Sharon James reviews a landmark book on the subject
Do you want your five-year-old child to be taught he or she can choose from a vast array of gender identities?
Do you realise that, if you object, you may be told that you are ‘transphobic’ (aka hateful and bigoted)?
Where did this come from? How has the notion of gender fluidity gained ground so swiftly? Why are so many people scared to speak out against it?
Gabriele Kuby is a German sociologist who converted to Catholicism in adult life. She campaigns against global efforts to promote gender fluidity and sexual permissiveness. In her book, The Global Sexual Revolution, she explains all.
The Global Sexual Revolution
‘We can construct our own identity. The division of humanity between men and women is a “binary” oppression which must be overthrown. That binary division lies behind the oppressive notion that it is ‘normal’ to be heterosexual. Conventional morality (the idea that a father and mother should be in a committed exclusive married relationship in order to provide stable care for their own children) has to be discredited in order to place alternative lifestyles on an exactly level playing field. The “normality” of the heterosexual union of man and woman has to be demolished.’ That is the agenda of the global sexual revolution.
Given that most people choose freely to live in heterosexual relationships, it’s a tall order to demolish the ‘normality’ of such relationships. But children and adolescents are impressionable. Hence the drive to promote the false notion of gender fluidity among children, whether by means of sex education or in the guise of ‘anti-bullying’ programmes.
Many adults don’t like this. But they can be intimidated into silence by the claim that objecting to gender fluidity is ‘unacceptable discrimination’ against transsexual individuals.
Where did it come from?
Kuby gives an overview of the history of the global sexual revolution. Who would have thought 50 years ago that the simple statement that children do best with their own mother and father could now be regarded as ‘hate speech’? Or that affirming the truth that ‘male and female created he them’ is a trans-phobic and bigoted statement?
The seeds of this new ideology were all in place 50 years ago. Kuby gives an easy-to-understand outline of those bad ideas and the people who promoted them. Given that the students of that era now hold the levers of power in politics, education, health, law, the media and big business, it is unsurprising that the bitter fruit is now being seen.
This book lays out the means by which the global sexual revolution spread, including the activities of the UN, the EU, the World Health Organisation and other international bodies, as well as the financial muscle power of massive international corporations.
How has it gained ground?
In 2007, a gathering of self-styled ‘human rights experts’ met in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. They had no official authorisation or legiti-mation. They came up with the Yogyakarta Principles (YPs) which demand that human rights principles should be applied to all people, whatever their ‘sexual orientation’ (defined so as not to exclude any type of sexual preference) and ‘gender identity’ (i.e. ‘each person’s deeply felt internal and individual experience of gender, which may or may not correspond to the sex assigned at birth’) (p.66).
Since 2007, the UN, the EU, and several national governments have pledged to implement these principles. Kuby explains in simple language what this means.
Proclaiming moral truths about men and women, sex and sexuality, fidelity within man-woman marriage or keeping sex for marriage is regarded as out of order. Kuby cites situations where some individuals and churches that have proclaimed these biblical norms have been found guilty of hate crime or discrimination: ‘People are no longer allowed to preach, teach, or be raised to believe that the purpose of sexuality is the bond of love between a man and a woman and the creation of children, even though stable heterosexual relationships are essential to the existence of society.’ (p.67)
Methods against opponents
Kuby documents with chilling precision the methods by which opposition is silenced: boycotts, lawsuits, media ‘shaming’ and threats to life and property. Among academics, freedom of research is challenged. Anyone who presents evidence which challenges notions of gender fluidity may find themselves cut off from funding, or even sacked. Church ministers who preach biblical standards of morality can find themselves threatened, or even sued.
The return of cultural imperialism
Kuby describes a new cultural imperialism, whereby the perverse ideas of a small Western liberal elite are being imposed by force on sovereign states.
Sexual permissiveness, ideas of gender fluidity, promoting sexual activity among children, seeing abortion as a ‘woman’s right’, all run counter to the cultural ideals of numerous nations in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and Latin America. This new imperialism is not imposed by armed force, but by economic and political coercion.
International bodies such as Planned Parenthood relentlessly promote sexual freedom and homosexual activity to children via their comprehensive sex education programmes. Their educational materials inform young people that it’s their ‘human right’ to engage in sexual activity without disclosing the fact that they are HIV positive (pp.209-211). Such ‘education’ is promoting the very activity that leads to an increase in the incidence of HIV. Countries which are struggling to care for those suffering from HIV don’t want this kind of propaganda, but aid programmes are often threatened if they don’t comply.
Positively, Kuby outlines some of the efforts being made in different nations to ‘kick back’ against the global sexual revolution. Hundreds of thousands of people are willing to turn out on the streets in countries such as France, Italy, Mexico and Taiwan to demonstrate in favour of the natural family.
Why is this book important?
Some Christians worry that any campaigning in favour of man-woman marriage might seem to be an unwarranted ‘imposition’ of Christian morality on unbelievers. This book offers compelling evidence that the redefinition of marriage is simply a means to an end. Once achieved, the next step is to criminalise those who won’t celebrate it.
Swiftly following that, anti-discrimination laws are invoked against any questioning of ‘gender identity’ claims.
The next step is to silence Christian preachers who dare to proclaim biblical truth about God’s creation purpose for men and women (pp.244-9). Kuby argues that the end goal of the global sexual agenda is to silence gospel proclamation. How? First, create ideologies that make sin appear good. Second, drag everyone into the sin. Third, defame, shun and persecute everyone who gives voice to his conscience (p.277).
It is, then, dangerously naive to think that redefinition of marriage is simply a matter of permitting individuals a necessary personal freedom. It’s a vital link in the chain of the global sexual revolution.
Kuby is unflinching in her description of the normalisation of pornography, the sexu-alisation of our children by means of sex education, and the breaking down of family norms. She demonstrates that those who suffer most as a result of the dissolution of sexual norms are children. Her section outlining 12 compelling reasons to stop the sex-ualisation of children by the state (pp.223-9) is a ‘must read’ for parents and pastors. We need to be aware that the ‘Standards for Sexuality Education in Europe’ produced by the World Health Organisation provide in graphic detail how to ensure that children from birth upwards can enjoy their ‘right’ to sexual pleasure (pp.212-3).
Dissolution of norms
In a situation where young children are increasingly exposed to explicit and unsuitable materials, it is unsurprising that sex attacks on children by children, as well as adults, are increasing (p.215). The answer is not more sex education. Rather it is to reaffirm the need to keep children safe from sexual activity.
This book clearly outlines the goal of the global sexual revolution – the dissolution of sexual ‘norms’. The evidence presented amply proves the truth of the subtitle: ‘Destruction of Freedom in the Name of Freedom.’
Dr Sharon James works for The Christian Institute
