How Does Gender Affect Spirituality?

This is a question I often receive from my friends in the LBGT community. There seems to be a lot of confusion out there about the difference between male and female energy and how physical gender affects spiritual gender. When it comes to physical gender, it can't be truely changed. Reproductive systems can be removed and reshaped; hormones can be injected to encourage the growth of gender specific characteristics. But the DNA will never change and the natural hormone cycle remains the same, it just may not have the sexual organs to affect anymore. Surgery does not affect the spirit. If one is born as female, they will always be female and vice versa.


Some say that a person "reads" as male or female, regardless of their physical gender. Others say that "we are spiritual beings trapped in physical bodies". The way we humans understand the world is by categorizing it - this is blue but this is red, this is small but this is big, etc. We then do the same with how we describe energies - this is aggressive so it's male, this is nurturing so it's female, etc. The truth is, we all have male and female qualities; we're all a yin-yang. However, we are yin or we are yang; we are male with a feminine side or female with a masculine side. To erase a person's gender identity is to erase the foundation of their identity. This leads to a lot of confusion and pain - we don't have to deny our gender to embrace ourselves!


At the same time we don't have to create stereotypes and force people into them. If you're a feminine male, fine. If you're a masculine female, fine. If you're a masculine male, fine. If you're a feminine female, fine. You don't have to categorize yourself - lose the labels, they only distract from your beauty. Who wants to see a sticker with a brand name on a beautiful vase? The label doesn't add anything to the vase, it only detracts from its beauty.


Sex and sexuality is the core of how we know ourselves and relate to each other. So if someone tells you you "read" more male, so you should have a sex change - they have no idea what they're talking about! Maybe you are more aggressive, protective and in charge. Those are all wonderful qualities! Embrace them. There are many warrior Goddesses who are aggressive, protective and in charge women. They discipline, defend and guide - you don't have to deny your feminine beauty to embrace these characteristics.

Embrace your gender, your qualities,

and lose the labels!