Cultural change requires more than just a vibe shift

It’s tempting, amid a flurry of recent cultural wins, to think we’re finally turning the tide. From the Olympic Committee reaffirming the integrity of women’s sports, to the University of Pennsylvania issuing an apology and legal settlement over its transgender policy, to major corporations quietly dismantling DEI initiatives, many are calling it a “vibe shift.” But we’d be mistaken to spike the football too early.

Kristen Waggoner, CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom, recently made a crucial observation. Many of the legal victories we’re celebrating are merely defensive maneuvers. They’re important, but they are not the same as real, enduring cultural change. A “vibe shift” may reflect a change in public mood, but that’s not the same as building a culture where objective truth and virtue essential to human flourishing are once again honored.

Consider this: Thanks to the Mahmoud Supreme Court case in Maryland, parents in all states now have the legal right to opt their children out of radical gender ideology in public schools. But the harmful, sexually explicit material is still there. Thanks to the Skrmetti decision, all states can now protect children from chemical and physical mutilation. But many others continue to allow it. Thanks to the Medina decision, all states can now remove Planned Parenthood from Medicaid funding. But the abortion giant still profits by ending thousands of unborn lives in many states, including Maryland. The abortion pill reversal exists, but more than 60% of abortions now happen via chemical means, often purchased on the internet, and too often without proper medical supervision.

Continued below.