Just as we should have compassion on those who truly struggle with their gender identity, we should stand firmly against transgender activism. Thankfully, there are more and more signs that the tide is turning against this latest example of sociological contagion.
It is true that, in some significant ways, America is well behind a number of European nations which are reversing course much more rapidly than we are here in the States. In this regard, it appears that they are driven more by medical data (and perhaps common sense and even compassion?) than by radical ideologies.
Still, there are significant indicators that more and more Americans are saying, "Enough is enough."
Before focusing on the States, though, let's take a look at England, where it was reported last week that, "On the heels of the ordered closure of the infamous Tavistock gender clinic in London, which offered 'gender-affirming care' and puberty blockers to thousands of children over the years, news has broken that roughly 1,000 families will file a medical negligence lawsuit against the clinic."
That number will certainly grow exponentially in the days ahead on a global level, as more and more detransitioners speak up and say to the medical profession, "What have you done to us?"
The satirical Babylon Bee website was hardly exaggerating when it reported, "In light of so-called 'gender affirming care' making the Hippocratic Oath silly and outdated, Harvard Medical School has officially adopted the new oath 'Mutilate Kids For Money.'"
Already in 2009 Selwyn Duke could ask, "Sure, it strikes us as the most horrid malpractice when a doctor amputates healthy body parts, such as a pair of legs. But, then, should we call it something else just because those healthy body parts are between the legs?" (See also here.)
Given the radical nature of transgender activism and the ripple effect it is having on the larger culture, a pushback was inevitable. And so, while the current administration digs its heels in even more, the tide is turning against it.
Here are a few cases in point, both on the grassroots and the federal level.
Fox News reported on August 18 that, "An elite all-girls school in Nashville has paused implementation of a policy allowing applications from anyone who identifies as female after backlash from the community.
Last week, in an email to parents, Harpeth Hall School announced a new 'Gender Diversity Philosophy,' explaining a new admissions policy that would allow 'any student who identifies as a girl' to apply to the school.
"'We recognize that this philosophy elicited strong reactions of support and opposition beyond our expectations,' the school said in an email to the community obtained by Fox News Digital. 'We care deeply about your feedback and we have heard you.'"
Thank God for a moment of sanity in the midst of today's cultural madness. And how telling it is that the school leadership was shocked by the response of the parents. Moms and dads, keep raising your voices!
On August 17, the New York Post reported that, "A transgender woman was rejected by all University of Alabama sororities during their student recruitment process, according to social media posts from the student.
"Grant Sikes wrote on Instagram that she was denied entry to all of the sororities on campus. There are nearly 20 campus chapters."
Put another way, "A biological male who identifies as a female was rejected by all University of Alabama sororities during their student recruitment process."
Good for these sororities. There's a reason there are clubs for women and clubs for men on our campuses (and elsewhere). And while I feel bad for this student, perhaps this will help remind him that no amount of hormones and cosmetic surgery can change a person's sex.
That being said, I look forward to the day when news outlets will stop going along with the trans talking points, referring to males who identify as female as "she" (and vice versa). Or when police reports will not refer to a "transwoman" who exposed "her male genitalia" in public. Enough with this madness.
Getting back to the positive developments, more and more states are passing laws that prohibit boys who identify as girls from participating in female sports, and prominent LGBTQ figures like "Caitlyn" Jenner and Martina Navratilova are speaking out against it. (Here is a report posted on a pro-trans site documenting some of this activity.)
And as time goes on, we're learning more and more about how terribly unfair it was to allow "Lia" Thomas to swim against college females, not to mention allegedly expose himself in their presence.
The bad news is that some cultural commentators have been sounding the alarm about transgender radicalism for many years.
The good news is that society is waking up to reality. The bad news is that many young lives have already been irreparably destroyed, at least physically. Let us, then, do our best to hasten the societal turn by continuing to get the truth out. The time for doing that is now.
Dr Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is Revival Or We Die: A Great Awakening Is Our Only Hope. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.
