Anyone who thought that legalizing same-sex marriage would end the hassles is in for a rude surprise. Unexpected consequences are popping up all over. The mayor of Charlottesville, N. Carolina followed the Houston playbook and passed an ordinance that "transgendered" men, who "identified" as women, could freely use the women's bathrooms and changing rooms. The state legislature responded by convening a special session to pass a statewide law protecting the privacy of North Carolina ladies.
Homosexual outrage exploded. 100 corporate CEOs signed a letter to the governor demanding repeal of the state law. These were not small outfits, either: Apple, Bank of America, Yahoo, and Barnes and Noble all signed on. Paypal moved to punish North Carolina by cancelling plans to build a new operations center there that would employ about 400 people. Washington state and New York immediately directed state bureaucrats to avoid doing business there. Federal officials were scrambling to see how they could cut off funding for state programs.
At present, North Carolina is standing strong. Not so in many other states. Georgia governor vetoed a bill that would have protected Christian businesses from lawsuits if they decline to provide wedding cakes or photography services to same-sex couples.
The Washington state Human Rights Commission issued a mandate that all restrooms and changing rooms in public and business buildings be open to all "genders." San Francisco, California is proposing a regulation that would replace the signs on most single-stall public restrooms to "gender-neutral." Over 150 colleges and universities have already joined that club.
Mayors of New York City and Seattle have issued executive orders that all city-owned buildings such as schools, offices and leisure centers must allow transsexuals to use the bathroom or changing room of their choice.
Other confusion is showing up in sports where a husky, male-bodied "trans" reports for practice with the girl's team. This might be an advantage in non-contact sports like baseball or even basketball. But like one female Mixed Martial Arts fighter complained: "I've never felt so overpowered in my life," after suffering a couple of broken bones from a "trans" opponent. Even the International Olympic Committee has capitulated, allowing transgender athletes to compete against opposite genders.
Of the dozens of articles researched for this writing, one topic got little coverage: transgenders pay a huge price in physical and psychological health. Therapists report a 40 percent attempted suicide rate and 60-90 percent exhibit serious psychiatric disorders. Two in 10 had significant regrets about having transitioned, yet going back was not easy, particularly if they had been permanently physically mutilated by reassignment surgery.
When homosexuals first began to come out of the closet several decades ago, research showed that violence and disease cut the average life expectancy of the promiscuous male homosexual to a little over half the rest of the population. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control reveals a shocking level of violence in the "gay" community.
The real surprise was the violence between lesbians. 44 percent reported either rape, physical abuse or stalking by their intimate partners. For males, it was 26 percent. The study also supported the point made in the Chick tract, Home Alone, that many who end up involved with the homosexual lifestyle were molested as children.
We are seeing in real life why God calls this sin an "abomination." Satan's fingerprints are all over the death and destruction that it causes. The demons that pounded on Lot's door have done a masterful job betraying America. Some officials are beginning to fight back.
Soul winners, if we stand for righteousness, others will be encouraged to follow along. Chick Publications has several tracts that speak to this issue. If we sow them liberally, others may see that there is another side to this issue —God's side.