I do hold a kind of faith, just not in the Catholic and Evangelical beliefs I was raised with; very much non-religious now. I lost my faith in Christianity and God gradually, I don't think I believed in any of it anymore by the time I was going into high school--it just seemed like everything I've ever done, everything I ever do, every place I've ever been, everywhere I'm going to, it's a sin.

I'd be surprised if my views on gender/sex/gender identity weren't influenced by my faith and experiences with religion and the church, though I'm not really sure exactly in what ways they have been. I think I really internalized sex stereotypes and traditional gender roles to the extent that those things informed sex rather than the other way around, but after experiencing nothing but heartache from the church, I'm so distrustful of religious institutions and put more stock in science.

I'm not really sure what the religious debate is, but much of the pro-trans and gender identity adherents seem to rely on faith or an esoteric, spiritual belief in such things, particularly when lacking scientific evidence to support such ideas. I hate the cliché, but there is something cult-like to it--but also to some gender critical spaces. Any echo chambers that discourages asking questions, challenging ideas and being open to changing minds seems decidedly cult-like, or at least like some strict religious institution.