I have received several inquiries now about the name of this site, “AffirmingGender.com,” enough to render me willing to consider the question.
The question is: Should this website be called something else?
With the rise of what is commonly called, Gender-Affirming Care (such a sweet name, no?), my site’s name can be misconstrued to advocate for treatments I personally do not advocate. So…
Argument for Changing:
It’s confusing. A pastor who invited me to speak at his church told me he had to do a double-take when he first saw the site. He worried, what have I done in inviting this guy? After he read some posts, he was reassured. But why not just be clear for people who could benefit from the content? You’re here to argue for a Biblical view of gender. Why not say so in a way everyone can understand? Perhaps you lose people who see such a name and don’t even want to investigate.
Argument against Changing:
As a recent commenter said, “It’s outreach.” I am speaking in a language that our culture has come to use, and thereby pressing the question: what really does affirm gender? So, the name invites people who might have more of an open mind to consider some beliefs different than their own. Plus, with this name it is taking the powers that be longer time to find out that I really ought to be canceled.
The funny thing is, I began this site back in the beginning of 2017. I wasn’t aware of the term “gender affirming care” and I am not sure it existed then. Consider this little History of Transgender Health Care published in Scientific American in 2016. Not a single mention of “gender affirming care.” Or, even earlier, peruse the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. In over 300 pages of report, the word “affirming”, appears only once, in an endnote, in an article name, and not at all connected to the phrase “gender affirming care.” So, I feel cheated. I had the name first! Doesn’t that count for something?
Meaning It
But seriously, I chose the name because I meant it. I want to affirm the reality of God’s gift of gender, the glory above and beyond the male-female we share with the animals and plants, the wondrous gift of divine image-bearing and divine image-creating that affords us different bodies and different souls, to love each other asymmetrically. I want to provide a place for “Vive La Difference!”
…but I can be wrong. So help me out.
What do you think? Yes, or no? Please answer below.
And if your answer is yes, based on what you have read on these pages, what would you call the site?
(And btw, you need only submit once—the site takes a few minutes to update to show your comment.)
Sam: I had not thought of it before, but I think the move to change it may be right on. I liked the title, but had not considered how it could be misconstrued and may keep those who are on the fence, who are wrestling, who are unsure, who are search the web for answers–from a chance to hear. I love this website and the content you regularly are putting out. I hesitate to suggest an alternate. The only one I think might work is “Gender matters.” It fits your site because matters can mean both “an affair or situation under consideration; a topic” (i.e., this site is all about the discussion of geneder) AND “to be of importance; have significance”–as you use it in your summary statement “Gender matters in relationship.”
No. Better to make people think than to make them comfortable.
Or if we’re willing to be pragmatic, at least wait for a good offer to buy the domain name.
Sam, I like “Affirming Gender”. The words “affirming” and “gender” have been hijacked to promote a worldly ideology based on unbelief, but these words are beautiful when meaning to embrace God’s heart for us as male and female (Genesis 1:27-28). The gender binary as God intends, involves creativity, complementarity and commitment—all life giving. You describe so well gender-affirming dynamics that are life-giving and biblically based, in your book “Engendered: God’s Gift of Gender Difference in Relationship.” Plus, I have bookmarked affirminggender.com/the-issue, and others may have done so as well.
Keep the name! Just like Randy Stonehill said in the 70’s, why should the devil have all the good music? so I say, why should the devil.have all the good words? Ned
Thanks for the good thought, Ned. But I believe you are thinking of Randy’s good friend, Larry Norman, who wrote that song, right?
You’re right!
I believe it’s time for a name change. The “outreach” rationale for keeping the name reminds me of some Christians who are same-sex attracted but sexually abstinent, yet still label themselves as “Gay Christian.” I agree with the POV that what you mean by “Gender Affirming” has become confusing and even misleading for most people, in light of the very contrary meaning the term has now acquired. Maybe something like “renewing-gender” or “restoring-gender” instead?
I don’t think you should change the name of Affirming Gender. You’re apt to get more visits with a name that seems to be in line with the culture. Then, pow! 💥 Truth.
Much like Gaynor Minden (one of my current jobs) got dancer.com as their website. They get exponentially more site visits because of their domain name.
You never know who might accidentally stumble upon your blog and read (thus, hear truth), with a name that lends itself to more visitors.
Any Christian place that has you come speak, you can quell their fears ahead of time about the title (you shared that one pastor started panicking when he read the title, right?).
My two cents.
Keep the name. Add a tag line.
Incorporate the essence of this place in pointing us all to be Image Bearer’s .
As a Mama of 5, we’ve had to evaluate the rainbow. Culture has tried to rewrite its definition. So we ADD a color to the normal pastel sequence…..red. The Blood of the Lamb. Would you like to know about His story?
Praying wisdom and creativity as you seek His answer, Sam.
No,, the point that the name could pull in even one person, who would be open minded to consider the biblical truth claims on this topic carries the day, in my view.
On the one hand, the website name puts off Christians. On the other hand, it has some name recognition. I had not considered that some might come here who were looking for what is today called “gender affirming care,” but would actually find help. Would a tagline solve this?
Thank you, friends for helping me think this through. These are great reflections. I kept being swayed by each last comment I happened to read! You’ll note that I do have a tagline once you enter the site. “A Gift. An Identity. A Challenge.” is one click in. But I am not sure how clarifying that is. I will think about modifying that.
I guess I am not persuaded that the work to change the whole name now is worth it. And it does reflect my approach in general–to get people to think–with all the pitfalls of that.
Thank you again for your advice.