The 3 - April 21, 2024

This week's edition of The 3, highlighting three stories of relevance to the Christian community, included the redefinition of the word "sex" in the Title IX law to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Also, the U.S. Supreme Court has entered the fray regarding treatments and surgeries that are intended, falsely so, to "change" the gender of a minor child. And, a new Florida law will enable school districts who wish to do so to have chaplains available for struggling students. 

Revision of Title IX rules includes redefinition of the word, "sex"

As The Daily Citizen website from Focus on the Family notes, "Title IX, a 1972 law that banned discrimination based on sex for school programs that receive federal funding, has been targeted by radical revolutionaries determined to redefine what the word 'sex' even means."  Well, those who wanted to see change in that definition got their wish as the Department of Education released its revised Title IX guidelines. The article says that these new regulations "redefine 'sex' when it comes to the sexual harassment and discrimination portions of Title IX."  It adds:

Under the rules, athletes will be able to claim discrimination and harassment based on their “sexual orientation/gender identity.”

In other words, they’ll be allowed to claim fake discrimination over a made-up identity.

The Alliance Defending Freedom says that the new policy "illegitimately redefines 'sex' in federal law, threatening women’s advancements in education and athletics and violating the rights of parents, students, and teachers..."  ADF Legal Counsel Rachel Rouleau is quoted as saying:

"...The administration continues to ignore biological reality, science, and commonsense, and women are suffering as a result. The administration’s new regulation will have devastating consequences on the future of women’s sports, student privacy, and parental rights, which is why Alliance Defending Freedom plans to take action to defend female athletes, as well as school districts, teachers, and students who will be gravely harmed by this unlawful government overreach.”

The announcement came just days after a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, according to The Daily Signal, "overturned a lower court decision and struck down West Virginia’s Save Women’s Sports Act, a law that keeps scholastic sports in the state separated by biological sex."

SCOTUS allows Idaho to begin enforcement of law protecting children against harmful gender procedures

The U.S. Supreme Court took a major step forward in another area concerning gender by allowing the state of Idaho to start enforcing its law that bans the use of treatments and surgeries that are intended - falsely - to be used to change a minor's so-called "gender." The SCOTUS Blog reported:

The Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for Idaho to temporarily enforce a state law criminalizing gender-transition care for minors against anyone who is not part of a lawsuit currently challenging that ban. In a brief order, the justices granted the state’s request to limit the scope of an earlier order entered by a federal district court in Idaho, which had barred the state from enforcing the law at all while a challenge to its constitutionality continues.

The blog post noted:

The law, which was slated to go into effect on Jan. 1, makes it a crime for medical providers in the state to provide gender-transition surgeries, puberty blockers, or hormone therapy to transgender youths under the age of 18. The same treatments can be provided, however, for other purposes.

The blog report also stated, 

Represented by Idaho Solicitor General Alan Hurst and (among others) by lawyers from the conservative Christian legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, the state told the justices that as long as the law remains on hold, the state’s “vulnerable children” are exposed “to risky and dangerous medical procedures,” and “Idaho’s sovereign power to enforce its democratically enacted law” is infringed.

Florida governor signs bill allowing chaplains in public schools

In the wake of mental health challenges currently faced by children and teens, spiritual care based on the principles of Scripture can be highly effective in addressing those challenges. And, the state of Florida will now make it possible for chaplains, including Christian chaplains, to be available to students. 

Fox 35 Orlando reported that Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill that "establishes a statewide school chaplain program. This initiative permits districts to enlist chaplains to offer additional counseling and support to students."

The TV station's website noted:

DeSantis acknowledged encountering criticism when introducing the chaplain bill, as it allows chaplains of various faiths and religions, sparking concerns about controversial groups, such as those who practice satanism gaining access to schools. he, however, made it clear there would not be problems of that nature.

"We're not playing those games in Florida. That's not a religion. We're going to be using common sense while handling this," he said.

Similar legislation has been making its way through the Alabama Legislature, with 1819 News reporting last week: "The House Education Policy Committee approved legislation on Wednesday allowing public schools to employ or accept volunteer chaplains upon approval from a board of education or charter school governing body."  The Alabama Reflector reported that a companion bill passed the Alabama Senate unanimously.