Over the past decade, the idea that a person can be born in the wrong body has caused significant harm to many, most of all young people and their families. Now we are learning just how much this idea, whether caught online, in school, or at a counselor’s office, has preyed on the most vulnerable populations. In a recent Breakpoint Forum presentation, Dr. Steve Grcevich described how a growing body of research demonstrates that “the disability community has been disproportionately impacted by the gender revolution.”
For example, according to a report by the Human Rights Campaign, perhaps the most aggressive promoter of gender ideology and so-called “gender transitions,” adults who identify as transgender are overrepresented in almost every category of disability. Not only are adults who identify as transgender more than twice as likely to have a disability than those who don’t claim to be LGBTQ, they are almost 20% more likely to have a disability than adults claiming to be LGB or Q.
Another study on the prevalence of neurodevelopmental conditions in adults who identify as transgender confirmed that, compared to the general population, adults with OCD, autism, or bipolar disorder were over five times more likely to identify as transgender. Those with ADHD were six to seven times more likely to identify as transgender. Those with depression or learning disorders were over three times more likely to claim a transgender identity. And, shockingly, those with schizophrenia were over 28 times more likely to identify as transgender.
Young people who identify as transgender have also exhibited similarly high rates of cognitive ailments. According to one study, almost 70% of youth identifying as transgender had clinically significant anxiety. Over 55% reported clinically significant depression or self-harm, and 46% met screening criteria for PTSD.
A similar trend was found among dependents of those using U.S. military healthcare from 2010 to 2018. Compared to their siblings who did not, youth who identified as transgender were over five times more likely to have other mental health diagnoses in addition to gender dysphoria, were twice as likely to use mental health services, and were over twice as likely to be prescribed medication. Interestingly, these same youth were 67% more likely to be prescribed more medication for other mental health conditions after they started chemical “transition.”
Sadly, the disproportionate impact of the gender revolution on the communities of disability is not unique to the United States. At the United Kingdom’s only nationally funded “gender clinic,” 35% of children referred “exhibited ‘moderate to severe autistic traits.’” Unlike the U.S., however, this shocking statistic led to an independent investigation, which found the clinic was failing and forced it to change its standards of care.
Nothing like that has occurred in the U.S., at least not yet. One consequence of this dereliction is that many parents here who have kids with cognitive or other disabilities are unwilling to seek professional help. The existential threat of the purveyors of predatory gender ideology keeps them away.
Dr. Grcevich ended his presentation with a call to action because, as he put it, “The kids who are wrestling with this stuff are extraordinarily fragile and vulnerable.” The church’s opportunity to step into this gap for families of children with disabilities is greater than ever. Christians believe every person is “fearfully and wonderfully made” by God (Psalm 139:14). In his Kingdom parable of the Great Banquet, Jesus specified that “the poor, the crippled, the lame, (and) the blind” should be included (Luke 14).
As Dr. Grcevich emphasized, children who struggle to understand who they are, need to be invited to belong and need to know who God has made them to be. Perhaps one of the best ways to deter the influence of gender ideologues is a local church committed to modeling and teaching what is true. To learn more from Dr. Grcevich and Dr. Miriam Grossman, view the entire Breakpoint Forum entitled “The Real Facts About Gender Ideology” on YouTube.
This Breakpoint was co-authored by Jared Hayden. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, go to breakpoint.org.
Image credit: ©GettyImages/monkeybusinessimages
John Stonestreet is President of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, and radio host of BreakPoint, a daily national radio program providing thought-provoking commentaries on current events and life issues from a biblical worldview. John holds degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) and Bryan College (TN), and is the co-author of Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview.
The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of CrosswalkHeadlines.
BreakPoint is a program of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. BreakPoint commentaries offer incisive content people can't find anywhere else; content that cuts through the fog of relativism and the news cycle with truth and compassion. Founded by Chuck Colson (1931 – 2012) in 1991 as a daily radio broadcast, BreakPoint provides a Christian perspective on today's news and trends. Today, you can get it in written and a variety of audio formats: on the web, the radio, or your favorite podcast app on the go.