The 3 - January 22, 2023

This week's edition of The 3, including three stories of relevance to the Christian community, including news out of two states where, moving forward, biological males will be prevented from competing against females in girls' sports.  Also, an NHL player has taken a strong stand based on his faith against a deviant view of sexuality.  And, Florida pharmacies have been put on notice against selling the abortion bill in light of the FDA's decision to widen distribution of chemical abortion.

Boys prevented from competing in girls' sports in two more states 

Since the beginning of 2023, the list of states preventing boys from participating in girls' sports has grown by two.

Alliance Defending Freedom reported that, "Female athletes in Indiana scored a victory...when the ACLU withdrew its lawsuit challenging a state law that protects athletic opportunities for girls." ADF Legal Counsel Rachel Csutoros stated in response: “Indiana joins a growing coalition of states that has enacted laws to preserve fair competition for female athletes. We’re pleased to favorably close this case to the benefit of the brave female athletes we represent who are speaking out to protect the future of women’s sports.”

This comes on the heels of a court ruling several weeks ago upholding a West Virginia law that bans biological males from competing in girls' sports. ADF states, "On Jan. 5, a West Virginia federal court upheld the state’s Save Women’s Sports Act, rejecting a legal challenge that would have undermined women’s sports in the state by allowing males who identify as female to compete with females in girls’ and women’s sports."

Professional hockey player puts "pride" celebration on ice

Ivan Provorov is a defenseman for the Philadelphia Flyers - and a defender of the Christian faith and a Biblical view of sexuality.  So, chose not to participate in a pre-game acknowledgement and did not wear a "pride" jersey celebrating the LGBTQ+ lifestyle at a recent special promotion sanctioned by the Flyers.

The Washington Stand quoted from the Russian player: “I respect everybody, and I respect everybody’s choices...My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion. That’s all I’m going to say.” Fortunately, his coach respected his choice as well, with Flyers coach John Tortorella saying, “It was really a great night. With Provy, he is being true to himself and to his religion. This has to do with his beliefs and his religion. That is one thing I respect about Provy, he is always true to himself, so that’s where we’re at with that.”  As for the League's position, ESPN.com reported: 

The NHL said that clubs "decide whom to celebrate, when and how" and that players "are free to decide which initiatives to support, and we continue to encourage their voices and perspectives on social and cultural issues."

Good for them, sort of.  The Washington Stand article said...

...in its rush to embrace transgenderism, the NHL held an All-Trans Draft Tournament in Wisconsin in December, bragging, “This was the first tournament comprised entirely of transgender and nonbinary players, with around 80 folks participating!”

And, the article notes that, "Florida Governor Ron DeSantis...was especially outraged by one of the NHL’s job postings in Fort Lauderdale, where only people who 'identify as female, Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, and/or a person with a disability' were invited to apply." The governor's office issued a statement saying: “Discrimination of any sort is not welcome in the state of Florida...and we do not abide by the woke notion that discrimination should be overlooked if applied in a politically popular manner or against a politically unpopular demographic. We are fighting all discrimination in our schools and our workplaces, and we will fight it in publicly accessible places of meeting or activity.” The NHL has two teams in Florida.

Florida pharmacies warned not to sell abortion pill

The federal Food and Drug Administration has announced its attempt to widen the distribution of chemical abortion, which not only takes the life of an unborn child, but studies show it presents a threat to women's health.  The news has spread that pharmacies will be offering the abortion pill for sale with a prescription, but officials in Florida are warning drugstores statewide to refrain from participating.

That's according to an article at The Christian Post, which says that: "The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration released a statement...stating that Florida law continues to prevent women from obtaining mifepristone at pharmacies. The agency cited two Florida statutes that it says prohibits the abortion pill at pharmacies."

The article notes that:

One statute declares that “[n]o termination of pregnancy shall be performed at any time except by a [licensed] physician." The other proclaims, “[i]t is unlawful for any person to perform or assist in performing an abortion on a person, except in an emergency care situation, other than in a validly licensed hospital or abortion clinic or in a physician’s office.”