Many parents face the dilemma of sending their kids to a secular college or university. These institutions claim to be diverse, equitable, and inclusive, and yet they only present one view on the most salient issues of our day. In this episode, Catherine shares her disconcerting experience at her oldest child's college orientation at a state-funded school.

At the student orientation, student leader after student leader after student leader shared their name, their major, and their preferred pronouns. No other political references were made. No other religious beliefs were stated. Yet despite claiming a commitment to rigorous intellectual debate and freedom of thought, this school presented only one view on gender. And while insisting on preparing the next generation to live in the “real world,” university faculty and administrators aren’t even preparing kids to live in their “real bodies.”

When Catherine discussed this blatant progressive evangelism on the part of the university with other Christians at the orientation, parents just shrugged this indoctrination off as being “the way it is.”

When “the way it is” is harming children, we have to speak up.

To lay the foundation for this conversation, Catherine explores perspectives on preferred pronouns from both Christian and secular sources. She highlights:

• Rosaria Butterfield, a former radical lesbian activist turned Christian, who  underscores the impact of using preferred pronouns and affirming false ideologies. Preferred pronouns aren’t a matter of terminology. They are a matter of ideology. No good can come from affirming a false ideology.
• The viral cancelled article "Pronouns Are Rohypnol," which sheds light on the perception shifts and safety implications associated with preferred pronouns.
• The tragic story of Richie Herron, a young man who underwent gender reassignment surgery after being groomed by a gender clinic, who highlights the dangers of promoting gender ideology without recognizing the consequences.

These tragic stories begin with a small word—a simple, loving, culturally-approved preferred pronoun. But they end in unfair and unsafe spaces for women and girls, excruciating pain, infertility, butchered bodies, and broken lives.

Catherine urges listeners to not remain neutral when it comes to the truth about gender. If our state schools want to claim a standard of diversity, equity, and inclusion, then all views should be represented. They must not claim a DEI standard while practicing uniformity, inequity, and exclusion.

The episode culminates with Catherine sharing her open letter to the university, urging them to uphold true diversity by considering all perspectives and challenging the status quo.

“A truly valuable education should challenge one’s ideology and deeply held convictions, not acquiesce or coddle. Not show favor or bias. Not proudly promote DEI while practicing ideological uniformity, preference, and exclusion. Not embrace bandwagons or reject them without rigorous consideration.”

Christian parents must stand firm in their beliefs, resist pressure to conform to harmful ideologies, and speak up. The next generation won’t hear the truth about who they are if we don’t speak it.

EPISODES REFERENCED:

Episode 115: Exposing the Lost Landscape of Higher Education (w/ David Richardson)

Episode 112: Navigating Tough Conversations about Pronouns with Your Kids (w/ Ryan & Bethany Bomberger)

Episode 49: How Does a Committed Church Kid become a Drag Queen? (w/ Blake Howard)

Episode 50: How Does a Drag Queen become a Minister of the Gospel? (w/ Blake Howard)

EPISODE RESOURCES:

“Why I no longer use Preferred Pronouns—and Why You shouldn’t, either” by Rosaria Butterfield

The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Conve