The Right to Have Rights

Have you ever been in the minority? Maybe you traveled abroad and visited where no one spoke English. It can be frustrating and even a little scary.

I am part of the 10% of the global population that is left-handed. It has only been a minor inconvenience. When I was ordained to the Christian ministry in 1978, only 4% of Protestant clergy were women. Now it’s about 13%, depending on denomination. I spent my whole career in a profession dominated by men. That is the limit of my minority status. Otherwise, I am a person of privilege. White privilege.

What if you were part of a minority that was only 1% of the population? How do you think that would feel? And what if others in the 99% did not take the time to understand who you were or what life was like for you? Even worse, what if many in the majority thought you didn’t have the right to be who you were? This is the circumstance faced by those who are transgender or nonbinary. For these reasons, it is important that we recognize the global Day of Transgender Visibility, which is tomorrow, March 31.

Everyone is invited to come to learn at this local event:

Enlightenment thinkers said that people have inalienable rights by virtue of their existence. The wording in our Declaration of Independence comes from this era. The politics of community determine whether people have “the right to have rights.” Recent changes indicate that current governing officials think this tiny minority is a threat and that their rights should be denied or curtailed. We should care about this, not only because of the slippery slope to denying further rights to others but also because these people are human and part of the fabric of our community. We deprive ourselves of their many varied contributions. We deprive them of offering their gifts for the good of the whole.

In the Christian gospel of Luke, chapter 15, there are three parables: the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son. In the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus likens himself to the shepherd whose 99 sheep are safe, but one is missing. The shepherd leaves the 99% to look for and welcome back the 1%.

The image of Jesus carrying the sheep back to the fold on his shoulders and celebrating its return should be enough to remind us that including everyone is a central message of Christian teaching.

The nonbinary community and its advocates and allies come together on the Transgender Day of Visibility to share stories of resilience and courage and to be educated about others’ experiences so we can better understand and advocate for acceptance and inclusion. By excluding any person or group, we impoverish our own experience, our culture and our whole society.

Simply declaring that people are the sex they were assigned at birth flies in the face of science and human experience. It denies the “right to have rights” as part of our community. It causes undue hardship and confusion for people regarding obtaining documents, traveling and finding employment. None of us want to face that kind of discrimination in our daily lives.

 It is easy to find information to educate oneself about all the genetic factors that go into determining one’s sex and how one identifies. The book "Man & Woman, Boy & Girl," first written by John Money in the 1970s and revised and expanded in 1996, remains the foundational text on these issues for those who want a deep dive into the subject.

I am grateful to Fernandina PRIDE for sponsoring this learning event for our community. I will be in attendance. I will go with an open heart and mind so I can learn and grow from the experience. I hope you will consider joining me there.