Democrat Candidate Says Christians Who Oppose Trans Ideology Are Racist
Iowa Conference: The United Methodist Church.
Posted For: Rotorblade
A Democratic candidate running for Congress in Iowa previously argued that opposition to LGBT ideology among Evangelical Christians is driven more by cultural and racial concerns than by religious beliefs.
Sarah Trone Garriott, a Lutheran minister and former Iowa state senator, is seeking to represent Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District and hopes to defeat Republican Rep. Zach Nunn. Remarks she delivered during an October 2023 speech at Ames First United Methodist Church have drawn renewed attention.
Speaking on the topic of Christian nationalism, Trone Garriott said Evangelical communities often define themselves by reacting to perceived threats. She identified the LGBT movement as one of those developments that challenges long-standing cultural norms.
According to Trone Garriott, shifting ideas about gender and relationships disrupt traditional expectations about social roles. She argued that these changes can be seen as especially unsettling to traditional concepts of male authority, particularly those tied to white male leadership, because they introduce ambiguity into longstanding definitions of men and women.
She also addressed recent policy debates, including legislation focused on parental rights, school policies, and education. Trone Garriott suggested that such measures — including restrictions on certain books in schools and laws governing participation in sports — have become part of broader cultural conflicts in communities and state legislatures.
In her speech, she claimed that some political arguments frame these policies as protecting women and girls, while also appealing to the idea that men have a duty to defend them from perceived threats. She criticized that framing, describing it as portraying women as fragile and in need of protection.
While serving in the Iowa State Senate, Trone Garriott voted against legislation that would have restricted biological males from competing in girls’ sports and opposed a proposal aimed at preventing minors from undergoing transgender medical procedures.
Republican spokesman Zach Kraft criticized her positions, arguing that they do not reflect the views of many voters in Iowa. He accused her of using religious language to support progressive political ideas and predicted voters would reject her candidacy.
Much of Trone Garriott’s speech also focused on criticism of what she described as the influence of white male leadership within certain Christian circles. She pointed to well-known figures in Evangelical Christianity, including evangelist Billy Graham, arguing that their public image reinforced traditional masculine ideals.
She also questioned traditional Evangelical interpretations of Christian theology. During the speech, Trone Garriott said there are multiple ways to understand the meaning of Christ’s death on the cross and suggested that Christian teachings have been shaped by cultural forces over time.
Trone Garriott further argued that some forms of Christianity have been intertwined with what she described as systems of white patriarchal power.
In discussing the Bible, she also commented on the writings of the Apostle Paul, describing him as an influential figure but noting that he lived within the cultural context of his era.
Trone Garriott previously served as a minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, a denomination generally considered more theologically progressive than the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.
About Post Author
