I love my country. But many of my foreign friends now ask me regularly, “What’s going on with the United States?” They are baffled. They are also losing respect for America because a growing number of our leaders have made drastic shifts when it comes to moral
values—particularly in the area of sexuality and gender.
Consider New York’s governor Kathy Hochul, who signed a bill on June 25 that guarantees minors access to hormone therapy and transgender surgery. While some states have passed laws to label such treatments as child abuse, Hochul says the new law makes New York “a safe haven for trans youth and their families.” That means the state encourages 14-year-old girls to get full hysterectomies and double mastectomies without a parent’s permission; it also means New York is a “haven” for 9-year-old boys whose schoolteachers have convinced them to get their genitals removed.
In California, a bill is advancing that will force parents to “affirm” their child’s “preferred” gender identity—even if parents object. The Transgender, Gender-Diverse, and Intersex Youth Empowerment Act would classify parents in custody battles as abusive if they refuse to affirm their child’s gender identity. Assemblywoman Lori D. Wilson, author of the bill, claims that forcing a parent to consent to their child’s gender identity will prevent suicide. It would also subject parents to fines and jail time.
A similar bill is now close to passing in Michigan, where representatives voted on June 20 to approve HB 4474, a law that would make “misgendering” a person a criminal offense. If the law passes, anyone who calls a transgender person by the wrong gender identity would be guilty of “intimidation,” and the punishment would be up to five years in prison or a $10,000 fine.
Do these laws sound crazy? Don’t you dare question them. We are expected to accept this madness because it’s “inclusive.” And if you challenge the transgender movement, or dare to label gender confusion as a psychological disorder, you will be demonized as a cruel
hatemonger. In New York, California and Michigan, Nebuchadnezzar expects you to bow down to his idol … or else.
It’s time for rational people to cry foul before this lunacy gains any more traction. This is not just an attack on family values; it’s an attack on basic intelligence. Here are three simple reasons the “logic” of transgender activists is faulty:
1. Gender is a biological reality, not just an emotional feeling. In 2015 an Oregon woman named Rachel Dolezal was exposed as a fraud because she claimed she was African-American even though she was born to white parents. Dolezal even became a local leader of the NAACP until her elaborate scam unraveled. She told NBC: “I identify as black.” But she was laughed off the national stage because everybody knows you can’t change your race just because you want to. DNA determines race. You can’t “become” black.
So why don’t we apply the same scientific standard to gender? Today’s code of political correctness says if you were born a man but you now “feel” you are a woman, you can use the women’s restroom, change your gender identity and even participate in women’s sports.
Defenders of this charade claim that gender is a psychological “construct” that was invented by imperialist Christians.
2. Gender must be affirmed. I don’t know what people are smoking these days, but something has clouded the judgment of educators who think children should be encouraged to “explore” their gender possibilities. While gender is genetically inborn, a boy must be trained to be a man, and a girl must be trained to be a woman. Parents play a huge role in developing gender identity in their children.
We live in a fallen world, thus people are susceptible to gender confusion. Sexual abuse, bullying, shaming, fatherlessness, lack of parental nurture and many other factors can cause a child or a teenager to question their maleness or femaleness. Yet if a person with gender confusion gets counseling and encouragement, they can overcome their emotional scars. So why are educators and psychologists today so against helping children overcome gender dysphoria?
3. “Gender fluidity” is a hoax. Secularists view the Bible as archaic and irrelevant, so they ignore the fact that the first chapter of Genesis says God created mankind as “male and female” (Gen. 1:27). In the past, even non-Christians believed in what America’s Founding Fathers called “the laws of nature and of nature’s God.” We’ve operated fine on this earth for thousands of years with two genders. Why is it that all of a sudden people can choose from an ever-growing list of 64+ gender options?
When people rage against God and rebel against His laws, they become ignorant. Educators today have adopted the whacky idea that gender is fluid and changeable—even though science doesn’t support this. If a man decides he is really a woman “inside,” he is urged to take hormones, get breast implants, start wearing makeup and dresses, and become a celebrity spokesmodel like Dylan Mulvaney—the transgender activist who almost bankrupted Bud Light beer two months ago after customers reacted negatively to his advertisements.
As we celebrate our nation’s founding this week, I hope we will embrace a return to the Christian principles shared by many of our founders. And I pray we will not allow our communities to be hijacked by people who deny God, science and common sense.
J. Lee Grady was editor of Charisma for 11 years and now serves as senior contributing editor. He directs the Mordecai Project (themordecaiproject.org), an international ministry that protects women and girls from gender-based violence. His latest books are “Follow Me” and “Let’s Go Deeper”(Charisma House).
J. Lee Grady is an author, award-winning journalist and ordained minister. He served as a news writer and magazine editor for many years before launching into full-time ministry.
Lee is the author of six books, including 10 Lies the Church Tells Women, 10 Lies Men Believe and Fearless Daughters of the Bible. His years at Charisma magazine also gave him a unique perspective of the Spirit-filled church and led him to write The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale and Set My Heart on Fire, which is a Bible study on the work of the Holy Spirit.
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