When I first read about Tish Hyman being removed from a Gold’s Gym after complaining about a biological man in the women’s locker room, I felt a mix of sadness, conviction, and deep concern. As Christians, we must look beyond the headlines and ask the right question: What does Scripture say about truth, compassion, and God’s design for humanity?
For context, the original story was reported by the New York Post (LA singer says her Gold’s Gym membership was revoked after heated confrontation with “man” using women’s locker room).
Christians can show compassion toward those struggling with identity while standing firm on biblical truth that God created us male and female. The Tish Hyman case reminds us that love never requires abandoning truth.
The Cultural Moment We’re Living In
We’re living in a time when truth itself is being redefined. What was once common sense, that men and women are biologically distinct, is now considered controversial. I don’t say that in anger, but in grief for a culture that has traded truth for confusion.
This isn’t about hatred or exclusion. It’s about protecting what God Himself called good. In Genesis 1:27, we read, “So God created mankind in His own image; in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.” That verse doesn’t leave room for ambiguity. Our gender is not a social construct, it’s a divine imprint.
For more on how culture distorts moral truth, see Biblical Truth vs. Cultural Relativism: What Should Christians Believe?
When Compassion Becomes Compromise
I want to be clear that people who experience gender dysphoria deserve compassion. They’re not the enemy. Many of them are deeply hurting, wrestling with confusion and pain. Jesus never turned away from the brokenhearted, and neither should we.
But compassion doesn’t mean compromise. It’s possible, and necessary, to love someone without affirming something that contradicts God’s Word. Ephesians 4:15 calls us to “speak the truth in love.” That’s the balance we must hold.
When we tell someone that their feelings define their identity, we’re not loving them, we’re helping them believe a lie. Real love tells the truth even when it’s uncomfortable.
Why This Matters Beyond One Gym
This issue isn’t about a single gym policy. It’s a reflection of a larger spiritual battle. Romans 1:25 describes humanity’s tendency to “exchange the truth about God for a lie.” That’s what’s happening here.
When a woman like Tish Hyman speaks up for her safety and privacy, and the culture punishes her for it, that’s not justice, it’s moral inversion. The people claiming to protect “inclusion” are often excluding those who hold biblical convictions.
God’s design for modesty and boundaries exists for everyone’s good. 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 reminds us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. That truth applies in locker rooms as much as it does in worship services.
The Biblical Case for Sex-Based Privacy
Scripture repeatedly affirms that modesty, order, and boundaries are part of God’s design. Deuteronomy 22:5 says, “A woman shall not wear a man’s garment, nor shall a man put on a woman’s cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord.” This isn’t about clothing preferences. It’s about honoring God’s created distinction between male and female.
Allowing biological men into women’s private spaces erases that distinction. It tells women that their safety and privacy matter less than someone else’s self-perception. That is not equality, it’s confusion masquerading as compassion.
The Logical and Moral Reality
Even outside of Scripture, common sense supports what the Bible teaches. Women’s locker rooms exist because biology matters. Every logical person understands that when modesty is compromised, safety and dignity are at risk.
God’s truth doesn’t contradict reality, it defines it. When culture rejects that truth, chaos follows. Proverbs 14:12 warns, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”
We’re watching a moral reversal where people who tell the truth are shamed, and those who distort it are celebrated. The Bible reminds us in Isaiah 5:20, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.”
What the Tish Hyman Case Reveals About Biblical Truth and Compassion
So how do we respond as believers? We don’t retaliate with hatred or mockery. We respond with grace and conviction. Jesus modeled both perfectly. He didn’t avoid truth to keep the peace, but He also didn’t weaponize it to win an argument.
We can follow that example. When we encounter stories like Tish Hyman’s, we can express empathy for those struggling while still defending biblical truth about gender, privacy, and safety. The goal isn’t to win a culture war. It’s to bear witness to God’s unchanging design.
If you’d like to read more about how Christians can stand on truth while showing love, visit The Christian Response to Gender Ideology
Truth Without Fear
If we stay silent, confusion will fill the vacuum. Christians can’t afford to retreat into silence because truth has consequences. Silence often signals surrender.
But speaking up requires courage and humility. The moment we abandon either, we stop reflecting Christ. Courage says, “This is what God’s Word teaches.” Humility says, “And I say it with love, because I want freedom for every soul.”
That balance is rare, but it’s exactly what’s needed right now.
Should Christians Support Gender-Neutral Facilities?
Some people argue that the solution is creating gender-neutral locker rooms or bathrooms. On the surface, it may seem compassionate, but biblically, it’s not the answer.
God created two sexes, not three categories of identity. Establishing separate “gender-neutral” spaces legitimizes the very confusion Scripture warns against. It replaces compassion with compromise.
That doesn’t mean we can’t make practical accommodations for privacy, such as single-use restrooms that protect everyone’s dignity, but it should never come at the expense of affirming a falsehood.
Romans 12:9 says, “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.” Genuine love never affirms what is untrue.
Why Christians Must Speak Up
This controversy is not just about locker rooms. It’s about whether we still believe in truth as an absolute reality grounded in God’s Word.
If we truly love people, we must care about what’s true. We cannot help someone find peace by affirming something that separates them from the truth of who God made them to be.
Every believer has a voice in this conversation. Whether in our homes, churches, or online, we can stand up with both conviction and compassion. The goal is not to condemn, but to call people to the freedom found only in Christ.
Hope in a Confused World
The world is desperate for clarity, and the gospel provides it.
Through Christ, we find our identity not in our feelings, but in our Creator. Psalm 139 reminds us that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Every person, including those struggling with gender identity, is deeply loved by God. But love calls us to truth, not away from it.
I believe God is raising up voices right now to speak clearly and lovingly into this cultural confusion. The story of Tish Hyman isn’t just about a gym. It’s about a society deciding whether to honor God’s design or replace it with human preference.
Standing for Truth With Grace
I don’t know what will happen next for Tish Hyman or Gold’s Gym. But I do know that truth will stand when all else falls.
God’s design for male and female is not up for debate. It’s written into our biology, our DNA, and our very souls. No cultural pressure, no legislation, and no ideology can erase what God has spoken.
Still, the way we defend truth matters. As Christians, we’re called to do it with love, gentleness, and humility, never arrogance or anger. The cross reminds us that grace and truth always meet at Jesus.
In the end, our message must remain simple:
We can love people without lying to them. We can be compassionate without compromising. And we can be bold without being cruel.
As believers, we’re not just defending privacy or safety, we’re defending the truth of God’s creation itself.
Because truth without love is harsh, and love without truth is hollow. The world needs both, and only the gospel offers both perfectly.
Arch Kennedy
Bold, Unfiltered, and Unafraid
Watch my full commentary below:
When the World Is Silent: The Christian Genocide in Nigeria
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