As transgender activists become ever more strident, it would seem that the fightback has at last begun in earnest. Allowing biological men to take over women's sport was always deeply problematic, and British Cycling's new policy, announced last week, to allow only those born female to compete in women's races is to be welcomed.
Yet it has provoked a howl of outrage, surely out of all proportion to its perfectly reasonable defence of women's rights. After all, it goes without saying that those born biologically male will in general be taller and stronger than their female counterparts, and if, on top of that, they have undergone puberty, they will retain a performance advantage that no amount of hormone suppressant will ever totally remove.
That said, in recent years there appears to have been a definite trend for some male athletes to transition and then carry on competing in female-only events. And unsurprisingly, in many of these events they have wiped the board. Trans swimming star Lia Thomas, for example, last year controversially won the US National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), America's top trophy in university sports.
Thomas subsequently robustly denied allegations of unfair performance advantage, but it is a fact that at six foot one, this biologically male transwoman towered over fellow competitors and was physically stronger, with a far greater 'wingspan'.
Similarly, Fallon Fox, the American former MMA martial arts champion, continued post-transition to compete in contests, but only against women. Perhaps unsurprisingly, fellow American Ronda Rousey subsequently refused to fight Fox, because she said, "I feel like if you go through puberty as a man it's something that you can't really reverse. You can't just reverse that, there's no undo button on that."
The advantage given by male body-types seems so blindingly obvious, the statement feels almost oxymoronic. A point reinforced by British Cycling, which, as justification for its new policy, stated, "Research studies indicate that even with the suppression of testosterone, transgender women who transition post-puberty retain a performance advantage."
Trans cyclist Emily Bridges, was quick to dismiss such justification as mere politically motivated opposition to transgender inclusion. In a statement to the BBC, she said that discussion of the debate is "inherently political" and "framed by the media who are driven through engagement by hate". She further added she was "terrified to exist", and that British Cycling was "furthering a genocide against us", ominously ending, "Bans from sport is how it starts".
So, in Emily Bridges' view, it would seem that anyone who doesn't accept without qualification transgender demands, and upholds science, is a perpetrator of genocide. Charming. It would seem that free speech is great, but only so long as it upholds the chosen narrative.
As long overdue signs of a fightback begin to emerge, sadly, the scale of the battle appears to be increasing. The unpleasant truth would seem to be that trans activists are intent on having their own way at whatever cost, with absolutely no interest in the rights of others. Thus, the rights of both real women and children are casually dismissed – sacrificed on the altar of imposed choice, with biological sex either treated with contempt or dismissed as illusion.
At heart, this is a battle to reconfigure society, not just by destroying traditional moral values and family, but by challenging our individual creation – as fearfully and wonderfully made, male and female, in the image of God. It is about the reallocation of control by imposition of a distorted version of reality that, if allowed, will annihilate world culture, and the tactics employed to achieve this are further distortion and intimidation.
This was clearly illustrated at a recent rally in Hyde Park organised by 'Let Women Speak', where a masked group of trans rights protesters rallied behind banners calling for trans kids to be armed, alongside an image of a play car carrying a machine gun. They also carried banners proclaiming, "Terfs off our turf, defending trans lives." The clear message overall was, 'Don't mess with us, or you'll regret it!'
It goes without saying, especially today, that some people are confused about their gender and need both help and support, but this is a far bigger battle than affirmation of the gender dysphoric. This is a war without quarter, and it is the future of humanity that is at stake. It is a manifestation of the age-old conflict between God and the devil. Whatever the pressure, in order to preserve our humanity, it is a battle we must win.
Rev Lynda Rose is founder of Voice for Justice UK, a group which works to uphold the moral values of the Bible in society.
