“We hope that our website and expertise will assist people from all faith traditions. The Christian vision of the human person that we promote was—until recently—accepted by most Christian denominations as well as the wider secular world,” Hasson told the American Conservative.
“A sound science—biological reality—is not a matter of faith. But God is the author of the created world, so it’s no surprise that science solidly supports the truth of the human person as explained by faith.”
Hasson said adolescent girls, children with autism, pre-existing mental health issues, histories of trauma or abuse, and those already have trouble fitting in or are socially isolated are particularly vulnerable to gender ideology.
She also noted that a leading pro-LGBT pediatrician recently encouraged other pediatricians to be “proactive” in raising questions about sex and gender, such as asking children if they are comfortable in their gender, even if a child has not raised the subject.
“It’s critically important to realize that even if a child is not personally confused about being male or female, it is deeply de-stabilizing to every child when authority figures outside the family normalize and validate the core beliefs of gender ideology—and they do, routinely,” she said.
Selner-Wright said the goal of their project is to inform people about gender ideology and equip them with the knowledge to refute it in a compassionate, loving manner.
Pastoral care requires a good heart and emotional intelligence, she noted, but also must be informed by a Catholic mind.
"In order to give good, Catholic pastoral care, the person who's giving the care has to have a good understanding of the Catholic view of the human person,” she said.
“So part of what we're doing on the site to help people be equipped to give good Catholic pastoral care is to be clear about the Catholic view of the human person, and how that's different from the popular views that make it easier to fall into gender ideology."
Hasson said pastors would do well to acknowledge the pain of families struggling with the fallout of gender ideology, such as a child who has chosen to transition.
“They need you to acknowledge their pain, speak the truth about the person, and support them in this difficult time,” she urged.
Catholics who accept the Church’s teaching on gender are sometimes dismissed as “hateful” toward those who accept gender ideology, Selner-Wright said, but she said loving a person who is questioning their gender cannot involve a wholesale affirmation of their desires or choices.
The only way to rightly love a person is in the context of the truth, she said— therefore, questioning a person’s decision to “transition” can be a loving decision, borne out a desire for what is best for the person.
"Welcome the person, accept the fact that yes, they feel this very strongly about themselves. But any good parent will tell you that loving people sometimes requires disagreeing with them," she said.
Jonah McKeown is a staff writer and podcast producer for Catholic News Agency. He holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and has worked as a writer, as a producer for public radio, and as a videographer. He is based in St. Louis.