First some comments from Dalelynn

I have been pondering Rev Robertson's comments for a while now and have heard many others speak of this and speak to me about having his comments on my site.  I have known Rev Robertson for many years, have even been to the 700 Club.  I will also tell you that I have been disappointed and hurt by other 'religious' individuals when they say that they stand for the Word of the Creator just to show us their true side.

I continue to think that Rev Robertson is accepting of Intersexuality and in the interview below transsexualism as well.  I also think he can never understand because unless one is born intersexed they cannot understand what it is like to live with this gender blessing.  It was pointed out to me by more than one that "His "understanding" has a false bottom as he follows those lines by mentioning that "you can always change back" and "he knows someone who can help you do that" indicating that gender is a choise.  Does this begin to show his true colors or does it indicate that he does not fully understand gender issues.  If we have been around the community for any time we all know some that transition to some point and then found it not right for them . . . isn't that what the SOC is all about, weeding those individuals out?

I struggled with my spiritual side in this and can say that I have indeed found peace and what is right for me but it was only through my faith and the Creators Grace that I was able to do this.  If others question themselves in this I don't think anyone in the gender-blessed community would blame them if they revaluated their direction.

I am aware that Rev Robertson helped start and the American Center for Law and Justice, (http://www.aclj.org/) the leadership of the Christian Coalition. They have been known to be 'transphobic' and 'honophobic'. The words of Jay Sekulow, 'Chief Justice' of the ACLJ have been pointed out to me again where it was stated regarding the Gardiner decision in Kansas: "this is the first shot across the bow in the war against the scourge known as transsexuality."

I question the depth of anyone's understanding on gender issues when statements like a "war on the scourge known as transsexuality", reveal the depth of their irrational reaction to modern medical treatments of transsexualism, and their hatred of and urge to dehumanize people who have undergone those treatments.   Additionally what or wher does one draw the line between intersex and transexed.  Every year sicence discovers more evidence of how gender is impacted from many directions, physical, environmental, etc..

I was informed that "the ACLJ of the Christian Coalition is working behind the scenes to try to make transsexual surgeries illegal, and to press for legal reclassification of all post-op women as males" and I therefore assume that the reverse is true.

If you have been following the cases concerning marriage of transsexuals as I have with interest over the past few years, I think that the religious right in pursuing these cases is undoing their very hope of keeping the definition of marriage as we now conceive in intact.  In order to deny transsexuals marriages, they are insisting on chromosomes as the definition of one's "true" sex.  As we know, using gonads or any other of the complicated parts of our bodies to determine our "true sex" is a very slippery slope.  What about XXY's?  Will they be able to marry anyone under the definitions that the religious right is using?  What about XO's?

Let me offer a point of fact here to support this and I will close and let you make up your own mind.  "275,000 to 2.5 Million Americans who, according to a professor cited by the Kansas appeals court, were born with a sexually ambiguous combination of chromosomes, hormones, and genitals." & "1996 Olympics, Of the 3,387 female athletes who underwent gender verification testing, eight tested positive for Y-chromosomal material."

(See From http://slate.msn.com/?id=2063410, The Trying Game The mutual frustration of transsexuals and conservatives. by William Saletan)

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Pat Robertson answers question about Sex Reassignment Surgery

Webservant's Note: The following is a transcript of a segment on The 700 Club which aired October 5, 1999. This is reprinted by permission of the Christian Broadcasting Network. A spokesperson for the CBN noted that while Dr. Pat Robertson does not encourage or promote sex reassignment surgery, he does have compassion for the people who are struggling with this decision. On a personal note to this ministry the spokesperson added "Terri, we pray your ministry continues to reach people. We also pray that you continue to show the personal inner strength that you have, and God will use you in many powerful ways."

TERRY MEEUWSEN: Well, here's the last question, and this is a tough one.

(Graphic on screen)

I'm 40 years old and have had a sex change.  I've been watching your program and wonder if God forgave me, should I live as I am now or go back to my birth gender? Goodness. I'm glad you're answering this one.

PAT ROBERTSON:  Oh, Terry, that's yours.

MEEUWSEN: No, you go.

ROBERTSON:  No.  Now this is a very serious question, and I--and I appreciate it.

MEEUWSEN: Yes, it is a serious question.

ROBERTSON:  There are people who are born with various types of hormonal activity in their bodies and they feel more male than female or more female than male.  I know a plastic surgeon here in this area who indeed does that sort of thing, and to accommodate what's going on in people's lives.

MEEUWSEN:  Which is often a very legitimate hormonal thing happening.

ROBERTSON:  Exactly.  So it is not a sin, and so you don't need to feel guilty.  But know also that if you want to go back to where you were, he--this man can get very graphic.  His name is Dr. Charles Horton, and he's one of the most distinguished plastic surgeons and he specializes in urinary type activities and genital deformities.  And he was telling me two twins--there were two boys and--and the surgeons, when they were doing circumcision burned off the male organ of this--one of these little boys.  So they--they made him into a girl.  The--you know, the surgeons actually--you know...

MEEUWSEN: Surgically...

ROBERTSON:  Fixed him up so he was now a girl.  And when he got to be 21 years old--he was a cheerleader and all that kind of stuff as a girl.  He said, `Well, I'm a boy.' I mean, he started feeling these things.  So they were able to reverse this and--and--and Horton has--has techniques to restore--it's amazing.  He--he's pioneered, he's the most incredible things--there are many people in--in battle who have--who had their genitals actually blown off...

MEEUWSEN: Yeah.

ROBERTSON:  ...and he can restore these.  It's a remarkable what he can do.  And so you say, is--would God forgive me?  Of course he does.  This isn't something that you've sinned and if you wish to get back, you're 40-some years old, it may be it's not exactly too late and I know, and I say, one man who could--who could do a sex change reversal if that's what you wanted to have done.

MEEUWSEN:  But God's interested in his heart, attitude...

ROBERTSON:  His heart and soul.

MEEUWSEN:  ...and what he's seeking spiritually, right?

ROBERTSON:  Not--not what your external organs are, one way or the other, whether it's male or female.  The question is, where are you living?  Are you living for God and yes, he forgives you and yes, he loves you and yes, he understands what's going on in your body.

Organisation Intersex International

Pat Robertson's Gender Perspective