Who is in your potential dating pool? That was the question asked in a recent study, and the choices included a variety of gender “identities,” including cisgender woman, transgender man, and someone who is non-binary. Unsurprisingly, 87.5% of individuals only chose either cisgender man or cisgender woman (translation: man or woman!). And one of the study’s authors, writing for Psychology Today, is upset about these “societal prejudices.”

The article states,

Ultimately, each individual has the freedom to decide whom they date or are interested in dating, and thus this research does not attempt to make any statements concerning whom an individual should date or consider dating.

She says that, but clearly she doesn’t really believe it, because the tone of the article is clearly an attempt to shame people into dating transgender and nonbinary individuals. She even offers a solution to this lack of desire to date transgender individuals, clearly implying there is a problem to be solved.

In the past, we were told by activists that homosexuals and transgender people just wanted tolerance. But now we’re seeing articles—from researchers, no less—essentially chastising people for not wanting to date transgender or gender-nonbinary individuals. It’s not really about “tolerance” at all—it’s about celebrating these sinful (as judged against the absolute standard of God’s Word) identities.

God’s Word is clear—we’re created male and female (Genesis 1:27), and marriage is to be between one man and one woman for life (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4–5). That’s the only true marriage—within a biblical worldview perspective.

And, no matter what our culture says, a transgender woman is not a woman—he is a man, made in God’s image. And a transgender man is not a man—she is a woman, made in God’s image. This article would call that “dehumanizing”—but stating the truth from our Creator is not dehumanizing. God defines who we are (and the science of genetics confirms it)—we do not.

The author writes that social support, namely romantic partnerships, are very important in overall health and longevity, and, therefore, it’s also important that society as a whole not exclude transgender people from the “dating pool.” But, ultimately, what these individuals need is not someone to date or marry them. They need the new life that the Lord Jesus Christ brings! Only by realizing they (like everyone else) are sinners and only through repenting of their sin and trusting in Christ alone for salvation, can they find true hope, meaning, and purpose. The answer isn’t more people being willing to date transgender individuals—the answer is trusting Christ for salvation, receiving his gift of new and eternal life and building their thinking on God’s Word.