Radical Gender Ideology Lacks Truth
If you’ve felt overwhelmed by the whirlwind of cultural conversations about gender, you’re not alone. Parents are bombarded with slogans like “live your truth” or “gender is a spectrum.” They sound compassionate, but beneath the surface they often lead to confusion rather than clarity, especially for our kids.
On a recent episode of Raising Gender Confident Kids, Dr. Kathy Koch reminded us of a simple but powerful truth: radical gender ideology is untethered from reality. It isn’t just a new way of looking at the world. It’s a distortion of what’s been clear for thousands of years.
A Truth That’s Always Been Clear
For generations, people, churchgoers or not, understood what it meant to be male or female. The Bible says, “Male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27). Science confirms this as well, with more than 6,500 cataloged biological differences between men and women. This isn’t arbitrary. It’s design.
Contrast that with what our kids encounter online: hashtags about gender confusion racking up billions of views, friends suddenly claiming new identities, and TikTok videos that frame radical ideas as normal. Two-thirds of sudden cases of gender dysphoria in girls are tied directly to immersion in online communities. That’s not discovery, it’s social contagion.
Kids Don’t Need More Data, They Need Formation
Here’s the real heart of the issue: our kids don’t have an information problem. They have a formation problem. They’re swimming in data, but starving for discipleship.
Truth gives them roots. Without it, they’ll try to build their identity on feelings, peer pressure, or shifting cultural messages. But when you, as a parent, anchor their five deepest needs (security, identity, belonging, purpose, and competence) in God, you help them grow with resilience no trend can shake.
See the Person, Not Just the Idea
It’s easy to treat “gender ideology” as just another cultural battle. But behind every idea is a person, often one who is hurting. Many kids wrestle with gender confusion because they’re longing for acceptance, or they don’t like something about themselves. Remember middle school? Most of us hated at least one thing about our bodies.
So when you talk with your kids, don’t just critique the idea, humanize the struggle. Say: “I know it’s hard when you don’t like something about yourself. I’ve felt that too.” Guide kids to grieve what isn’t. Let the disappointment be a place that spurs craving to redemption. Then, accept what is. Say, “But God designed you with care, and He doesn’t make mistakes.” That approach blends truth with compassion and invites them to rest in the security of God who Jesus says they are.
Making It Real at Home
Here are some ways you can bring this conversation to life in your family:
Talk it through. Ask, “Where did you hear that idea?” or “What do you think it means when someone says gender is a spectrum?” Listen first, then guide them toward truth.
Show it with stories. Share from your own life: times you felt insecure, but how God reminded you of your worth.
Model where to turn. When hard news breaks, stop and pray before you scroll. Let your kids see that your security is in God, not in social media updates.
Celebrate design. Tell your daughter how you admire her strength or creativity. Tell your son how you appreciate his tenderness or courage. Affirm God’s design in them out loud.
Using the Smarts to Make Truth Stick
Dr. Kathy’s 8 Great Smarts can help kids not just hear truth, but experience it:
Word Smart – Read Genesis 1 together and talk about creation.
Logic Smart – Discuss why biology proves two sexes, not dozens.
Picture Smart – Draw or collage images of God’s intentional design.
Music Smart – Learn or write songs about being fearfully and wonderfully made.
Body Smart – Play sports, dance, or build something, celebrating how their body works.
Nature Smart – Point out male and female roles in creation: birds, trees, or flowers.
People Smart – Role-play conversations about gender with friends.
Self Smart – Encourage journaling prayers about who God made them to be.
The Takeaway
Radical gender ideology is loud, but it’s not lasting. It lacks truth. Your kids don’t need to shout back at culture. They need to be discipled at home, in the quiet, steady rhythm of God’s Word and God’s love.
When you connect truth to their deepest needs and help them live it out in everyday life, you give them what no trend ever could: confidence in who they are, because they know Whose they are.
As Dr. Kathy says, “We don’t outshout culture. We outlast it with faithfulness.”