I was visiting with a ministry partner in a local restaurant recently when I came across this bathroom sign. This particular bathroom was found between the women’s’ and men’s restrooms, which seemed to make sense. No big deal, right? I beg to differ.
Why do I think this matters? First, this is not called a Family Bathroom, although I’d hazard a guess that it used to be called that. It is not about family, instead it is about individualism.
Second, it uses the word “gender.” As I’ve previously noted, gender is a social construct, nothing more. Gender is how I feel today. If I identify as a male today, then I’m a male; identify as a woman, then I’m a woman. One could almost call it sexual existentialism. Sex, however, is a biological fact. One can make a strong case that it should be the deciding factor related to one’s choice of bathroom.
How did we get here? The answer lies in the phrase “inevitability of gradualness,” often ascribed to Baron Sidney Webb, and more generally the Fabian socialist movement. I love this phrase, because of how spot-on it is. It provides cutting insight into human psychology. It also provides a proven strategy for those of us with pro-life and pro-family values.
Think back a few decades and you’ll see what I mean. Remember when you were shocked to have an openly LGBT character on a television show or in a movie? Or the outrage you would have felt if an activist judge interpreted “sex” to mean “gender” and subsequently crushed the religious rights of business owners? How about a case called Roe v. Wade that we never imagined would eventually lead our nation’s representatives to openly advocate for infanticide? Our nation has been led down the wrong path on these issues for some time now and it’s only going to get worse unless we take action.
For sure, those pushing a ‘politically correct agenda’ understood the inevitability of gradualness a long time ago and have been shaping our nation for decades – like a river slowly reshaping rocks through its persistent and unending pressure. It’s a brilliant strategy – one that takes many Christians by surprise when they realize how this pervasive approach has already undermined the biblical values they hold dear.
Let’s borrow a page from the other side’s playbook and be that river. Politely ask the restaurant owner why they have an “All Genders” bathroom and not a family bathroom. Remind legislators and others in power who might be tempted to bow to political correctness that of the eight states experiencing the greatest net in-migration in 2018, six of those states had no general law creating special rights based on sexual orientation or gender identity . We do not need to trample religious rights by being politically correct in the name of economic growth. Speak out when your favorite show drifts into normalizing LGBT relationships. Advocate for movies such as Unplanned that seek to present the truth about horrible practices that an entire segment of our society readily accepts.
Be that persistent voice. Be the gradual force that repeats the message over and over. Be the river. The results are inevitable.
Sincerely,
Mark President and executive Director