Patrick Cordova-Goff, a male student who identifies himself as a girl, is the first transgendered male to join a girls' athletic team in California. The 5'8" seventeen-year-old-boy will play on the varsity team, and has also participated on Azusa High School's cheerleading squad as well.
Assembly Bill 1266 rules went into effect in January, allowing transgendered teens in California to participate in activities according to their gender identity. Many students and parents in California are disturbed at the thought of boys being allowed to change in the girls' locker-room or to use the girls' restroom, and feel that the new rules violate non-transgendered students' right to privacy.
Azusa principle Ramiro Rubalcaba says that the high school is striving to be proactive in serving transgendered students and also to help the community embrace them. One News Now reports that Rubalcaba sees this situation as "an opportunity to learn and an opportunity to grow."
The San Gabrielle Valley Tribune reports that Cordova-Goff had quit playing baseball his freshman year, because he felt he didn't fit in with the other boys on the team. "At first, I was kind of nervous because I thought maybe I lost my talent, but it felt natural," the teen said.
While many believe that it is unfair for a boy to be allowed to play on a girls' team, Principle Rubalcaba believes that it is fair because other schools in the district can choose to add transgendered boys to their teams as well.
Walt Heyer, a man who had identified himself as a woman for years after being mistreated and sexually abused as a young boy, shared a bit of his testimony with The Christian Post. Heyer later came to know the Lord, and as his relationship with Christ grew stronger, he realized that his identity confusion originated from the wounds in his past.
Today, Heyer no longer struggles with his gender identity as a male and shares his testimony to help other transgendered people find healing. Those who come to Jesus Christ for salvation are made new, and can have true healing from the pain of whatever hurts may lie in their past. 2 Corinthians 5:14-17 says:
"For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that One has died for all, therefore all have died; and He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him Who for their sake died and was raised.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (English Standard Version).
