A recent column by Armstrong Williams, “The Rise of Transgenderism” (May 8), echoes Mark Twain's apology for “I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.” It reminded me. The headline caught my attention, but the length was daunting, so I skipped to the last paragraph, where Williams dogmatically asserts: “The facts are very simple: men are not women and women are not men. This is a reality that everyone on earth must face.”
The real “facts” are not that simple. Williams' conclusion, on the other hand, is a simplistic opinion.
The DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) definition of gender dysphoria that he cited is actually scientific. Research has revealed the cause. However, he bypasses the conclusions of scientific studies that distinguish between sex and sex in the development of a human fetus. Williams then avoids any evidence of a personal relationship with a transgender man or woman.
As a member of the communities of St. Matthew's Church in Baltimore and Oak Crest Senior Living in Parkville, I was able to expand my thinking and open my heart by joining LGBTQIA+ groups that included family and friends. Inclusion and belonging. Contrary to the author's declaration that the transgender movement has “divided and degraded America” and likely caused an increase in depression, anxiety, and suicide, the facts are the opposite. The “madness” of those who speak out of ignorance and act on it can cause division and suffering.
In her popular book Becoming Nicole: The Inspiring Story of Transgender Actor and Activist Nicole Maines and Her Incredible Family, Pulitzer Prize winner Amy Ellis Nutt shares her fascinating personal family story and It interweaves the science of gender identity. He recommends that Mr. Williams read it.
— Mary Nicholas Sommerfeld, Parkville
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