It must be, it says it right there in Deuteronomy 22:5
A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the LORD your God detests anyone who does this.
That seems pretty clear to me. Not only is it a sin, but a detestable sin. At least that’s what my pastor was kind enough to remind me when I went to him for advice. He was quick to point out that while God welcomed all children to His flock - even the hurt and broken - He did not intend for them to stay that way. I asked him for resources and support to help me overcome this and he pointed me to Randall’s website.
Now as you know I’ve previously written about being a Christian crossdresser, and I firmly believe that God can do more than we could ever hope for or imagine - He even has the power to cure crossdressing (if you think about it for a second, this is probably quite easy compared with healing the sick and raising the dead).
But if crossdressing were such a detestable sin, surely the Bible would be overflowing with admonishments against crossdressing. At least a mention in the New Testament, or a reaffirmation by another prophet in the Old Testament. What we have though is Deuteronomy 22:5. Which happens to be only six verses away from Deuteronomy 22:11
Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together
And Deuteronomy 22:12
Make tassels on the four corners of the cloak you wear
Now I’m sure that every good Bible believing Christian checks to ensure their clothes aren’t made from different materials, and is diligent about making tassels for their coats. Surely being just six verses away would make these commandments as important and worthy of fervor? Not so it seems. The inconvenient laws from the Old Testament ‘no longer apply to modern society’. It seems somewhat hypocritical to me that Christians would use this verse to damn the transgendered as sinners and heretics. Joanna does this line of reasoning full justice when she discusses Crossdressing and Christianity
Randall constructs a compelling argument that crossdressing is not Christian. It is worth reading, he begins:
While searching for an answer to the question of cross-dressing being a sin, I realized that I was looking for a black and white literal answer in the Word that was not there. My reasoning was that if the prohibition was not there, it was OK to cross-dress. Later, I realized that was the same attitude the Pharisees had in Jesus’ day - they would strain at observing all of the “must dos,” but they would create all kinds of ways to follow the law literally while breaking it in spirit. It occurred to me that on this issue, I had become a legalist! (more)
Clearly crossdressing is not a sin, any more than eating pork or wearing clothes made of different fabrics. Given this we should should not be willing to accept the condemnation of others, especially not Christians. As Paul says in Romans 2:1
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgement on someone else, for whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgement do the same things.
And in rejecting the condemnation of others, we should realize that Jesus Christ does not condemn us.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. - John 3:17-18
So we have accepted that crossdressing is not a sin, but what of the other lines of reasoning Randall puts forth? I’ll discuss those in more detail in a future post. In ending this post I want to again urge you.
Don’t let anyone else tell you that crossdressing is ‘right’ any more than you let anyone tell you that crossdressing is a sin. Your true purpose in life is known to God, and revealed to you through your relationship with Him. He may want to cure you, change your heart, or use you to bring comfort and blessing to others. Be open to His plan for your life.
Hugs and Blessings
Vanessa
Tags: Christian crossdresser, Crossdressing Cure, crossdressing is a sin, God and transgender, transgender religion



















March 11th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
You might want to look at http://www.gendertree.com/
Sandra Stewart has a fairly good look at this issue and more in great detail.
I certainly think it worth the effort.
D
September 30th, 2008 at 8:59 am
Reading your article about cross dressing and Christianity, it seems to me that the issue is being skirted without full review of Dt 22:5. The question is not one of dispensationsalism, but whether it was ever in the character of God to hate cross dressers. An analysis of the Hebrew requires not only reading what is, but recognizing what is NOT said:
Lo yihyeh not (will) be
khli-gever armour of a male
‘al-ishah upon a woman
v’lo and not
yilbesh (will) put on
gever a male
simlach mantle
ishah of a woman
ki for
toldot abomination
YHVH of YHVH
kol (are) all
oseh doing
eleh. these.
I am reciting this from memory. Check your own copy. You can get it at any Christian bookstore today.
Nowhere is the word for clothing (lavashim) used. The language is more specific.
Vessels of metal and pottery were referred to as “kli.” The garment referred to in Deuteronomy is something hard. Armour is a suitable translation. While the word “simlach” is used for a “dress” in modern Hebrew, it corresponds poorly with the biblical as in that day both men and women wore an inner garment equivalent to a tunic. A simlach is the outer garment, a mantle.
The point, then is not whether God ever hated cross dressers, but that those who remain in the covenant will not be placed in positions where they will take on occupations not suited (pun intended) to them. A similar idiom in English is, “He wears many hats.”
For those of us who are transsexual, this is even more poignant. By accepting inappropriate occupations, we debase ourselves, ad live a lie. What could be more abominable.
This chapter in Deuteronomy is hardly a list of damnations. But most translators and commentators will separate this one outside the conciliatory context of Deuteronomy 22 to give a pretext to justify hatred of transgender people. Dispensationalism aside, I regard the popular treatment of Dt 22: 5 as an abuse of sacred texts and that this reading makes far more sense.
October 2nd, 2008 at 6:06 pm
Thanks for your detailed explanation Lynnea. If I understand your conclusion correctly, by accepting an inappropriate occupation (i.e. living as who we are) we debase ourselves. So this verse is more about being true to yourself and who God made you as, than a condemnation of the transgendered?