.
I'm not about to overuse those three words just to make a point, but when it comes to finding yourself and understanding where you fit in best, experience really is the best teacher. Putting yourself out there, no matter how scary or daunting it seems, gets easier over time the more you do it without hesitation. And for anybody who's never been in love, the only thing I can think to say is to question if a life filled with fear or missed opportunities is really worth having. I remember how overwhelming it was to have my first love. And even though it's only been a couple months, I know vividly what it's like to feel pain, hurt, anger and love all at the same time. It's very difficult to navigate those feelings alone. Having a strong support system, from my experiences at least, makes all the difference.
So in my eyes at least, I really don't care if someone identifies as gay, lesbian, transgender or whatever other type of gender or sexuality that's out there. The only thing that matters is how we treat each other, which should be with love and respect. It's like what the Bible says in John 3:16... "Love your neighbor as yourself". If you can't learn to love yourself first, then how can you expect anybody else to love you in return?
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