In a week of unexpected turmoil, something slipped by unnoticed. New Rules of the U. S. House of Representatives now forbid use of the words mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister, niece, or nephew.
If there were a large number of people negatively affected by these terms, perhaps I could maintain an open-minded approach to considering the ban. Perhaps. However, only about 0.6 
percent of the U.S. population identifies as transgender. That leaves 99.4 percent of us who want to call that man and woman who gave us life Mother and Father or Mom and Dad. We want to brag about our son and daughter. Family ties, recognition of aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews are significant. Grandpa and Grandma will care. Our genealogy has meaning and value.
Will this ban extend to our faith? Will we not be able to address our Father in Heaven publicly? Or His one and only Son? What will happen to Jesus’ mother, Mary? Changing those terms to parent and child just doesn’t work for me.
I grant you, this ban at present applies only to Congress. Nevertheless, it’s worth considering why anyone would want to favor 0.6 percent of the population over 99.4 percent. In California, Colorado, Maine, New Jersey, New York City, Oregon, and Washington, D.C., one may opt for a legal birth certificate that is termed non-binary.
Todd Starnes, a conservative journalist and radio host, believes, “It’s part of their strategy to dismantle the nuclear family.” The “their” is unspecified, but it is a safe assumption he is referring to the Democrats in general, and Nancy Pelosi in particular, as that is where these new House rules come from. There seems to be a determination to make all speech gender-neutral.
I fear he is right. I am concerned that also “in the dark of night” our school boards will apply this same ban in the classrooms across America. I encourage you to ask your school board if there are plans to become gender-neutral in textbooks, classwork, or speech. Don’t just ask once—ask regularly. The more often you ask, the more those with authority will realize you will not let this happen. Or will you?