God Isn’t Policing Your Closet

 So, about the conversations surrounding Deuteronomy 22:5—this verse is being (and has been) used in ways that completely miss the historical reality.

This passage was written over 3,000 years ago to ancient Israel. At that time, the modern concept of transgender identity didn’t exist. The cultural conversation we’re having today about gender identity is a modern framework, it simply was not part of the world Deuteronomy was addressing.

So no, this verse was not written about transgender people.

In the ancient Near East, cross-dressing was often connected to: Pagan temple rituals, fertility worship, idol practices, ritual prostitution, disguising yourself to deceive, manipulate, or gain access where you shouldn’t be. 

God was setting Israel apart from surrounding cultures that practiced those things. The concern was idolatry, deception, and religious practices tied to false worship l—not personal identity, and not everyday clothing choices.

This chapter is about distinction and integrity. It also includes instructions about: Not mixing fabrics, not mixing seeds, keeping categories separate.  

The theme isn’t fashion. The theme is separation from pagan practices and living truthfully as God’s people.

Today, women wear pants. Men in many cultures wear robes, tunics, kilts, and garments that resemble dresses. And the modern understanding of gender identity wasn’t even a category when this law was given.

Using Deuteronomy 22:5 as a weapon against transgender people isn’t just harmful—it’s historically and biblically inaccurate.

If we’re going to quote Scripture, we have a responsibility to understand who it was written to, what was happening culturally and what the actual issue was. 

Because when Scripture is taken out of context and used to target people it was never written about, we’re not defending the Bible, we’re misrepresenting it… knowingly or not. 

And Scripture is clear about one thing over and over again, y’all—God looks at the heart. Not the outfit. Not the culture war. The heart. Thankfully. ❤️