God calls us to love all equally, without exception

Reading the arguments about which bathrooms transgender people “should” be allowed to use feels painfully familiar. It echoes the not-so-distant days of the segregated South, when fearmongering and lies led to the torture and murder of Emmett Till for supposedly looking at a white woman.

Where does it stop? Are we really expected to stare at the floor, ceiling, or lockers while changing — much like Black people were once forced to avert their eyes — just to avoid being accused of looking at someone?

These digital-day lynchings and fear campaigns reveal how deeply rooted prejudice still poisons American society, manipulating us to fear those who are simply different.

And if we’re going to talk about protecting children, then we need to talk about facts. Read any credible report: it is not transgender people, gay people, or drag performers harming young girls. The overwhelming majority of abuse comes from those in positions of trust and power — brothers, fathers, preachers, coaches, and billionaires on private islands. It’s men with authority, not the marginalized, who pose the greatest risk.

The church I grew up in taught me something far simpler and far truer: to love all of God’s children equally, without exception.

BARBARA SCHRIBER

Sandpoint