“Sharp Rise” in Transgender Young People

According to the latest CDC health survey, which looked at data from between 2017 and 2020, “1.4 percent of 13- to 17-year-olds and 1.3 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds were transgender, compared with about 0.5 percent of all adults.” This number represents about 300,000 young people (double the previous estimate)—and it doesn’t necessarily include those who would identify as nonbinary, gender nonconforming, or other monikers. If such data were included, the number would be much higher!

The New York Times article declares the data “captures a stark generational shift and emerging societal embrace of a diversity of gender identities” and that “young people increasingly have the language and social acceptance to explore their gender identities, whereas older adults may feel more constrained.”

But is that really the reason for the sharp increase? Or is it because society is pushing children away from the biblical definition of male and female and indoctrinating and seducing impressionable young people with the lie that happiness is found in freedom from the “shackles” of manhood and womanhood?

But this lifestyle does not bring freedom! God has created us male and female (Genesis 1:27). Gender identity is not a spectrum. We are either male or female, and pretending to be something we are not does not bring freedom. It brings slavery to an identity grounded in ever-changing desires and feelings.

Consider a new study from the Heritage Foundation that found that “lowering legal barriers to make it easier for minors to undergo cross-sex medical interventions without parental consent does not reduce suicide rates—in fact, it likely leads to higher rates of suicide among young people in states that adopt these changes.” Our culture’s answer of rushing children into medical procedures that “affirm” their identity doesn’t help—it hurts them!

The affirmation of transgender feelings doesn’t bring freedom—it’s dangerous and, sadly, in many cases, does irreversible harm to the person it’s supposedly helping.

The affirmation of transgender feelings doesn’t bring freedom—it’s dangerous and, sadly, in many cases, does irreversible harm to the person it’s supposedly helping. This shouldn’t be surprising to Christians who understand the deceitfulness of our hearts and emotions and the pervasiveness of sin and how it distorts everything, even how we view ourselves.

Transgenderism is already on the rise, and it’s likely only going to continue in popularity (for a time, anyway). We as Christians must be prepared to share the hope of the gospel with those who have bought the culture’s lie—which is the Devil’s lie.

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44)

We need to share that Christ gives us a new identity, which is not grounded in our desires but grounded in Christ and what he has done for us on the cross when he freely forgave the sin debt you could never pay. If we are in Christ, he is our life (Colossians 3:4), and we are a new man or woman in him (2 Corinthians 5:17).

That’s the truth every man, woman, boy, and girl needs to hear and believe.

Get More Answers on Answers News

This item was discussed yesterday on Answers News with cohosts Dr. Kaia Kloster, Tim Chaffey, and Roger Patterson. Answers News is our twice-weekly news program filmed here at the Creation Museum and broadcast on my Facebook page and the Answers in Genesis Facebook page. We also covered the following topics:

• Drag queens in schools “make everything better”?
• Abnormal dinosaur eggs that look like birds’ eggs discovered?
• First dinosaur with a belly button uncovered?
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Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.