Dealing With Transgender Topics in Daily Conversation
Written by on July 27, 2023
In recent years, Christians and conservatives are being confronted with the “transgender” agenda in ways that would have seemed unthinkable in decades past. Transgenderism has not just reared its head in politics and the media; rather, it has now become an issue in schools, in sports, at Christian colleges, in Christian schools, and in other areas of our daily lives.
Madeleine Kearns of National Review has authored a piece that offers helpful tips for Christians and conservatives who wish to push back against transgenderism.
Kearns urges us to “reject jargon.” By this, she means that we should avoid using the “transgender” movement’s terminology, and that we should also avoid using “pronouns that contradict biological reality” in political debates. This advice is wise. Referring to a female with male pronouns (or vice versa) would be dishonest.
Kearns recommends that we refute misnomers. By way of example, she says that “when you hear someone mention the ‘Don’t Say Gay bill,’ offer its real title, the Parental Rights in Education Act, and explain what it does.” This, too, is sound advice. In the political arena, leftists use loaded language to distort the true meaning of conservative policies. In similar fashion, leftists frequently use misleading terminology to describe their own proposals. For example, the homosexual marriage bill in New York was referred to as the Marriage Equality Act despite the fact that there was no inequality in New York’s marriage laws in the first place.
Kearns encourages readers to “puncture euphemisms.” For example, she urges us to “unpack euphemistic terms such as ‘gender-affirming care’” by being “specific and matter-of-fact” about what is actually involved. The left loves nothing better than using rosy rhetoric to obscure the true nature of the repugnant practices that they champion. As Albany Update noted in 2020, “In the 21st century United States, ‘reproductive health’ means abortion, ‘gaming’ means gambling, and ‘sex work’ means prostitution…”
Kearns advises readers to “correct mischaracterizations.” As she puts it, “there is no ‘ban on transgender athletes in women’s sports.’ Athletes identifying as transgender remain free to compete in sports that correspond with their sex. Really, there are bans on male athletes in female sports and vice versa.” This emphasis on honesty and integrity is welcome.
Kearns urges readers to “showcase harms.” By this, she means that conservatives ought to be prepared to speak about the negative effects of the practices that the left supports. Kearns notes that “detransitioners rushed into irreversible treatment” and “female athletes denied fairness in sports” as two examples. Kearns is correct. It is important for conservatives to be prepared to speak about the real-life impact of liberal policies. Other examples include women injured in botched abortions, young people hooked on online gambling or online pornography, Christian businesses sued for their unwillingness to participate in same-sex ceremonies, and parents kept in the dark about their children’s “gender transitions” due to pro-transgender policies in schools.
