By Ray Cardello for June 12, 2026, Season 31 / Post 48

I admit I have a difficult time discussing the transgender subject because I do not believe in the concept, which makes all my other reasons moot. I do not understand the terminology and, therefore, the arguments. Non-binary and bisexual shut me down because I do not feel confident discussing, let alone debating, these terms created to justify a premise. That premise being that your birth gender and the fact that birth is a creation of a homosexual relationship is open to debate. Some believe there are as many as 2 dozen genders and that the terms “male” and “female” are not inclusive. The rest of us file this as fabricated trash that you can file with Global Warming, and windmills will power the world. Since the 70s, there has been an explosion in the number of gay people in America, and now we have a growing number of young people who do not identify with their birth gender and want a change. I believe both trends are driven by social media and are not “real” biological issues that warrant attention.

The media and big business are trying to give credibility to these anti-mainstream characteristics. The media glorifies them, and big business aims advertising at both. Even the medical field has gotten on the bandwagon, and they should know better. I had to preregister for a medical appointment this week and was disturbed by some of the questions:

1. What is your birth gender?
2. What gender do you identify as?
3. What is your sexual orientation?
4. What is your preferred pronoun?

Other than the first, I am not sure how the others relate to my BP or Cholesterol numbers.

There is talk that 2026 may be the last celebration of June as Gay Pride Month. At a time when people are so obsessed with inclusion, why should we celebrate any specific sector? Mass retailer Target has taken heat over its “in your face” approach to marketing gay or rainbow products and has yielded to the majority of consumers and toned down its efforts. Many more states are passing laws preventing minors from receiving gender altering medication or surgery. Common sense may be making a comeback.

I heard a young transgender individual, who I think was a girl, testifying before some board discussing transgender rights. She claimed that society is pushing all transgender individuals into a box and denying all individual rights, which is but another existential cry and could not be further from the truth. Yes, we are trying to protect children from making body-altering decisions they will regret as they mature. Still, the only societal concerns are to keep biological males out of young girls’ spaces like restrooms and locker rooms, and off the girls’ sports fields, courts, or pools. The former is for decency and safety, while the latter is for fairness and safety. These concerns should be obvious to any thinking person.

I mentioned this girl’s claim as existential. That word has been overused so many times that it no longer has meaning. We need to lean less on emotion and more on science and facts, and it will diffuse many of these claims and debates.

Author’s note: Graphics created by Grok AI