TGC Author Charlie Self has written an article suggesting that it’s ‘peacemaking’ and ‘respectful’ to call transgendered people by their current name and that it is disrespectful to ‘deadname’ them by calling them by their birth name or the name they used before they identified as a different gender. (ie, trans movie star Ellen page should no longer be called that, but instead ‘Elliot Page’)
When asked about whether or not Christians should consent to use personal pronouns, Self is non-committal, suggesting that “insisting on using correct pronouns for a person who has asked you not to can come across as disrespectful and antagonistic.” that his best advice is to avoid using them altogether, or use the generic “they.”
Self then links to an J.D Greear article, where Greear says he would use personal pronouns.
“Christians disagree—hopefully charitably—about pronoun usage. Some think that as a personal courtesy, you should refer to a transgender person by their preferred pronoun. Others think that it is wrong to inject further confusion into a person’s situation by referring to them with a pronoun that is not aligned with their biological sex. In other words, there is a spectrum of generosity of spirit vs. telling truth. I tend toward generosity of spirit.”
Greear links to a Preston Sprinkle quote where he praises “pronoun hospitality.”
“All Christians can and should use pronouns that reflect the expressed gender identities of transgender people, regardless of our views about gender identity ethics. If a person identifies herself to you as ‘she,’ I hope you will consider it an act of Christ-like love to call her ‘she’ out of respect, whether or not you believe that the way she expresses her gender identity is honoring to God.”
Self also links to an Andrew Walker article, who says “My own position is that if a transgender person comes to your church, it is fine to refer to them by their preferred pronoun. (at least for a while)
It’s one capitulation after another.