Celebration of Gender Diversity by Rev. Kalie Hargrove

Celebration of Gender Diversity

Rev. Kalie Hargrove

Day 1 of 5

Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.” So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. -Genesis 1:27-28 (NASB)

Growing up, I was always told to look at the sunset, the mountains, or any other part of nature to see the beauty of God’s creation. I have always been amazed at how nature is able to have so much depth and variety. Every aspect is unique and we were told to see God’s creativity in the complexity of nature, except when considering gender and sexuality. I was told God created humanity to function solely as male and female in heterosexual relationships. However, as I have started to understand myself and others, I have come to realize that God does not ever create in binaries.

The creation account in Genesis 1 is often cited as a prooftext for a binary understanding of human creation. However, it is also the most inconsistent reading of the text. Every other day of creation has examples of nature that do not fit into exclusive categories. Blackholes, frogs, mosquitoes, and mud are all a part of the creation and reflect the creativity of God. Why would we fix exclusive binaries to the creation of humanity if no other day is meant to be understood as a fixed category?

Just like the rest of the natural world, humanity is created to reflect the creativity of God. That means variety and variance within the natural order of humanity itself. There is room for trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse people to not only exist, but to reflect the beauty of God’s creativity in the world.

However, the exclusive binary of humanity is often used by institutions and individuals to discriminate against and categorize trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse people as “other” in our world. Many institutions will quote or reference Genesis 1:27-28 as their explanation for why they hold to a “traditional understanding” of gender and enact policies to discriminate against people that do not fit into their understanding of creation.

The reality is, if this passage is understood in light of the rest of the creation narrative, it no longer works as a weapon against LGBTQ+ people. It upholds and celebrates all of humanity as a reflection of the creativity God has expressed in each person. God does not create in binaries; God has always created with variance and variety throughout the world.

Take this moment to reflect on nature and your part in the expression of God’s creativity in the world. The fullness of God’s imagination is being reflected in you. You are celebrated and loved for who you are.

Day 1 of 5

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