Gaslighting Americans About What They Did to the Kids

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Earlier this week, President Trump and Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced a crackdown on school districts that assist students with “transitioning” without parents’ consent. Citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Trump said, “Every public school in America is now on notice: That if they tell a child that they are trapped in the wrong body, they are committing child abuse.” The administration’s actions are in stark contrast to the previous one.  

Almost immediately, advocates accused the administration of lying about “transgender” children. Lisa Lightner wrote in an article for MSN.com,  

No. Schools are not secretly medically transitioning children. They are not prescribing hormones. They are not performing gender-affirming surgery. Teachers are not administering puberty blockers. Guidance counselors are not secretly arranging medical transitions behind parents’ backs. 

It was as if a common script had been distributed. It became a loud chorus of denial. Deny what parents are, in fact, claiming. Deny that teachers, counselors and after-school clubs taught and even targeted certain children with gender ideology. Deny that students were treated as if they were the opposite sex on campus, with new names, pronouns and sometimes, outfits, all while hiding their “social transition” from parents.  

And yet, moms and dads from California to Maine keep reporting that, even though their children were questioning their bodies and exploring their identities at school, they were not notified by school officials. In many cases, these children were encouraged and assisted in their confusion by school officials. Often, if parents learned about their child’s mental distress and protested, they were met with the psychological threat of, “Would you rather have a living son or a dead daughter?” or, in some states, legal threats for “deadnaming” their child. 

But everyone should know, especially anyone being gaslighted by this “it never happened” talking point: There are receipts. Erin Lee, Director of Protect Kids Colorado, posted those receipts on X, which included her own story: 

Fascinating how so many people are out here saying “this doesn’t happen” and “this is a made up MAGA problem.” So let me shed some light . . . This happened to my little girl. . .. I went public and discovered it had happened to many others. I sued all the way to the Supreme Court—along with other affected parents. The school district admitted to and defended it, in legal documents. Justice Alito called our case “troubling and tragic” and an issue of “great and growing national importance.” It was a living nightmare that almost destroyed my child. 

Lee then cited numerous other examples. Six cases have reached the Supreme Court: John and Jane Parents v Montgomery County (23-601); Parents Protecting Our Children v Eau Claire (23-1180); Foote v Ludlow (25-77); Lee v Poudre (25-89); Littlejohn v Leon (25-289); and Lavigne v Great Salt Bay (25-759). 

Another 14 cases are still in lower courts: Doe v Weiser (Colorado); Mead v Rockford Public School District (Michigan); Vitsaxaki v Skaneateles Central SD (New York); Lema v Davenport (New Jersey); Regina v Staley (California); Doe/Heaps v Delaware Valley (New Jersey); Blair v Appomattox (Virginia); Konen v Spreckles (California); Perez v Broskie (Florida); Koltenbach v Hilliard City Schools (Ohio); Figliola v Harrisonburg City Schools (Virginia); Wiley v Sweetwater County School District (Wyoming); Parents Defending Ed v Linn-Mar (Iowa); TF v Kettle Moraine (Wisconsin). 

The thing that “isn’t happening” is happening all over the country. Alliance Defending Freedom has reported on numerous cases and now represents a growing number of parents who were kept in the dark by school officials. Justice Alito cited that an estimated 6,000 public schools in the United States operate under so-called “gender-affirming” policies that specifically exclude parents. And a group known as “Defending Education” has a list of offending school districts online. 

Thank God for these efforts by the White House to rein in the madness, but especially for the moms, dads, and grandparents who stood up to the lies sold to their children in secret and are willing to expose them in public. We owe it to them, and especially the children, to share these stories.  

As the Apostle John wrote,  

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 

The gaslighting must stop.

Related: What's Happening to Our Boys and How You Can Help

Boys and men are struggling—but this isn't a reason to lose hope. In this episode, Shaunti and Jeff unpack what's happening in today's culture, why so many boys and young men are falling behind, and the simple, powerful ways each of us can make a difference. Whether you're a parent, grandparent, mentor, teacher, or friend, you'll come away with practical encouragement and renewed hope for the boys and men you love. Like what you hear? Be sure to follow I Wish You Could Hear This on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!

Photo Credit: Mche Lee/Unsplash

John Stonestreet is President of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, and radio host of BreakPoint, a daily national radio program providing thought-provoking commentaries on current events and life issues from a biblical worldview. John holds degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) and Bryan College (TN), and is the co-author of Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview.

The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of CrosswalkHeadlines.

BreakPoint is a program of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. BreakPoint commentaries offer incisive content people can't find anywhere else; content that cuts through the fog of relativism and the news cycle with truth and compassion. Founded by Chuck Colson (1931 – 2012) in 1991 as a daily radio broadcast, BreakPoint provides a Christian perspective on today's news and trends. Today, you can get it in written and a variety of audio formats: on the web, the radio, or your favorite podcast app on the go.