We told you this was coming.
We warned you it would happen. We were not crying wolf. We were telling you the truth.
On April 8, 2019, a so-called "human rights tribunal" in Canada ruled that a Christian must pay $55,000 to a provincial politician because he referred to this politician as a "biological male" in a political pamphlet. The politician in question, Morgane Oger (born Ronan Oger), is a biological male. However, he has since "transitioned," and is living his life as a "transgender woman." According to the decision, Bill Whatcott must compensate Oger for injuring the latter's "dignity, feelings and self-respect."
The chilling precedent set by this case can be illustrated by one flabbergasting fact: The judge in the case refused to allow Whatcott's lawyer to offer testimony showing that, in point of fact, Oger is a biological male. According to the judge,
"The 'truth' of [Whatcott's] statements in the flyer is not a defense." As such, said the judge, "evidence is simply not relevant to the legal issue..."
Read that again. Let it sink in. Truth is not a defense. Evidence doesn't matter. What matters is whether someone's feelings were hurt. And thus, with a stroke of the pen, the rule of law is replaced with the rule of feelings. But as Whatcott has just learned—and I suspect many more are about to learn—feelings can be far more ruthless and unyielding taskmasters than laws.
What an incredible miscarriage of justice. What an assault of freedom of speech and expression.
John Carpay, president of the Justice Center for Constitutional Freedom, which defended Whatcott, noted in protest that, “The Supreme Court of Canada has long held that freedom of expression is the lifeblood of democracy.” But not when it crosses the ‘sacred’ lines of transgender activism. Freedom stops there.
Carpay added, “Society is full of people with diverse views and the Tribunal’s decision undermines the foundational principles of the free society and jeopardizes the health of Canada’s democracy.”
Precisely so. But, as we have stated often, this was always the end-goal of radical LGBT activism: the opposition must be silenced. And until it is legally silenced, it must be socially shamed.
In reality, some of these laws are already on the books in America, with New York City calling for fines up to $250,000 for “misgendering” someone in the workplace. (This was put in place in 2015.) And in 2016, “A transgender schoolteacher in Oregon won a $60,000 settlement from a school district after co-workers allegedly failed to address the teacher by the proper gender pronouns.” (For examples from the UK, see here and here.)
Now, in Canada, a Christian activist has been fined $55,000 for the “hateful” act of misgendering an adult male. How soon before this reaches America?
Is the water hot enough for the frog to take notice?
When bill C-16 (the Trans Rights Bill) was being debated in Canada, Prof. Jordan Peterson opined that, under this new law, he could go to jail for refusing to follow transgender speech guidelines. For making such claims, he was ridiculed. As expressed in an article on Vice, “No, the Trans Rights Bill Doesn’t Criminalize Free Speech”, University of Toronto Prof Jordan Peterson had made C-16 a rallying point for free speech advocates. But experts said he had it all wrong!
The Canadian tribunal, which issued a 104-page ruling, concluded that:
1) “Mr. Whatcott’s conduct was discrimination contrary to the Code” and that he must cease and desist from such action in the future;
2) he must “pay Oger $35,000 as compensation for injury to her dignity, feelings, and self‐respect;
3) he must “pay Oger $20,000 as costs for improper conduct”; and
4) he must pay Oger interest due. (The Code in question is the Human Rights Code.)
So, this was not the prediction of a “sky is falling” pessimist. This is happening, now. You may expect this in a city near you in the coming days. And eventually in our Universities, unless revival, repentance and reformation turns them around.
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“Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked” (Proverbs 21:26).