Arkansas A.G. Continues Defending SAFE Act in Court

On Friday the Arkansas Attorney General’s office filed a letter further defending the SAFE Act before the federal Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Among other things, the letter addresses equal protection arguments over the SAFE Act. It maintains that the law treats individuals equally and does not discriminate based on sex or gender identity.

In 2021, lawmakers in Arkansas overwhelmingly passed the Save Adolescents From Experimentation (SAFE) Act.

The SAFE Act is a good law that prevents doctors in Arkansas from performing sex-change surgeries on children or giving them puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones.

Unfortunately, the SAFE Act has been tied up in court for more than two years. However, federal appeals courts have let similar laws go into effect in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama.

Sex-change surgeries and procedures can leave children sterilized and scarred for life.

Researchers do not know all the long-term effects these procedures can have on children, but a growing body of scientific evidence shows children should not be subjected to sex-change procedures, puberty blockers, and cross-sex hormones.

Not long after Arkansas passed the SAFE Act, a major hospital in Sweden announced that it would no longer give puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to kids.

Since then, the U.K. has done the same, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has added a warning label to puberty blockers after discovering they caused some biological girls to experience swelling in the brain.

Over the past three years, reports from Europe and elsewhere have shown time and again that Arkansas was right to pass the SAFE Act.

Today about half the states in the U.S. have passed laws protecting children from sex-change surgeries.

We believe our courts ultimately will recognize that the SAFE Act is a good law and uphold it as constitutional.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

Target Quietly Reducing Pride-Themed Merchandise After 2023 Backlash

News outlets report retail giant Target will reduce the amount of LGBT pride-themed merchandise in its stores during Pride Month in June.

Last May, Target experienced significant backlash and declining sales after displaying transgender products in its stores, prompting Target to hold “emergency” meetings to figure out how to undo the damage.

In particular, last year Target made a point to market LGBT-themed onesies and rompers for newborn babies as well as other kids clothing.

Even though Target may be adjusting how its “pride” themed products are marketed in-store, the company continues to support radical, pro-LGBT efforts and organizations.

In a statement released last Thursday, Target said,

At Target, we know our business thrives when we create experiences that foster a sense of belonging. That’s why we support and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month and year-round.

A few ways we’re celebrating during Pride Month and throughout the year:

  • Our Pride+ Business Council will host internal events and experiences where interested team members can learn, reflect, celebrate and connect. It’s complemented by the year-round resources and benefits we provide to our LGBTQIA+ team members, reflecting our culture of care for all 400,000 people who work at Target.
  • We’re joining local Pride events in our hometown of Minneapolis and around the country.
  • We’re offering a collection of products including adult apparel and home and food and beverage items, curated based on consumer feedback. The collection will be available on Target.com and in select stores, based on historical sales performance.
  • We continue to support LGBTQIA+ organizations year-round, including Human Rights Campaign, Family Equality and more.
  • Target also spotlights LGBTQ-owned brands in our assortment during Pride Month and throughout the year in our stores and online.

It’s troubling to see multimillion dollar corporations use their wealth and influence to promote radical LGBT ideologies.

The recent backlash companies like Target, Disney, Anheuser-Busch, and others have received shows Americans are tired of corporate, pro-LGBT pandering.

Ironically, when companies face the sort of pushback Target did last year, they tend to blame the customers for being “transphobic” rather than take responsibility for their business decisions.

All of that ought to show how out-of-step these corporations are with everyday Americans.

Photo Credit: Phillip Pessar, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Gender Ideology Coming for Courts: Guest Column

Judges in the state of California who oversee child abuse and neglect cases are now required to take an annual training course entitled “LGBTQ+ Considerations.” The training urges judges to “use the name and gender of the youth they request” and “insist the Department use their requested name and gender.” And, recently in Ohio, a state-backed function featured a workshop in which activists told judges to affirm the transgender identity of youth.  

Adopting language amounts to adopting ideas. When gender ideology shapes the courtroom, both the health and wellbeing of vulnerable young people and the God-given responsibility and prerogative of parents are threatened. Young people who struggle with gender are already at a higher risk of depression or suicide. Affirming their confusion does not lead to better mental health outcomes.  

If the courts really hope to protect young people, they will protect the family and not undermine it with bad ideas. 

Copyright 2024 by the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. Reprinted from BreakPoint.org with permission.