In 1938 a British play entitled “Gaslight” premiered at the Richmond Theatre in London. The story was set in the 1880s when streetlamps and gaslights were cutting edge technology in the fog shrouded streets and dim parlors of London.

In the story, Jack Manningham uses deceptive tactics to convince his wife Bella that she is losing her mind. Jack covertly turns down the gas-lamps occasionally and mutters to himself as he searches for jewels in an empty apartment just above the one in which he and his wife have made their home.

When Bella questions Jack about the voices she hears from the empty upstairs apartment and why the lights dim at the strangest times, he insists that everything is okay and questions whether her grasp on reality is slipping.

The play became an international sensation. It crossed the Atlantic in 1941 and became a tremendous hit on Broadway under the name “Angel Street.” The show ran continuously through the war years and even found success on the silver screen in both Britain and America.

Though it closed in 1944, it achieved immortality by coining a term that found its way into the lexicon where it is used to describe a specific kind of psychological manipulation where a victim becomes convinced that what they clearly see is wrong and possibly even the result of their own misperception; That the lies of the victimizer are right because they must be seeing things more clearly.

Last week, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra declared that state-sponsored travel to the state of Idaho would be banned because Idaho voted to save the promise of Title IX and reserve girls’ sports for girls. The legislation that preserves this promise does not restrict anyone from playing sports, it just makes sure that biological girls will compete on a level playing field as they strive to earn sports scholarships for the dream of higher education.

The California Attorney General used a method that has become all-too common in our society today. In the Cheyenne paper just last month, two articles were reprinted from the Los Angeles Times praising what they term “queer” ideology and implying that a scientific view of human sexuality was demeaning. Wyoming and American citizens are bombarded by movies, articles, concerts, and rallies proposing that science and objective reality are wrong and that anyone who would believe such a thing is morally wrong as well.

I raise this concern because Christians and conservatives can sometimes grow dispirited under such a horrifying onslaught. Time and again, this year, I have heard Christians share the sadness in their hearts. Whether it is the Superbowl halftime show, the marches that go on in celebration of the extremes of the sexual revolution, or the challenge of being called a bigot when it is genuine love that truly defines our character, some Christians start to wonder if reality is worth fighting for.

At Family Policy Alliance of Wyoming®, we are committed to encouraging you in the struggle for truth. We challenge you to put on your spiritual armor every day and be strong in the Lord and the power of His might.

God’s pure light shines through the dimming lamps. Keep your eyes on Him!

Sincerely,

Nathan Winters
Executive Director

Last month, Idaho Governor Brad Little (R) signed into law the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, which protects the integrity of girls’ sports by limiting participation to biological women.

That momentous victory came after Family Policy Alliance of Idaho shepherded the bill to a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers and to the governor’s desk for a signature. Thousands of you wrote letters encouraging him to sign or thanking him when he signed – your voice was heard!

Despite the overwhelming support for this common-sense and groundbreaking law in Idaho and across the nation,  the ACLU threatened that victory by filing a lawsuit against the state. Your voice is needed now to encourage the Idaho Attorney General to vigorously defend the law.

The ACLU wants a federal court to strike down the law and allow boys to compete in girls’ sports – even though this puts girls at a great disadvantage because boys often have greater muscle mass, lung capacity, and bone density than female athletes. When boys compete in girls’ categories, the competition can be over before it even begins.

We need your help to stop the ACLU’s attempt to deny athletic opportunities for girls.

This law is the first of its kind in the nation, so it’s important that we defend it. We need to make sure our daughters are protected and pave the way for other states to adopt similar protections.

Without Fairness in Women’s Sports, even the most talented female athletes will enter sporting competitions knowing that they may lose to a biological male. That’s what happened in Connecticut, where three track stars are suing because they lost out on championships and other opportunities when biological boys (who said they were girls) beat them at a state track meet.

Let’s put an end to that trend – starting in Idaho. Please take 30 seconds to send a message to Idaho’s Attorney General, Lawrence Wasden, and ask him to vigorously defend this law.

When you wrote to Governor Little, your message was loud and clear: Our girls are counting on fair competition. Help us send Attorney General Wasden the same message to protect sports in Idaho and reignite a trend of fair sports nationwide.

Will you join us?

Blaine Conzatti

Advocacy Director
Family Policy Alliance of Idaho