Hochul Declares November As Transgender Awareness Month
Written by on November 15, 2023
While New Yorkers will set aside one day to honor our veterans this month, Gov. Kathy Hochul recently issued a proclamation declaring the entire month of November to be “Transgender Awareness Month”. That’s right—veterans who have put their lives on the line to fight for our freedoms will receive one day of recognition for their sacrifice, whereas New Yorkers who claim to be “transgender,” “gender non-conforming,” or “nonbinary” are to be celebrated for a full 30 days. Doesn’t this seem a bit backwards?
In addition to designating November as “Transgender Awareness Month,” Gov. Hochul also announced additional actions to celebrate transgenderism. On Monday, November 20, the transgender flag will be raised at the New York State Capitol to commemorate the “Transgender Day of Remembrance,” which commemorates “transgender” individuals who have lost their lives due to hate-motivated violence. Sixteen New York State landmarks will be lit in pink, white and light blue for the same purpose.
Furthermore, the Governor announced that the state Office of Employee Relations is releasing an “email pronoun guide” to state agencies that “outlines the importance of pronouns and best practices around their use.” According to the Governor, this guide will “help” state employees to include their preferred gender pronouns in their email signatures. Finally, the Office of General Services is in the process of directing state agencies to “utilize a new standard sign for single occupancy, gender-neutral bathrooms in state-owned or -operated facilities.”
Gov. Hochul commented: “Transgender Awareness Month is not only a month to celebrate the invaluable contributions that transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary communities have made to our state, but also a time to confront the misconceptions that breed discrimination and violence against transgender people. My administration remains dedicated to strengthening resources and protections for transgender New Yorkers so that every individual in our state can live free from discrimination and be valued for who they are.”
The Governor’s recent actions are not the first time that she has signaled her outspoken support for transgenderism. During Pride Month last year, Gov. Hochul signed a bill that allocated $2 million to the Lorena Borjas Transgender Wellness and Equity Fund.” This fund distributes grant funding to groups serving people who identify as transgender, gender non-conforming or non-binary (TGNCNB). Earlier this year, Gov. Hochul expanded this fund by $1 million and directed the Office of Mental Health to use this money for suicide prevention programming for TGNCNB youth.
For a variety of reasons, Gov. Hochul’s “transgender” actions are deeply misguided.
The first problem with the Governor’s efforts to promote transgenderism is that transgenderism is dishonest. Transgenderism is the belief that “every person has a ‘gender identity’ (an inner sense of being male, female, something else, or in between) distinct from his or her sex and that, when the two conflict, gender identity should take precedence.”[1] In other words, “transgenderism” holds that if you feel like a member of the opposite sex, you are a member of the opposite sex—despite basic scientific facts that indicate otherwise. The state of New York should not promote falsehoods to New Yorkers.
The second problem with the Governor’s promotion of transgenderism is that promoting this particular form of confusion leads to disastrous and tragic results. In recent years, more and more young Americans are being affirmed in “transgender” identities. In some cases, those young people undergo drastic and irreversible medical procedures in a futile attempt to make their bodies match their so-called gender identities. These procedures leave some New Yorkers unable to have children. Some of those New Yorkers may change their minds about their “transgender” identities, but even if they do, they can never recover what they have lost.
The third problem with the Governor’s promotion of transgenderism is that the Governor is not content to affirm transgenderism; rather, she wishes to normalize it and pressure New Yorkers to affirm it as well. Using state resources to “help” state workers to go along with the “transgender” agenda by indicating their preferred gender pronouns in their e-mail signatures is one instance of this.
Finally, the Governor’s anti-suicide efforts directed at “transgender” persons are likely to be ineffective. Lying to someone is unlikely to improve his or her mental health. Rather than affirming “transgender” identities, a truly compassionate society speaks the truth about sex and gender and helps persons with gender dysphoria to reclaim their God-given gender identities.
[1] Kearns, Madeleine. “Gender Expectations: Trans identity in teens considered as a social contagion.” National Review, vol. LXXV, no. 3, February 20, 2023, pp. 21-23.
