A court finds living as a boy when you are a girl is punishable by jail time. The American College of Pediatrics believes advocating for youth transgenderism is “child abuse.” And I am really confused by it all.

As you probably know, there is a massive push to “support” youth transgenderism. Schools and other public facilities are being pressured to allow transgender students to use whatever bathroom and locker room they want. Apparently they think it’s a great idea to let hormone-driven boys into girls bathrooms and locker rooms. Since everyone now has cell phones with cameras you can only imagine the privacy and safety issues that will result from such actions. Nonetheless, the push continues because: equality.

The media has been focused on North Carolina where a “controversial” bill to require people to use bathrooms and locker rooms according to their biological sex has been passed. There has been nationwide outcry from media and activists saying that this a form of discrimination. Again, some people think allowing anyone to use any facility they choose simply by claiming to be the opposite sex is a good idea. I’m sure pedophiles and sex offenders do think it’s a good idea. However, common sense says that such measures are absurd, at best.

And apparently a European court has decided that pretending to be the opposite sex just to find love is also a bad idea. A recent article reports that Jennifer Staines, a 23-year old woman was convicted and sentenced to more than 3 years in jail for living as a male. the young woman lived as a male for five years and engaged in several relationships, convincing both the young girls and their families that she was a “he.” When caught, Ms. Staines was convicted of sexual assault and assault by penetration. The judge in the case, Barry Cotter QC, said:

“You did everything to ensure you had the ability to engage in relationships in which they believed you were a gender you were not. I can’t determine whether it was for love, love and sex, or just sex.”

But wait, I thought we were supposed to support and encourage people in their transgenderism? I thought there was nothing wrong with it, it is perfectly natural, and we were supposed to encourage people to “be who you really are”? After all, Bruce Jenner is a woman now and he’s famous. He gets to be on television and do speaking engagements. He even gets awards for his, or um, her bravery. So doesn’t it make sense to encourage people that believe they are a man trapped in a woman’s body, or vice versa? Granted, this young woman was convicted partially because she “deceived” her victims and was not honest about her gender. But why is that relevant? If she believes she is a man why does she have to tell anyone else that she is really a woman?

According to a recent release by the American College of Pediatricians (ACP) encouraging youth trangenderism is little more than “child abuse.” The highly respected institution said:

“Conditioning children into believing a lifetime of chemical and surgical impersonation of the opposite sex is normal and healthful is child abuse…Facts — not ideology — determine reality. When an otherwise healthy biological boy believes he is a girl, or an otherwise healthy biological girl believes she is a boy, an objective psychological problem exists that lies in the mind not the body, and it should be treated as such.”

But why? Why is it so dangerous to encourage people to be their “real self”? Aren’t we all about tolerance, equality, and supporting people in their self-discovery; even if that leads to being transgender? What could be so wrong with supporting youth in their desire to live life as the opposite sex? The report from the ACP says:

“As many as 98% of gender confused boys and 88% of gender confused girls eventually accept their biological sex after naturally passing through puberty…Rates of suicide are twenty times greater among adults who use cross-sex hormones and undergo sex reassignment surgery, even in Sweden which is among the most LGBQT-affirming countries.”

The statement from this leading expert on youth physical and mental health went on to say:

“Endorsing gender discordance as normal via public education and legal policies will confuse children and parents, leading more children to present to ‘gender clinics’ where they will be given puberty-blocking drugs. This, in turn, virtually ensures that they will ‘choose’ a lifetime of carcinogenic and otherwise toxic cross-sex hormones, and likely consider unnecessary surgical mutilation of their healthy body parts as young adults.”

What the ACP is reminding us is a truth we’ve known since we were kids: the gender we are born as is the gender we are supposed to live as. When my kids see a little boy wearing a dress they inherently know there is something wrong. Not because they are prejudiced or discriminating, but because they know dresses are for girls. My son knows little boys don’t wear makeup. My daughter knows little girls don’t go in the boys bathroom. There is something built into us all that recognizes the differences between the genders and encourages us to live as the gender we were born as.

I can easily support the ACP position because it is not only common sense, it is a scientifically based decision. Encouraging gender confused kids in their confusion is absolutely nothing short or abuse. As adults we make decisions based largely on facts, reasoned arguments and conclusions derived from our own study. But kids, especially very young kids, don’t have the knowledge or reason to make such decisions. Pushing into a life of confusion simply to be “supportive” is a failure of parenting; it is abusive. Just because my child “really believes” he can fly if he jumps out of the second-story window doesn’t mean I “encourage and support” him. I correct his mistaken conclusion using what I know of science and gravity. In the same way, if my son were to conclude he was a girl, I would not encourage and support that mistaken conclusion either. I would correct him using what I know of science and biology and teach him to celebrate being a boy.

It breaks my heart every time I read another article about a parent supporting their 6 year old or 9 year old in their gender confusion. I have compassion for such children because their parents are failing them by not lovingly correcting their mistaken conclusion. Parents are guardians, it is our job to guard our kids and teach them. Supporting gender confusion is a failure on both counts. It is indeed a form or child abuse.