The Patriot Post® · MN Sports Anyone's Game
Forget ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” – now we have the LGBT’s Wild World of Sports. After an intensely emotional debate, the Minnesota athletic league tore down the walls between girls’ and boys’ sports teams under the guise of “transgender inclusivity.” The back-and-forth grabbed plenty of national headlines, as critics pleaded with the State High School League to take a deep breath and consider the consequences for student safety, privacy, and competition.
Unfortunately, those concerns fell on deaf ears, and the board voted a whopping 18-1 to bulldoze the gender norms across Minnesota athletics – for public, private, and home schools. With a written statement from their parent or guardian, kids confused about their sex can petition for a spot on girls’ or boys’ teams. And any school caught turning down a request without an iron-clad reason could be slapped with a lawsuit, athletic ineligibility, or both.
It was a jaw-dropping decision for most parents, who can’t imagine their daughter sharing showers and hotel rooms with teenage boys (who may or may not be struggling with their gender). Most high school kids already have anxiety about their bodies. Imagine the discomfort they’d feel surrounded by members of the opposite sex! Apart from the obvious problems with the new rule – which takes effect next year – it also gives boys an unfair advantage in leagues that have a level female playing field.
“A biological male has a larger skeletal structure, more muscle. Generally speaking this is true. To put them in a position where they are competing against girls, puts those girls in a situation where they could get hurt,” warned Michael Lentz, state coordinator of the Minnesota Child Protection League. Autumn Leva, from the Minnesota Family Council, understands that everyone should have the opportunity to play sports. “We wouldn’t want to take away that privilege from anyone, but the answer is not to say that you should be given special privileges above and beyond everyone else. The answer isn’t to say we’re just going to completely ignore physical realities, especially in the world of physical sports.”
Human sexuality isn’t putty to form or manipulate as we choose. It’s the holy creation of an all-powerful God. As adults (and particularly as educators), it’s irresponsible to enable this sexual chaos – especially at the expense of other teenagers. Of course, kids who struggle with these issues shouldn’t be ignored – but nor should the concerns of the vast majority of other athletes who will be negatively impacted by these changes. Apparently, the end game of this madness is to let people define their own biological realities. And while human behaviors are chosen, human gender is not. And once schools start suggesting otherwise, there’s no limit to the social, emotional, and cultural damage it will do.
In sports, as in all education, the ball is in the parents’ court. It’s time to wake up and get involved. While Minnesota’s decision impacts private schools as well, most of these outrageous policies are motivated by public education. Parents, if your children are in the public schools, it’s time to prayerful consider alternatives. The spiritual and moral future of your children is at risk in this increasingly anti-Christian environment.
Military Losing War against Sexual Assault
President Obama may have admitted that sexual assault is a serious problem in the military – but what he hasn’t conceded are that his own policies have helped create it. For the past few years, the Pentagon has downplayed the effects of open homosexuality sexuality and the addition of women on the front lines. But it will have a tough time doing that now with the rate of male-on-male assault at its highest levels. A stunning 3,840 military men were raped last year, headlines screamed.
While outgoing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel insists the military had made “real progress” on the problem, the latest numbers certainly don’t bear that out. The total number of sexual assaults (at least the known cases) actually climbed by another eight percent – a statistic the administration pins on better reporting, not an actual spike in abuse. Either way, the message is clear: there has been a significant change in military culture, and reversing those trends will be nearly impossible with the radical sexualization of our forces.
“Almost 6,000 victims reported a sexual assault in 2014, up from 5,500 last year, according to the report… only 1 in 10 victims reported a sexual crime in 2012, compared to 1 in 4 this year.” And while the media is adept at burying the story, the real scoop is that in Rand Corporation’s survey “more than half of the victims are men.”
The White House has spent Barack Obama’s entire presidency turning the military into a social experiment, beginning with the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Of course, what’s interesting about these statistics is that they were released at a time when the military is having trouble finding new recruits. Fewer people see the military as a “good choice” for their future. And given these statistics, it’s not difficult to see why.
First Comes Gov, Then Comes Marriage
Not everyone is taking the courts’ stampede to same-sex “marriage” sitting down. In Mississippi, leaders won a moral victory from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals – which put the redefinition of marriage on ice, at least temporarily. Judges said they want to avoid the “extreme confusion, uncertainty, and chaos” that is wreaking havoc on states like Utah, where couples can “marry” while litigation is ongoing.
Unlike other states, where irresponsible judges have given the green light to gay licenses, the federal appeals court froze the lower court’s ruling, giving local conservatives a chance to catch their breath. But that doesn’t mean they’re slowing down. Governor Phil Bryant ® and Attorney General Jim Hood – who have been outspoken defenders of marriage – are committed to going to bat for the voters’ will, which was expressed by an amendment to the state constitution 10 years ago. “Mississippi’s traditional marriage laws do not discriminate,” both men argued in court filings.
In nearby Missouri, lawmakers don’t have the benefit of a courageous state attorney general – so they’ve taken matters into their own hands. When Democratic Attorney General Chris Koster said he wouldn’t do his most fundamental duty and defend the law, Republican leaders vowed to step in and do it for him. Senate President Tom Dempsey ® and House Speaker Tim Jones ® filed a motion asking to intervene in a local case so that they have the authority to take it to the U.S. Supreme Court. In an age when too many people are squeamish about standing up for their rights, we tip our hats to Mississippi and Missouri for showing the courage voters deserve!
This is a publication of the Family Research Council. Mr. Perkins is president of FRC.