Whether dealing with women’s sports or women’s private spaces, it’s becoming clearer by the day that many Americans are fed up with men being a part of the equation. In recent years, transgenderism has been pushed into the public square with a force far stronger than ever before. Some Democrats have even confessed that the push for the trans agenda may have been so strong that it contributed to their loss in the 2024 presidential election. The conversation is increasingly gaining attention. What can we learn from all this?

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins discussed this topic on Tuesday’s episode of “Washington Watch” with FRC’s Dr. Jennifer Bauwens, a licensed therapist and clinical researcher. “So,” he stated, “we’ve been talking about this for quite some time. [But] what has brought us to this point where the American people are saying, ‘Yeah, this is crazy. We don’t need to be doing this?’” According to Bauwens, there’s a lot at play. But the fact is that trans activism has found itself front and center in so many aspects of everyday life, and the seams were bound to burst eventually.

“We’ve seen on full display a number of sports teams [with] young women having to face off with men,” Bauwens explained. “[W]e’ve seen the harms that have come to these young women, from volleyball to field hockey [to] the boxing ring. I mean, we’ve seen it on full display in our culture.” And now, people are starting to understand how “unjust” it all is. Bauwens put it this way: “[T]here’s a group of people who don’t want to live” in that reality. It’s a fact that Democrats could benefit from acknowledging, she added. They “have a real opportunity to be honest and embrace reality on this issue because they have the science … public opinion … [and the] culture … all pointing to [how] it’s time to rethink [their] position.”

Even in Washington, D.C., this issue has been boldly brought forth by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) who proposed a measure this week that would bar trans-identifying men from the women’s restrooms in the Capitol. “Again,” Perkins noted, this further demonstrates how “we’ve reached a point where it appears that most of Americans see through this nonsense that’s been pushed by the Left.” As Bauwens expressed, “I think we are at a real … tipping point.”

She went on to address how Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) came under fire after encouraging dialogue on the trans issue. “[H]e received a lot of backlash,” Bauwens emphasized. And the problem this highlights is that it “really crystallizes what has been going on behind the scenes in the academic space and the medical psychological professions where there’s absolutely … no room for discourse” for some people. However, “that’s just not going to fly these days. … [I]t’s not going to fly in the face of all of the sway of public opinion that wants our government to deal with this and take action to protect children and to protect young women.”

Because Americans seemed to have reached a tipping point, Perkins contended that this gives Christians an opportunity that’s worth taking advantage of. As the conversation about transgenderism spreads, Perkins speculated: “I’m wondering if it will prompt more soul searching as to how we got here and how we prevent further devolving of understanding morality [and] biology.” Ultimately, per Bauwens’s analysis, the increased push against transgenderism shows that people are willing to have conversations and maybe even change their views. “[T]hat’s good,” she observed. But it begs the question: “Where is that moral compass, that plumb line, that says, ‘I’m doing this because of my beliefs’?” In other words, how can Christians shift the conversation to be reflective of not just biological truth, but biblical truth?

“[T]here’s a teaching moment here,” Perkins said. “It’s almost parabolic.” For Christians, he added, there’s a need to take what is unfolding around us and turn it into a “deeper conversation.” And the first step in doing this, Bauwens contended, is “getting back to what truth is.”

She continued, “[T]he Bible says that truth is fallen in the streets, and that we’re to rescue truth. We’re to grab hold of truth. [But] what has happened is that we have a party and many systems in our society that have completely relinquished truth and have based reality off of psychology, off of feelings.” And so, if Christians are to engage in meaningful conversation, “we have to come back to a place of … sharing the truth in love with our neighbors and with those having courageous discussions wherever possible.” According to Bauwens, these conversations “are really important and fundamental to the stability of our society and to carrying on in democracy. We can’t have a democracy that’s based on whatever fad flies by the wind.”

Perkins also stated that democracy can’t be based on “silencing discussion in terms of how we reach consensus.” Moving forward, he explained how Christians need to “speak the truth in love,” remembering that for “those who are struggling with gender dysphoria … many of them have incidents and events in their past that has triggered” their gender confusion. “[I]n some ways, it’s a defense mechanism, and we need to be mindful of that. … [A]pproaching it prayerfully and compassionately, but still truthfully.”

Another point Bauwens emphasized is that little progress is made when “we’re not dealing with the root issues” of what has caused these people to struggle in the first place. “And so, sometimes this issue can be very scary because it’s so politically charged. But when we’re dealing with someone who has this going on, there are deeper things that need to be addressed.” At the end of the day, Perkins urged, “We cannot conflate love with affirmation. We need to love everyone, but we can’t affirm every choice.”

Bauwens concluded that the conversations Christians initiate need to be characterized by being “open and wanting to learn about the person’s experience, while at the same time, not caving to a delusion. Because that’s what it is. It’s delusional.”