A new, eye-opening report has surfaced on the sexuality and “gender” front. The report’s authors are Lawrence S. Mayer, MB, MS, PhD, a scholar in residence in the Department of Psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a professor of statistics and biostatistics at Arizona State University, and Paul R. McHugh, former psychiatrist in chief at Johns Hopkins Hospital, University Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Their extensive research, that includes many case studies, provides sound scientific evidence that helps correct many misconceptions about sexuality and gender, which are being published as fact and driving public policy and medical treatment in potentially harmful directions.
In an intensive three-part study, they cover sexual orientation, how it is connected with mental health, and lastly so-called gender identity. The Federalist sums it up into 10 succinct facts:
1. “Born that way” is a myth.
2. Sexual orientation is fluid, hard to measure, and has multiple dimensions.
3. Further research should assess correlations between childhood sexual abuse and sexual orientation.
4. Non-heterosexuals are at ‘elevated risk’ for mental health problems and suicide.
5. Social stigma and stress are incomplete explanations for poor mental health.
6. Science does not support de-linking gender identity and biological sex.
7. Sex-reassignment surgery is not a panacea.
8. Most children desist from childhood cross-gender identification.
9. ‘Premature’ interventions for gender-dysphoric children are alarming.
10. Young kids are not transgender. Other factors likely explain their gender difficulties.
Mayer and McHugh make plain they are not attacking those who are confused about their sex or gender identity. Rather, both of the PhDs have the best interests of their patients in mind, relating their discoveries for the good of those struggling with sexuality and gender. They are concerned about policy and medical seroquelinfo.com that rely on shaky assumptions and incomplete research. Mayer writes:
As citizens, scholars, and clinicians concerned with the problems facing LGBT people, we should not be dogmatically committed to any particular views about the nature of sexuality or gender identity; rather, we should be guided first and foremost by the needs of struggling patients, and we should seek with open minds for ways to help them lead meaningful, dignified lives.
According to The Federalist:
The full report deserves to be read in its entirety. Several years in the making, it’s a careful, nuanced analysis of the weight of scientific evidence on sexual orientation, gender identity, and LGBT mental health. The report doesn’t shrink from findings perhaps more palatable to progressives than conservatives or vice-versa, and the authors are quick to point out existing gaps in the research. They conclude with a call for more high-quality research and “an ongoing public conversation regarding human sexuality and identity.”
Although more research is called for by the authors of this document, it is obvious that they have successfully debunked myths that mainstream media has been spreading. Through professional intellectual excellence and considerable courage, Mayer and Lawrence are clearly leading the way in the attempts to help those struggling with gender dysphoria. They serve as encouraging examples that, especially on such controversial subjects as gender dysphoria, it is important that Christians always remember to reflect God’s love for us in the way we treat others, but to especially show our respect for all human life by speaking the truth, no matter how difficult it may be. Some of society’s most vulnerable, including children, are depending on it.
