The progressive movement, in many ways, is about making a mockery of life and sexual identity. From a transgender stripper at a homelessness conference to “abortion is magical” candles, it appears like some of the most serious issues affecting our country are being trivialized by the very people who claim they want to help.

Homelessness is a growing problem in the United States. This is especially true in Western states like California and Washington where politicians and advocates have struggled to maintain the peace between the homeless population and some of the nation’s wealthiest individuals. Nonprofits and state entities around the country are given billions of dollars in funding to try and help those in need, some dealing with severe mental illness and drug abuse. It’s a serious issue, but one group in Seattle had a particularly odd way of showing concern for the city’s homeless citizens.

During a conference on homelessness, Kira Zylstra, the acting director of King County’s All Home coordinating agency for homelessness, decided to use taxpayer money to fund the performance of a transgender stripper for the conference attendees at lunch. Many were appalled, especially as a video of the performance started circling social media. Zylstra was initially suspended and put under investigation but has since resigned. 

The theme of the conference was the progressively appropriate, “decolonizing our collective work,” and the striptease was considered a “cultural presentation.” 

Good to know one state’s taxpayer dollars are being put to good use. 

This is another horrid example of progressive politics and inclusion gone amuck. How is it appropriate to hire a transgender stripper and claim that the performance is somehow “culturally relevant?” The thousands of Americans who are sleeping on the streets deserve more than this excessive and stomach-turning display. According to one report, some people also felt that the highly sexualized performance forced people to participate “without prior consent.” The performer, known as Beyoncé Black St. James, also collected dollar bills from the audience as part of the set.

Christopher Rufo, a journalist who was sent a video of the event, commented on Twitter, “As the video shows, the programming has nothing to do with helping people on the streets—it’s about affirming a radical ideology that puts identity politics above solving real problems. For years, Seattle has claimed that it ‘needs more resources’ to solve homelessness, but as the video shows, they find it totally appropriate to pay for a transgender stripper to grind on members of the region’s homelessness nonprofits and taxpayer-funded organizations. It’s not a lack of resources that prevents Seattle from solving homelessness; it’s a lack of leadership. According to the Puget Sound Business Journal, King County spends more than $1 billion a year on homelessness programs—but have failed to deliver results for decades.” 

In Texas, pro-abortion organization Texas Equal Access (TEA) claims that it “provides financial assistance to people who need help paying for an abortion in northern Texas.” The organization recently had its annual Christmas party and passed out holiday favors, including candles labeled “Abortions are Magical” in various colors.

On Twitter, the group wrote, “Getting our holiday party favors ready! Every year we honor our volunteers and make sure they get a token of appreciation at our annual holiday party.”

It was a frivolous way to treat what may be the most profound and devastating moment in a woman’s life. Abortion, regardless of what pro-abortion activists preach, is far from magical. Even women who are pro-abortion often talk about the procedure as an utterly terrible experience. In no way is it “magical” nor should it be. Abortion is a deadly serious decision. A life is a life, no matter how small, and abortion (almost) always results in the death of a preborn baby. That isn’t something to take lightly.

A stripper is by no means the solution to the homelessness problem, and a candle that says “abortion is magical” is never going to help a woman struggling with the aftermath of her decision to have an abortion. The life of a homeless man on the streets has value, as does a preborn baby. These precious lives deserve better advocacy than candles and strippers.

 

Photo from Twitter