Travis Stephens - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
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Papers by Travis Stephens
Ethics & Medics, 2016
Expert opinions diverge on appropriate treatment for gender dysphoria. Some encourage the pursuit... more Expert opinions diverge on appropriate treatment for gender dysphoria. Some encourage the pursuit of counseling that helps one to identify with one’s natal sex. Others encourage people struggling with gender dysphoria to change the body to match the so-called inside. The latter advocate the use of hormone replacement therapies and sex reassignment surgeries to facilitate the transition. Such procedures are not only immoral because they render the patient sterile, but also because they reject the God-given personhood that is manifest through one’s sexuality. Since sexuality constitutes so much more than genitalia, sex reassignment surgery does not actually change one’s sexuality. Rather, it merely maims the individual, limiting her ability to love authentically as a sexual person. Out of respect for the human person, the only appropriate course of action is to counsel these individuals and encourage them to overcome the inhibitions that prevent them from embracing their natal sex.
I am grateful to my parents for instilling in me a determined work ethic and a longing for knowle... more I am grateful to my parents for instilling in me a determined work ethic and a longing for knowledge. I am also thankful to my brothers Aaron and Kyle for their inspiration and support. I am indebted to all the teachers who have taught me throughout my years of learning. I am especially grateful to those to wrote letters of recommendation on my behalf from Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology for entrance to Duquesne's doctoral program in Healthcare Ethics, including Dr. Keith Lemna, Dr. Robert Alvis, and Fr. Denis Robinson. I am appreciative to Bishop Timothy Doherty for introducing me to the field of Healthcare Ethics and allowing me to work as a liaison for the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana. I am ever grateful to Dr. Elliott Bedford for being both a mentor and a colleague in the field of Healthcare Ethics. I am appreciative of the prayerful support that the priests of the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana provided throughout these years of studying and writing. I am especially indebted to Fr. Pat Click, my pastor during these years of study, who was especially encouraging and supportive. I am also grateful to the parishioners of Saint Louis de Montfort, especially the Seven Sisters who prayed countless hours for my successful completion of the dissertation. Finally, I express my heartfelt gratitude to the faculty and staff of Duquesne's Center for Healthcare Ethics. Special thanks to Dr. Joris Gielen, Fr. Peter Osuji, and Dr. Kristine Blair for their role as committee members for my dissertation defense. I am also indebted to Glory Smith for helping me attend to all of the requirements for the program. Most importantly, I am sincerely and eternally grateful to Dr. Gerard Magill for guiding me through the entire process of climbing the mountain of writing a dissertation from the very beginning to the very end. I am especially thankful for Dr. Magill's tireless labor of reviewing drafts, making invaluable recommendations, and kind support. I cannot imagine a better dissertation director. viii
The National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly
Ethics & Medics, 2016
Expert opinions diverge on appropriate treatment for gender dysphoria. Some encourage the pursuit... more Expert opinions diverge on appropriate treatment for gender dysphoria. Some encourage the pursuit of counseling that helps one to identify with one’s natal sex. Others encourage people struggling with gender dysphoria to change the body to match the so-called inside. The latter advocate the use of hormone replacement therapies and sex reassignment surgeries to facilitate the transition. Such procedures are not only immoral because they render the patient sterile, but also because they reject the God-given personhood that is manifest through one’s sexuality. Since sexuality constitutes so much more than genitalia, sex reassignment surgery does not actually change one’s sexuality. Rather, it merely maims the individual, limiting her ability to love authentically as a sexual person. Out of respect for the human person, the only appropriate course of action is to counsel these individuals and encourage them to overcome the inhibitions that prevent them from embracing their natal sex.
I am grateful to my parents for instilling in me a determined work ethic and a longing for knowle... more I am grateful to my parents for instilling in me a determined work ethic and a longing for knowledge. I am also thankful to my brothers Aaron and Kyle for their inspiration and support. I am indebted to all the teachers who have taught me throughout my years of learning. I am especially grateful to those to wrote letters of recommendation on my behalf from Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology for entrance to Duquesne's doctoral program in Healthcare Ethics, including Dr. Keith Lemna, Dr. Robert Alvis, and Fr. Denis Robinson. I am appreciative to Bishop Timothy Doherty for introducing me to the field of Healthcare Ethics and allowing me to work as a liaison for the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana. I am ever grateful to Dr. Elliott Bedford for being both a mentor and a colleague in the field of Healthcare Ethics. I am appreciative of the prayerful support that the priests of the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana provided throughout these years of studying and writing. I am especially indebted to Fr. Pat Click, my pastor during these years of study, who was especially encouraging and supportive. I am also grateful to the parishioners of Saint Louis de Montfort, especially the Seven Sisters who prayed countless hours for my successful completion of the dissertation. Finally, I express my heartfelt gratitude to the faculty and staff of Duquesne's Center for Healthcare Ethics. Special thanks to Dr. Joris Gielen, Fr. Peter Osuji, and Dr. Kristine Blair for their role as committee members for my dissertation defense. I am also indebted to Glory Smith for helping me attend to all of the requirements for the program. Most importantly, I am sincerely and eternally grateful to Dr. Gerard Magill for guiding me through the entire process of climbing the mountain of writing a dissertation from the very beginning to the very end. I am especially thankful for Dr. Magill's tireless labor of reviewing drafts, making invaluable recommendations, and kind support. I cannot imagine a better dissertation director. viii
The National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly