Tag: leftism

Affirm or Help?

Say a friend came to you for financial advice.  “I’ve really been depressed lately,” he says.  “I feel like I should be rich, but I have $150,000 of debt piled up on credit cards.” 

Would you:

A) Affirm his feelings and say, “Wow, man.  I’m so sorry.  I think you should go buy yourself a Lamborghini so that you can live how you feel.”

or

B) Try to help and say, “Wow, man.  I’m so sorry.  Let’s see if we can figure out how to cut your spending and help you feel comfortable living within your means.”

This may sound like a pretty obvious answer to you.  It would be at best irresponsible, and at worst evil to affirm his feelings.  This analogy is exactly the same as the trans issue we are dealing with today.  If a male friend came to you and said, “I’ve been really depressed lately.  I feel like I’m a girl.”

Would you:

A) Affirm his feelings and say, “Wow, miss.  I’m so sorry.  I will use female pronouns for you.  Let’s get you on some girl hormones and have a doctor remove your boy parts.”

or

B) Try to help and say, “Wow, man.  I’m so sorry.  Let’s get you some help so that you can feel comfortable as a man.”

Affirming something that is not true does not help anyone.  As shown by the Cass Review, a landmark 2024 UK study, it makes things worse.  We know that gender dysphoria is a mental health problem that is doing a lot of damage in the world.  It is not healthy.

Both sides know this.  Conservatives point out that Robin Westman, the shooter at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis on August 27, 2025, suffered from gender dysphoria. Instead of receiving help to address it, Westman was affirmed with a name change and female pronouns, and mainstream news still refers to him as ‘she,’ even after the tragedy. 

Using “affirming language” does not help them.  Giving them hormones of the opposite sex does not help them.  Surgery does not help them.  Even the people pushing that approach know that it does not work.  They give proof themselves when they point out that nearly 40% of those with gender dysphoria attempt suicide, yet the Cass Review shows no evidence that hormones or surgery reduce this risk.  They do not come to the obvious conclusion that we should stop trying to normalize this mental illness.  They instead blame the people who want to help those suffering from it.

Instead of going along with a feeling based outside of reality, we need to make it easier for people to find help.  Unfortunately, when you search for help, most of what you find is the opposite.  Even if you ask ChatGPT, it suggests biased, secular organizations that will not help you overcome your gender dysphoria.  You would be taking a major risk if you go to a psychologist who studied at an American university.  Radical gender ideology has saturated those places.  They are far more likely to make things worse by encouraging you to continue in your confusion, or even to act on it with hormones or surgeries.  In fact, these radicals have succeeded in banning helping people in some states.  There is a major case in front of the Supreme Court right now, Chiles v. Salazar, that will decide if states can ban what they call “conversion therapy,” which ironically is not conversion at all.  It is affirming a person’s real gender.

This is why we need to share good resources for people who need help.  Since you cannot just look for help online without getting awful results, here are resources that you can go to if you or someone you love is struggling:

  1. If you are near a Bible believing church, that is a great place to start.  Talk to a pastor.  The one obstacle to this approach is knowing which church to go to.  There are churches now that call themselves “progressive” or “affirming.”  Those are not real churches.  They are social clubs for people who want to belong to a church but do not like what God says.  If you are not familiar with the Bible and are unsure of what church to go to, email me at steve@steveconnally.com and I will personally research and find a scriptural church in your area.
  2. Focus on the Family – Transgender Resources – Offers Christian-based guidance for families and individuals, including compassionate counseling options, articles on standing firm in biological identity, and practical guidance for parents and churches.  www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/transgender-resources/
  3. Restored Hope Network – Its website says, “Restored Hope is a membership governed, inter-denominational network dedicated to restoring hope to those broken by sexual and relational sin, especially those impacted by homosexuality and gender confusion. We proclaim that Jesus Christ has life-changing power for all who submit to Christ as Lord; we also seek to equip His church to impart that transformation.” https://www.restoredhopenetwork.org/what-we-believe
  4. Sex Change Regret – Founded by Walt Heyer (who detransitioned after living for 8 years as a trans woman), this ministry offers testimonies and counseling aimed at addressing underlying trauma and encouraging healing in alignment with one’s God-given design. They emphasize the spiritual and psychological roots of gender confusion. https://sexchangeregret.com/
  5. Advocates Protecting Children – APC’s core mission is to serve and equip those responding to gender activism by offering facts, research, and guidance. Its vision explicitly calls for the “abolition of the gender industry,” including shutting down gender clinics and cosmetic surgeries for minors, while emphasizing child protection and holistic healing. The organization stresses that gender dysphoria in children often resolves naturally with supportive, non-affirming care, citing studies on desistance rates and long-term outcomes.  They also provide educational materials for parents, educators, and churches, as well as peer groups and low-cost counseling referrals. www.advocatesprotectingchildren.org/
  6. Harvest USA – This organization is located in Pennsylvania and focuses on providing biblical guidance for sexual and relational struggles, including transgenderism, pornography, and same-sex attraction.  They offer counseling in Philadelphia or virtually, but their website also has a lot of good resources about any number of struggles. https://harvestusa.org/how-we-help/transgenderism/

One final thought.  I know that some will argue that we should lie and affirm gender dysphoria because it might stop somebody from harming themselves or even taking their own life.  Would you say the same thing if your daughter’s boyfriend threatened to kill himself if she breaks up with him?  That happens often, and some boys do follow through.  Using the possibility of suicide to emotionally manipulate people is not an acceptable reason to give them their way.  It is tragic when somebody chooses to end their life, but that is not a reason to accept lies.  Try to help them by lovingly telling them the truth. 

Charlie Kirk and Our Turning Point

Charlie Kirk was a great man.  I had the pleasure of seeing him speak with Pastor Jack Hibbs at church back in 2020.  I also worked for Turning Point Action during the 2024 election.  He loved our country, he loved Jesus, and he loved his wife and two young children. 

Today, he was taken by an act of pure evil.  The organization that Charlie Kirk started was called Turning Point USA, and today needs to be a turning point for our country.  My first reaction when I heard that he had died was anger.  I was angry at Democrats for the murder of a brilliant young husband and father.  How could they want this?  What kind of terrible people could do this? 

Then I took a breath and prayed.  I am still angry, but I realized that my anger needs to be logical and focused.  Not all Democrats wanted this.  In fact, I am sure that many Democrats are disgusted by Charlie Kirk’s murder.  My anger should not be towards them.  Our turning point actually needs to start with them.  If you are shocked and disgusted by this evil act, you still have hope.

My anger is not towards most average Democrats.  My anger is towards the leftist ideology and worldview.  My anger is towards secularism.  My anger is towards the media who pushed this secular-leftist worldview.  The only way we can turn this country around is to turn to Jesus. 

If you are one of those who held those views but are outraged and appalled at this murder, we need you.  We need to end secular leftist ideology.  We need to bring back sanity.  That requires Jesus.  Charlie Kirk would be the first to agree with that sentiment.  Jesus is the only one who can fix this.  We are at this point because our nation has gotten further from God.  We need a religious revival. 

If you are a Democrat, and this terrible evil has woken you up to the damage that turning from God has done, I am pleading with you to give Jesus a chance.  Go to church and talk to a pastor about Jesus.  You still have hope.  You can even send me a message if you have questions.  If you are genuine, I will respond.

Charlie Kirk has spoken openly about how Jesus saved his life.  I know with certainly that I will see Charlie Kirk again in Heaven. Until then, thank you Charlie.

What Is Liberty?

The week before California’s recall election I had the privilege of meeting the world’s greatest athlete from 1976.  That title was traditionally bestowed on the winner of the decathlon, and at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal Bruce Jenner won the gold medal for the United States while setting a new world record.  In 2015 Bruce Jenner shocked the world in an interview with Diane Sawyer in which he told Sawyer that he was now a she.  (Disclaimer:  So as not to be a science denier I am using the scientifically correct gender pronouns in this article.  That is not the focus of the article.)  Jenner, who now goes by the name Caitlyn, ran in the California recall election as a Republican to replace the inept Governor Gavin Newsom.  The Friday before election day Caitlyn Jenner was the guest speaker at a discussion group that I have been attending for the last couple of months.

Caitlyn’s talk was impressive.  He was personable, friendly, and funny.  Jenner said that after the Sawyer interview there was more criticism for coming out as a Republican than there was for coming out as transgender.  Jenner also told a funny story about being in the weight room at the Olympics when a female East German athlete came in and started lifting heavier weights than him, ironically causing him to leave because he felt emasculated.  Jenner genuinely cares about California and wants it returned to the greatness it once had.  I did not expect much talk about actual policy positions, but Jenner has a pretty solid grasp of many of the problems Gavin Newsom and years of Democrat control have caused, including sky-high tax rates and backbreaking regulations.  A lot of ideas that Jenner had to fix some of these problems were good, including a sunset provision which would require regulations to be reevaluated by the legislature every ten years or else they would fall off the books. 

There was, however, one major point that Jenner made that stood out to me because it was based on a flawed premise.  Jenner said that he decided to run because of his belief that California needs a moderate Republican to fix the state.  Specifically, he said that people should vote for him because he is conservative on economic issues and more liberal on social issues.  Jenner also said that the candidate that I endorsed, Larry Elder, is “far-right.”  The premise of that argument ignores the fact that conservatism comes with a built-in solution to people disagreeing on social issues:  liberty.

Jenner’s reasoning assumes that the choice you have is between voting for a left-wing government controlling your life or a right-wing government controlling your life.  In actuality, the choice is between a left-wing government controlling your life or you controlling your life. 

For example, as a conservative Republican, I believe that the country would be much better off if every single American attended church weekly.  I would agree with Jenner if a governor who is “far-right” was going to mandate church attendance.  As much as I think we would all be better off if everyone went to church, I only believe that to be true if it was done voluntarily instead of under coercion.  If the Right operated like Democrats this might be something to worry about.  Imagine, the government forcing all businesses with over 100 employees to require proof of church attendance to be employed there.  Jenner’s argument only works if the Right did that kind of thing.  Instead, the Right wants people to be free to choose, even if we disagree.  That is what liberty is. 

Conservatives, especially Christian conservatives, are often accused of telling people what to do on moral issues.  The truth is, we do care about your moral decisions and we want you to choose what God wants for you.  Notice, however, that I said: “choose.”  Except on the issue of abortion, where the choice directly harms another person, we do not want to take the decision away from you.  The difference is huge.  Conservatives may try to persuade you to do certain things, but that is not the same as using tyrannical power to force those things.  This is what Caitlyn Jenner was missing.  The further to the left a politician gets, the more parts of your life they want to control.  Being a moderate Republican still means they want to have more control over you than a “far right” candidate does.  That is not a good selling point. 

Jenner was asked if he would run for office again if he lost this election and answered that he wasn’t sure about running again, but he would definitely work with the Republican Party to become more of a big tent party that is more inclusive.  I hope that he does, but it needs to be done by explaining clearly that the way to do it is to push for a return to limited government and personal liberty.  We can agree to disagree.  You are welcome in the Republican Party even if you want to use your God-given liberty to do things we may not agree with.  I certainly do not agree with many of Caitlyn Jenner’s lifestyle choices, but I also do not want the government to force him to do what I would prefer.  The Right has no interest in taking away your liberty.

Imagine: Crime and Punishment in Our Leftist Utopia

In 1971, John Lennon wrote the iconic song, Imagine, about his dreams of a leftist utopian world with no religion, countries, or possessions.  The song is beautiful, but as many wise conservatives have explained, terribly blind to the horrors its prescriptions would lead to.

We are now at a point in our country where the left is trying to pitch new ideas to build their utopian society.  This time they want to change how we deal with law and order.  Once again, their views are naïve and dangerous at best.  A great way to imagine the ideas of the left in practice is to take a look at a story and compare how it would play out using their positions as opposed to how a conservative thinks it should happen.  First, let’s tell the story with a conservative vision.

Michelle is walking home one night.  Suddenly, out of the shadows, a large man grabs her and drags her into a dark alley.  She struggles and manages to pull the gun she carries from her purse.  Bang!  She shoots the man dead.  Shaken, she calls the police.  They arrive at the scene and follow the evidence, which corroborates Michelle’s story.  The next day there is a story on the news about the brave girl who fought off an attacker.

Now, let’s look at the same story in the fanciful world of the left.

Michelle is walking home one night, thinking about how wonderful life is now that her city disbanded the police force.  Sure, there have been some minor problems, like a precipitous rise in the murder rate.  And yes, the murder rate in the black community has quadrupled, but that’s a small price to pay to save black lives.

Suddenly, out of the shadows, a large man grabs her and drags her into a dark alley.  As she struggles, she has the vile thought that it would be nice if she had a gun now, but she quickly remembers how bad guns are and why the government banned them.  Fortunately, out of the corner of her eye she sees a whiskey bottle that must have been left in the alley by one of the many homeless people who had flocked to the city since they began their program to help the homeless.  Michelle grabs the bottle and swings as hard as she can, smashing it over the man’s head.  Shaken, she checks his pulse.  Dead. 

“It’s ok,” she thinks, not because the evidence would exonerate her of course, because that’s beside the point.  She is a woman and you have to believe all women unless they accuse a Democrat presidential nominee.  As she pulls out her phone to call the coroner to come get the body, the light from the device gives her a closer look at the deceased, and a look of horror comes over her face.  He is black!  The realization hits her that she is not the victim, but instead a racist and a murderer.

Michelle breaks down in tears.  “How could I have not seen the signs?” she cries.  “I used to like Drew Brees and he had the audacity to say that people should respect the flag.  I am a modern day Bull Connor!” 

Feeling guilty and dejected, Michelle goes to the former police station, now the Office of Social Justice, and tells them what happened.  The official is shocked at her bigotry and tells her that they are going to throw the book at her.  “Oh no!” she exclaims.  “But you outlawed the death penalty!  Are you going to send me to prison?” 

“Of course not,” he responds.  “Prisons are draconian and punitive.  We only use those for people who continue to think differently than they should.  You will be sent to a conformity school, where you can relearn the right things to think.”

The next day the leading story in the news reads, “Unarmed Black Man Killed by White Woman.”

There you have a look at how crime and punishment would work in our parallel universes.  I should add a disclaimer here because people will twist the meaning.  I am in no way conflating this story with Derek Chauvin’s killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.  What he did was wrong and he deserves to be punished, but not because of race; because of the facts.  The point of the story was that justice based on evidence yields much different results than “social justice” based on skin color.  There is no reason for thousands to take to the streets in protest of something that we already agree on, that racism is bad and people should be treated fairly regardless of skin color.  Too bad John Lennon didn’t imagine people being judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin.  I think somebody else did, though.  Imagine that.