Trump's Relentless Attack on Trans People Proves Jesus Was Right: Some People Just Won't Get It

Ever since I started this blog in 2011, I have written several posts about how I, as a follower of Christ, was able to reconcile my faith with being transgender. I have elaborated on the theological arguments and rationale to clarify how this reconciliation occurred, thanks to what Jesus said about eunuchs. That's when the penny dropped, and I could accept myself. I won't repeat the story here; it's in my book if you'd care to read it. The reason for revisiting this important topic is because of Trump's relentless attacks on trans people from the first day he took office for the second time. Please share with as many people as possible.

Jesus on Trans Acceptance: Why Some Will Never Get It

The expectation that all people will one day accept and affirm transgender individuals may be an unattainable goal. Even Jesus didn’t suggest that such universal acceptance was possible. In Matthew 19:11-12, after discussing marriage and divorce, Jesus makes a seemingly unrelated statement about eunuchs. He says that some are born that way, some are made that way by others, and some choose to live as eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. And then he adds this: “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given… The one who can accept this should accept it.”

For years, many of us have been told that God created only male and female and that there are no other options. Many trans people have internalized this message to their own detriment. Some of us spent years trying to conform, denying who we were, and hoping that God would change us. We believed that being faithful meant ignoring what was undeniable inside of us. This kind of theological violence has broken countless lives.

But then there is Jesus, refusing to enforce rigid categories. His words about eunuchs challenge the idea that there are only two valid expressions of human embodiment. He acknowledges that some people do not fit the male-female binary. His reference to eunuchs is not just about intersex individuals but also includes those who, by circumstance or choice, live outside of traditional gender norms. Trans people fit into this conversation. Jesus offers no condemnation, exclusion, or requirement that these individuals be "fixed" or made to conform. And he does something else: he acknowledges that not everyone will be able to accept this truth.

Not Everyone Can Accept This Truth?

But just because the majority will continue to scratch their heads and not "get it," it does not give them the right to go after us, to make our existence a hell, or to render our lives impossible. Understanding may be limited, but respect and dignity are non-negotiable. Our lives are not up for debate, and our right to exist should not hinge on whether others comprehend or agree with us.

This is not an excuse to accept exclusion or mistreatment. It is an honest recognition of reality. Jesus pre-emptively declared that not everyone would understand or accept what he was saying. That warning should temper our expectations.

Some people will never move beyond their rigid thinking. They will not accept trans people, not because we are illegitimate, but because they refuse to expand their vision of what is possible. Their rejection says more about their unwillingness to receive wisdom than it does about the validity of trans lives.

Too many churches, politicians, and commentators have positioned themselves as arbiters of gender, insisting that anything outside their prescribed definitions is rebellion. They treat trans existence as an attack, an ideology, a distortion of creation. But what if their refusal to understand is the very thing Jesus anticipated? What if they are simply not among those to whom this knowledge has been given?

Jesus did not force understanding on anyone. He didn’t demand universal acceptance. He extended the invitation and let people decide whether they were ready to receive it.

Yet, if Jesus was so pragmatic, what does that mean for those who long for recognition, inclusion, and dignity? It is a difficult truth to wrestle with. It suggests that our message may never get through, no matter how loud we shout from the rooftops. That realization stings. Tempering expectations can feel like surrendering before the fight even begins. But perhaps the battle isn’t about convincing everyone—it’s about standing firm in truth, knowing that even Jesus knew some would never see.

Reading the Text Through Jesus' Lens

This passage has been used against LGBTQ+ people to justify exclusion. Some argue that because Jesus referenced Genesis—"male and female He created them"—this proves gender is binary. That argument crumbles when placed alongside Jesus’ next words.

He acknowledges that some are "born eunuchs." What does that mean if not a declaration that some people do not fit the traditional categories? Jewish tradition at the time recognized different types of eunuchs, including those who had ambiguous or mixed-sex characteristics. The Midrash includes terms for a female eunuch (a person assigned female but with male traits) and a male eunuch (a person assigned male but with female traits). Jesus knew this. His audience knew this. His words reflect this awareness.

Jesus does not frame these individuals as mistakes or outliers to be corrected. He does not exclude them from full participation in the kingdom of heaven. The only caveat he offers is that accepting our reality is not universal.

If Jesus recognized that some people would never be able to accept this, what does that mean for us? It means we should stop expecting universal affirmation. We should stop begging for it. We should stop measuring our worth based on the opinions of those who lack the ability—or the willingness—to see.

A Challenge to Bible Quoters Who Still Say No to Trans

Some will read this and still hesitate. They will look for ways to soften it, to make it about celibacy, or to find some loophole that keeps them from acknowledging what is right in front of them. Here is the challenge to those individuals: What are you so afraid of?

Jesus never once condemns the eunuch. He never calls them unnatural. He never declares that their existence is an affront to God. If he does not say these things, why do you? If Jesus offers a vision of human embodiment that includes those who do not fit into the binary, why do you insist on a more restrictive interpretation than he did?

The kingdom of God is not built on fear, control, or coercion. It is not for those who demand that everyone fit into a narrow framework of existence. It is for those willing to accept what has been given.

If you cannot accept trans people, then admit that the issue lies with you, not with us. Admit that you are struggling with the invitation. Own the fact that you are making a choice—because Jesus already acknowledged that some people would not be able to receive this truth.

But do not, under any circumstances, pretend that your rejection is your righteous Christian duty. Do not drape it in theology or claim you are standing in defence of the right for girls to feel safe or the family or traditional Christian values. It is nothing more than what Jesus warned about: your inability to accept what has been given. But if you open your mind and accept this teaching from Jesus, you will find cause for celebrating, just like at the end of the story of the Ethiopian Eunuch in chapter 8 of the Book of Acts.