Last week, The Christian Post was likewise suspended from Twitter for misgendering Rachel Levine in a tweet linking to a news article about Levine being dubbed one of USA Today’s “Women of the Year.”
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk also received a suspension for deadnaming and misgendering Levine in frustration of Levine being named among the “Women of the Year,” after which he asked, “Where are the feminists???”
“What’s wrong with that tweet? Well, nothing’s wrong with that tweet,” Kirk said in a video response to his being suspended by Twitter. “Of course, we’re not going to delete the tweet. Have a good day, Twitter. Whatever. We don’t need you. You actually need us more than we need you.”
“We refuse to acknowledge that we did anything wrong,” Kirk went on to say. “You do not apologize to these people…Make sure that the bad guys do not win. It only makes them more powerful.”
While some within conservative circles have reacted to the spotlight being placed on high profile transgender women such as Levine and college athlete Lia Thomas with anger and disgust, other evangelical leaders are urging Christians to maintain empathy even in the face of profound ideological and theological disagreements.
Last year, ChurchLeaders interviewed pastor, author, and executive director of The Messy Grace Group Caleb Kaltenbach. Through The Messy Grace Group, Kaltenbach helps leaders, Christian organizations, and churches develop influence with LGBTQ individuals without sacrificing theological convictions.
“The less we assume about individuals, the easier it will be for us to get to know them,” Kaltenbach said. “We don’t ever want to be people who participate in the culture war. And sometimes I think we can unknowingly and unintentionally start participating.”
