For the last decade, I have said that the unspoken mantra of LGBTQ activists is, “We will intimidate and we will manipulate until you capitulate.” Today, those on the radical left have upped the ante considerably, as their goal is not just capitulation but cancellation. 

Their tactics are more extreme as well. They will pressurize, marginalize and brutalize—and I mean that quite literally. Physical violence has come into play. 

When it comes to the November elections, which party is more likely to protect our religious freedoms? Which presidential candidate is more likely to push back against the marginalizing tactics of the radical left? 

An Aug. 17 article at the Daily Wire reported that, “A professor of English at Iowa State University issued a syllabus for her class asserting that any student who opposes the pro-choice perspective or the Black Lives Matter movement will have created ‘grounds for dismissal from the classroom.’” 

“Thou shalt not dissent!” is the prevailing campus slogan. Opposing views will not be tolerated. And if you try to bring an opposing view, you will be resisted—even physically. 

Just ask conservatives like Ben Shapiro, an orthodox Jew, what happens when you try to give talks at schools like the University of California, Berkeley, where in 2017 more than 1,000 demonstrators had to be restrained by police as Shapiro gave a speech in a nearby campus building. 

Add Jesus in the mix and things become even more intense. The vast majority of campuses won’t even consider bringing you in to speak if you are a Bible-believing Christian conservative. In fact, as far back as 2011, when my book “A Queer Thing Happened to America” was published, leaders of Christian campus ministries made clear to me that there was no possible way they would host me at their college or university. 

In their minds, the potential negative consequences—in particular, the fear of being kicked off their campuses—outweighed the potential positive results. They dared not rock the boat. 

This is why it was no surprise when the Harvard Crimson reported in March that conservatives make up just over 1% of Harvard University’s faculty. 

Can you even imagine the level of marginalizing that produces, among both faculty and students? Can you imagine how difficult it is to speak out? And what happens when the bully pulpit of the White House is against you as well? 

And to what extent do our kids, from kindergarten to graduation, experience undue pressure and marginalizing in our schools? School districts are under increasing pressure to teach elementary-aged children that they can choose what gender they wish to be. 

Under the Obama administration, “gender identity” was included in the category of “sex,” so a 15-year-old boy who identified as a girl could play on the girls’ sports teams and share their locker rooms and bathrooms. 

More than 20 states sued the administration over this ruling since the Obama administration had threatened to withhold federal school funding for any state that would not comply. 

Under the Trump administration, that policy was reversed. But Democratic candidate Joe Biden has already pledged to reinstate the policy should he be elected. 

The votes we cast in November will have very real implications. 

Last year, New York City decided to ban all so-called “conversion therapy” for people of all ages. In other words, if you were a 40-year-old man, married to a woman but struggling with unwanted same-sex attractions, it would be illegal for you to receive professional counseling to help deal with those attractions. Should a counselor dare to meet with you, he or she would be subject to a fine of $10,000 per incident. 

Not only was this a slap in the face of individual liberties and a direct assault on patient-therapist privilege, but it also sought to marginalize and cancel all ex-gays. “Such people do not exist!” they claim. 

An Orthodox Jewish therapist challenged the ruling with the help of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), and as a result the city reversed itself, removing the ban. 

The city made this ruling before the case ever went to court. Why? As reported by Reuters, “Advocates fear the legal challenge by the ADF could make its way through the increasingly conservative federal courts to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

“President Donald Trump has made scores of conservative judicial appointments, including two Supreme Court justices. 

“If successful, advocates fear, the ADF case could give the conservative courts an opportunity to set legal precedents that could have broad negative implications for LGBT+ rights.” 

The Trump appointees have turned the courts in a more conservative direction, one that would push back against LGBTQ overreach, thereby fighting for those who are being marginalized. 

The victory was so complete that New York City agreed to pay $100,000 in legal fees and damages to the Orthodox Jewish counselor. But, if not for the presence of these conservative justices, the city would probably have not backed down, and “progressive” judges would likely have backed the legal discrimination of those with unwanted same-sex attractions and gender identity confusion. 

Who will appoint federal judges in the next four years, Trump-Pence or Biden-Harris? 

Consider also the unequal treatment of churches during the COVID- 19 crisis, as Democratic mayors and governors have declared that abortion clinics and liquor stores provide “essential services” while saying that churches do not. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has given the OK to BLM-related protests while forbidding Christians to sing in their (already limited) church services. He even banned Christians from meeting at homes for Bible studies. And in Nevada, Gov. Steve Sisolak has allowed casinos to operate at 50% capacity while a church building that can seat 2,000 people is limited to an attendance of 50. He even fined a casino for allowing a congregation to meet in its building. 

With consistency, Attorney General William Barr, on behalf of the Trump administration, has pushed back against this discriminatory and marginalizing treatment of Christians, living up to Trump’s campaign pledge to fight for religious liberties. 

To repeat, the votes we cast in November will have very real implications. ©2020 Michael L. Brown 

 

Michael L. Brown is the founder and president of Fire School of Ministry in Concord, North Carolina, and host of the daily syndicated radio show “The Line of Fire.” 

Photo: Sipa USA via AP