Earlier this month, BBC Africa Sports Reporter Celestine Karoney wrote a report titled Tokyo Olympics: Namibian athlete says ‘You can’t tell me I am not a woman. Karoney discusses how Namibian athlete Beatrice Masilingi was refused entry in the woman’s 400m because her testosterone levels were too high according to that race’s specific rules.
The report goes on to discuss how Masilingi and her running partner Christine Mboma, despite achieving some of the fastest running times that year, both faced discrimination because of the rules and were forced to train for a race with more lenient requirements.
The one glaring problem with the report is that both Masilingi and Mboma are transgender women. At no point does Karoney make any reference to, or even hint at the biological sex of the athletes – the report is written as if they ARE and always were women. In fact, the only clue is in the dispute itself – the athletes’ high testosterone levels.
As any reasonable person would know, this fact changes everything about the fiasco. Men are biologically different to women and have distinct advantages in terms of physical capabilities – and not just from testosterone. But the focus of this article is not specifically the issue with transgender athletes competing in women’s sport, but rather the underlying philosophical assumption.
My primary concern is the author’s premise: that biological facts are no longer relevant. This mentality of proponents of modern gender ideology– disregarding truth for subjective claims of ‘identity’ – is part of a sinister trend pervading many aspects of Western society.
The Progressive Agenda
There is a large-scale renormalization of societal standards being carried out by the progressive left; a gradual, yet relentless, twisting of the social fabric until the truth is portrayed as a lie, and reality can be re-defined by those in control of the narrative. Its influence extends to politics, education, human rights and even the sciences. Sexuality is a flashpoint in this movement as it is central to our nature, and thus our perception of reality. And so, this area of life is one of those most impacted by the movement.
It has even infiltrated the field of medicine in academia. In another recent incident, a medical professor at the University of California apologized for saying “pregnant women” rather than “pregnant people” during a lecture. Apparently, it was discrimination to say that only women could have babies! Irrefutable medical knowledge was trumped by the risk of causing offence.
There are countless other examples of this ideology being pushed in Western society, and it has been at work for some time. For instance, back in 2018 it was discovered that gender theory was being taught in schools across Victoria under the guise of an anti-bullying program.
How to respond: be salt & light
The aim of this ideology is to disconnect us from reality. When we don’t have a fixed standard by which to guide ourselves, we become vulnerable to suggestion and are more easily controlled. And by infiltrating our political and educational institutions, this movement is seeking to ultimately control us by re-defining the truth.
This trend will continue to reshape society unless it faces opposition in the areas to which it has spread. The best way to do that as Christians and Conservatives is to be the ‘salt and light’ Jesus referred to in his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew Chapter 5, verses 13 – 14).
Most appropriately, salt was used as a preserver against decay. In the same way, we must act as ‘preservers’ in the world against moral decay. This also aligns with the spirit of political conservatism – to ‘conserve’ worthwhile values and traditions. And of course, being a light in this sense means reflecting God’s righteousness and truth into the dark corners of society to expose lies that thrive there.
It requires more than just standing by our beliefs when we are challenged by proponents of progressivism. It starts first with knowing what we believe, and then understanding how it applies to contemporary social issues like sexuality and gender, so that we can be prepared with an answer when the opportunity arises. In turn, we can educate others to help build an opposition to this trend and reverse it.
Recent victories
There has been some notable pushback against radical gender ideology in recent years. For instance, the Tavistock decision in the UK saw the repeal of on-demand experimental medical treatment of minors suffering from gender dysphoria. And in Australia, a similar decision took place, requiring the involvement of the court before such treatments could be prescribed.
These victories are encouraging and show that the trend can be stopped and even reversed if this ideology is publicly challenged. But they also show there is much work to be done, and it is time for Christians and Conservatives everywhere to step up in their own spheres of influence and champion the truth against this radical ideology.