Danielle Marie Bergan
I am a transgender woman and a Bonaventure graduate of the class of ‘75. I was alerted to Matthew Laurrie’s article in last week’s issue of the Bona Venture by LGBT news. As a transgender activist, I receive alerts daily from Google about any news in my community, and I was quite surprised when I saw Laurrie’s letter to the editor. I immediately searched the web for the original Bona Venture story by Patrick Hauf and read it myself.
I don’t know if the author of this piece of propaganda actually read the Nashville Statement, but it clearly promotes more hatred and disgust toward our LGBT community. The authors wrapped up the Nashville Statement pretty and put a bow on it, in the name of Jesus Christ, thinking that would get more God-fearing Christians to swallow it.
I noticed that Hauf quoted clergy in his article, but I saw no quotes from any gay or transgender folks of any kind. Perhaps some insight from someone who is actually transgender and leads a spiritual life would have added a little perspective.
There are many of us out there who do just that. We strive to love and accept all people as Jesus would. I actually feel if he were alive today, Christ would likely be one of the biggest supporters of our community in terms of love and acceptance.
Laurrie’s letter to the editor aptly describes the Nashville Statement.
“The text contained one acrimonious pronouncement after another, and I found it extremely difficult to understand how Mr. Hauf views the Nashville Statement as anything other than discriminatory rhetoric aimed at persecuting some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society.”
I cannot surpass Laurrie’s eloquent, one-sentence summation of this hateful, evangelical rhetoric.
Yet, I can tell you something about being transgender. I did not ask for God to create me with the mind of a female and the body of a male. I struggled from childhood and almost killed myself to be relieved of the pain I felt daily living as a female in a male body.
When I was a child, I was told over and over by my mother, “Danny, God created you as a boy, and God does not make mistakes.” I thought he had made a mistake.
Years later, I told this story to my dear friend one night, and she said, “Danielle, your transition has helped so many others like you live the life they were meant to live. Your courage has given hope to many where there was none. Your book (It’s Always Okay To Be Me) has saved lives and inspired others who are transgender, gay or straight. I think God created you perfectly to do exactly what you have done with your life.”
As I was driving home that night, I knew she was right. God did create me perfectly, just as he did others who are gay, straight or transgender.
Perhaps think of this, Mr. Hauf. Jesus famously said, “Judge not, lest ye be judged.”
Perhaps if we all stopped judging and followed the Franciscan ideals of love and acceptance, we’d all be better off.
bergand001@hawaii.rr.com
