When arguing against the transgender activists of today’s society, a common point made by those who tend to use screaming as their primary form of communication is that the demands of the Rainbow Mafia are harmless. Their sole agenda is supposedly simply to make others aware of their alternative identities and to be protected against discrimination or judgment because of it.

These activists insist that changing pronouns and names is a benign activity and that any school material categorized as LGBTQ+ is meant to enlighten young minds about the way that some might choose to live their lives. They assert that anyone opposed to this type of content in public school libraries does not have the right to keep these books out of reach of the kids and that anyone who does not want their child to read it can opt out — no questions asked.

Live and let live, they say.

However, we know by now that this is not an honest representation of what they truly want. Keeping adult-themed books out of the hands of children can take multiple levels of communication with teachers, counselors, and other school administrators. If you want your child to take a sick day during the “pride” parade at school, that child could face intense criticism and be singled out by her educators. Refusing to go along with the redefinition of words and language could jeopardize you and your parental rights entirely.

There are consequences, and those consequences are becoming more extreme.

If you haven’t heard of Don and Jennifer Mead, their horrifying story is one that every parent should hear. In a recent interview with CBN, the Meads described their ordeal, starting on the day they discovered that their autistic daughter’s teachers and school counselor had changed her pronouns and name to that of a male, including on official school documents.

The Meads had no idea this was happening to their child until, after a meeting with a school advisor to discuss her educational needs and to put a plan in place, a document given to them by a staff member disclosed the name and pronouns the school had been using to identify her. Needless to say, this didn’t match what her family had known her as since she was born.

Hoping for the best-case scenario in an alarming situation, the Meads thought that this was perhaps an agenda that had been isolated to just the teacher and counselor and that they could make an ally of the principal in addressing the problem. However, they soon discovered that the principal had known all along. In addition, per the school’s policy as imposed under the guise of the “inclusivity” label the Rainbow Mafia uses to justify hiding these important issues from a student’s parents, the principal’s hands were tied. Moreover, school officials were legally forbidden from alerting this concerned mother and father about their child’s mental health.

Their story has a happy ending, though, as they were able to get their daughter the help she needed, and she willingly and happily returned to her birth name and identity. The family is now taking legal action against the Michigan-based school district for putting their child in danger. They’re hoping to set the precedent for the countless other parents in this country who are facing the same battle for parental rights in the public education system.

The Meads are lucky. Many other parents have dealt with far more damage, and children from all walks of life are being devastated by policies that are supposedly meant to create a more “inclusive” and harmonious society.

A Montana couple, for example, is facing a nightmare after child protective services removed their 14-year-old daughter from their home when her suicidal ideations called for admittance to a local hospital. During her visit, the medical staff insisted that her issues were caused by discomfort with her gender, and a tug-of-war began.

When the parents contended that the new name and pronouns were actually exacerbating their daughter’s mental health issues and that they would continue to refer to her by her birth name and the pronouns that aligned with her biological sex, the hospital then stepped up the power struggle. Medical staff took advantage of the stressful situation and coerced the parents into allowing the healthcare workers to transport their daughter to a treatment facility, the supposedly necessary next step. Once she was out of reach, they transported her to a location that had not been previously discussed, and the parents have not been able to see or speak to their daughter in months. This is their daughter, not the state’s.

Elsewhere, in Oregon, a Christian mother of five made the decision to open her home to adoptive children in need of a positive family environment. Her efforts have been thwarted, however, as a state policy will not allow her to do so unless she vows to affirm whatever identity the child placed in her care is going by at that time. Her refusal to comply on the basis of free speech and freedom of religion has kept children in crowded foster care and adoptive systems and denied them the opportunity to live in the kind of loving environment that any of them would put their pronouns on the line for.

What we are witnessing is just how relentless these activists have become. There is no reassurance in the assurance that we will not be affected if we choose to quietly sit on the sidelines.

Sitting out is simply not an option. And if you attempt to remain in your seat, in one way or another, you will be forced to stand, to comply, to participate, and to be happy about it.