On Monday, radio hosts on AM 980 KKMS made the false claim that the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and the inclusion of gay, lesbian, and bisexual troops in the military has led to an increase in sexual assaults in the Armed Forces, and that if schools allow the inclusion of LGBT students — in particular transgender students — schools will see an increase in sexual assaults.

Paul Ridgeway, host of On the Way with Ridgeway, and Gary Borgendale, KKMS’ Local Ministry Director, shared a half hour with guest Elaine Addison of Addison Interior Designs. The trio discussed a bill at the Minnesota Legislature that, if passed, would bar schools from implementing gender inclusive policies.

Ridgeway began the discussion by reading a letter from an unnamed listener who works at the Minnesota Capitol.

[sws_blue_box box_size=”100″]Ridgeway: But then I got a letter. I want our listeners to hear this. It’s a very troubling and i won’t — the person’s asked me not to use their name because they work over at the legislature in a very important position, but the person said:
“Dear friends. I found myself awake at 3am on Mother’s Day with a heavy heart. As I prayed, I felt the lord tell me to get up and write to you and why? My protective mother instincts are on high alert because my cubs are being threatened. Some are working hard to make our schools and culture genderless. Minneapolis and St. Paul schools have already passed policies allowing students to use the bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers of the opposite sex as long as they identify with that gender. Every other school district in Minnesota is under tremendous pressure to do the same. My heart goes out to the kids that struggle to accept the bodies God knit for them in their mothers wombs, but for policy-makers to ignore the legitimate privacy and safety concerns of the rest of Minnesota kids in an attempt to affirm kids rights to choose their gender, it’s just not right. Why should our young girls be forced to change for gym class in front of boys. There are ten lawmakers on a joint committee of the Minnesota House and Senate that are right now this week deciding whether to keep a student privacy bill in the larger education bill that will be presented to both the House and Senate for a full vote by the Minnesota legislature. This extremely short bill defines sex for purposes of school bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers as one biological sex. It restricts access to the same based on biological sex and it allows schools to make special private accommodations for students students struggling with gender identity. Well, to you and me this student privacy bill may seen like a reasonable and compassionate way to accommodate students struggling with gender identity while maintaining safe and private facilities for the rest of kids. These ten lawmakers are being bombarded by lesbian, gay, bisexual activists to take the student privacy bill out of the omnibus education bill so they can continue to pressure school districts to follow the Minneapolis and St. Paul genderless bathroom policies.” [/sws_blue_box]

Ridgeway, Borgendale, and Addison then went on to discuss the letter.

[sws_blue_box box_size=”100″]Ridgeway: I’m going to be putting on our website — talking to Gary to getting the ten legislators, five in the house conference committee and five in the Senate. In the Senate are all DFLers except one. The House side all are Republicans but we can’t even assume Republicans, Gary, that they are going to really hold firm for some of these things.
Borgendale: No and that’s very true, Paul, because there’s a lot of pressure and you know you have a different component of the legislators. Some are very strong Christian conservatives and others are conservatives with not a faith background and so that when they hear these things relative to genderless society they have no foundation that would do against what that is being placed upon them.
Ridgeway: Can you imagine though, Elaine, the damage that can happen and this person who is very bright said that we are pushing towards a genderless society in Minnesota or there won’t be male female. You just define whatever you want. Think of the ramifications of doctor offices, schools, jobs — everywhere. Schools. I mean it’s unbelievable.
Addison: Well once again, it’s the minority that is taking control and trying to pass the laws and this is where Christians, us Christians, have to rise up. The church needs to start rising up. The church need to start rising up and speaking out to the schools, to the legislatures, to the senators and saying we are not taking this because there again you know we talk about the Muslims being quiet. I believe sometimes the church is very quiet on these things and think, well there’s another group that will take care of that. But the church as a whole needs to start rising up and saying no more we will not take this.
Ridgeway: Amen
Borgendale: I think the very important thing is understanding here’s our daughters and granddaughters and our sons and grandsons, that they’re going to be put in bathrooms of the opposite gender and there’s no concern for that, there’s no…
Ridgeway: It seems like no big deal…
Addison: Right.
Borgendale: Right. I think that one of the things you’ve observed in the military, the sexual assaults that have increased dramatically since they removed Don’t Ask Don’t Tell…
Addison: Yes
Borgendale: That’s the same type of thing that you are going to see in the public schools.
Addison: Mmm hmm.
Ridgeway: I think that… I mean its just common sense. Forget about being a Christian or not a Christian — of course we are all three Christians — but do I want my 7 year grand daughter who happens to be five but let’s just say, well 5 year old grand daughter in the school showering with a with a 5 year old boy. It’s insanity. I tell you folks this is from the pits of hell.
Addison: Yes, I agree. [/sws_blue_box]

The claim that sexual assaults have increased in the military due to inclusion of gay, lesbian and bisexual service members can be traced to the Family Research Council, a group the Southern Poverty Law Center has designated a hate group. In 2013, the group blamed an increase in sexual assaults on the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. People for the American Way fact-checked that claim:

Not only is the rate of sexual assault much higher for women in the armed forces than for men, since they make up a much smaller percentage of the active-duty force, but the recent increase in sexual assault has primarily impacted female servicemembers. According to CNN, “The Defense Department data from 2010 to 2012 found that the prevalence of unwanted sexual contact increased for active duty women and remained unchanged for active duty men.”

That claim was again raised by David Benkof, a “former homosexual” who wrote a column for the Daily Beast in 2014 asserting the claim.

Media Matters notes:

Benkof’s claim that DADT repeal is responsible for a rise in military rapes is patently false. A study by Palm Center, a research institute focused on sexuality and the military, has found no evidence that open service has led to increased sexual assault. Nor, the center reported, did repeal lead to a decline in military cohesion or morale, as Benkof asserts.

Here’s the full audio of the exchange on On the Way with Ridgeway on KKMS: