Kindness is a virtue. It creates a better world.
In the American melting pot, especially, tolerance and politeness are essential elements in creating a thriving society. Yet, how should we act when politeness requires a lie?
At home, a simple question, "Do these pants make me look fat?" can kick off a soul-searching response that often ends in a white lie. In society, those small lies can lead to serious problems.
We've watched the transgender movement gain traction from a fringe minority to an issue that seemingly inexplicably dominates our news and political debates. At its core, it's built on a white lie that many people say, but don't believe.
In our eagerness to be polite and respectful, we've allowed that movement to flourish. In doing so, we've abandoned our commitment to objective truth and biological reality, leading not only to radical unfairness in women's sports but also damaging the mental and physical health of thousands of children caught up in the confusion.
If I met Caitlyn Jenner, there’d be a strong temptation to use a "she" pronoun, even if I don't believe it. As a journalist, though, I couldn't afford that level of politeness.
Most newsrooms follow the AP Stylebook, which provides a grammar and style guide for writing, and we had a copy of it at the main Fox News digital headquarters. When it recommended news pronouns should follow a person's desire, it was the only time in my career that I literally took a pen and scratched out the page.
It sparked a debate. Should we use a changed pronoun after someone gets a sex-change operation? How about when a court recognizes a different gender?
I told editors to do their best to avoid using pronouns at all, but even that is an imperfect solution. Bruce Jenner's conversion to Caitlyn put a writer in a bind. Using the "him" pronoun can seem both rude and politically charged. Writing "in 1976, she won the men's decathlon at the Olympics" seems insane.
Yet the white lies have won out in the new media and elsewhere. Read any Fox News article today, and you'll see even a farcical Dylan Mulvaney continually referred to as a "she." The media adores Mulvaney, who's shot to national prominence, even being invited to speak at the White House with praise from President Biden.
And while some may be true believers in the instant conversion of men to women, it weirdly fell to Bud Light drinkers to reject the nonsense.
The recent controversy surrounding Lia (formerly Will) Thomas, the male swimmer who competed in NCAA women's swim championships, further illustrates the pitfalls of politeness. In a podcast interview, Thomas criticized those who offered half-hearted support, arguing that one cannot respect someone as a woman in certain contexts but not in others.
In a way, Thomas is right. The middle-of-the-road position is logically inconsistent. But the problem isn't that "transgender women" are women with unfair advantages. The problem is that "transgender women" are men, and as a matter of principle and practicality, men do not belong in women's sports.
In our efforts to be polite, we have unwittingly adopted activist jargon, ceded ground to illogical demands, and compromised our commitment to objective truth.
As our society faces the consequences of our misguided politeness, it's time to stop using activist language and start asserting the truth. Our language, our laws, and our policies should reflect the truth about human biology, and we should not be deterred by the fear of being labeled transphobic or bigoted.
This isn't a call for disrespect or insensitivity towards those who struggle with gender dysphoria. Compassion and understanding are still vital, but so is intellectual honesty.
The time for excessive politeness has passed.
— Ken
The Emperor has no clothes.....😜
Even as a child I never understood how lying to someone about looking bad was helpful to that person. Do these pants make me look fat? If you answer with an untruthful "No" instead of "That cut isn't very flattering." How have you helped them?
If I tell a girl it's ok to mutilate her body - which in no way makes her a boy - instead of "I know you're uncomfortable with the changes your body is going through, (puberty) but it gets better & signing up for irreversible damage and a lifetime of being dependent on a horrifying cocktail of drugs is not the way to address your feelings" how is that (1) gender affirming & (2) loving or helpful???
I am sick of trying to "discuss" this with people. If you are under age of consent the surgery and drug cocktail should be illegal. Full stop. You cannot consent to any of it because you do not have the capacity to do so. Adult males in a dress are not welcome in my bathroom because they have a clear mental illness and I do not think that I should have to worry about how that will manifest while I'm in a heightened vulnerable state. They are also not welcome to destroy my daughter's chances of awards or scholarships for athletics because they cannot win against other males. The pendulum swing will be very bad on this one & the sooner its stopped the better.