A bishop in Virginia said “no one is” transgender, and anyone who claims to be is experiencing “confusion, or a mistaken belief.”
Michael Burbidge, the bishop of the diocese in Arlington, wrote an extensive letter titled “A Catechesis on the Human Person and Gender Ideology,” presenting a detailed rebuke of “transgender ideology.”
“Our culture is experiencing a rapid rise in the number of persons claiming an identity contrary to their biological sex. Attempts to accommodate such claims already have resulted in tremendous upheavals in our social, legal, and medical systems,” the letter reads.
“No one ‘is’ transgender. A person who identifies as transgender may experience troubling feelings, confusion, or a mistaken belief that he or she is or can ‘become’ someone different. The Church does not teach that people who experience gender dysphoria or confusion are immoral or bad,” the letter continues. “Thus, when speaking with those who experience gender dysphoria or who claim a ‘transgender’ identity, it is essential to listen and seek to understand their experiences. They need to know they are loved and valued…”
The letter urges parents to have “vigilance against dangerous ideas and influences” and warns that, due to transgender ideology across social media, “much of your good work and witness can be undone quickly by a child’s unsupervised or unrestricted internet access.”
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“More than anything else, the Church desires to bring you the love of Jesus Christ Himself. That love is inseparable from the truth of who you are as one created in God’s image … The Church is here to assist and accompany you on this journey, so that you will know the beauty of the body and soul that God gave you …” the letter concludes.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Diocese of Arlington for comment but did not receive a reply by time of publication.
