A California bill (AB 175) to force foster care parents to use transgendered pronouns got another nod from California legislators in March, 2019, when the bill was approved by the Assembly Judiciary Committee 8-3 (see votes). California Family Council spokesman Greg Burt warned legislators the bill would discourage Christians from fostering and violate their free speech rights, but the pleas were ignored.
First is the issue of morality. It is wrong to teach foster kids they have a right to force another person to say words that person doesn’t believe. In any other context this would be unthinkable.
When a child or even an adult tries to make another person say something that contradicts that person’s belief system, it’s rude and obnoxious. But when a government gets involved and tries to mandate the words that come out of person’s mouth, it’s tyrannical.
The First Amendment not only protects our freedom to speak words the government doesn’t like, but also prohibits the government from compelling us to say words or promote ideas we don’t believe. This committee learned that the hard way last year when the US Supreme Court invalided one of the laws this committee approved several years ago. Here is what Justice Anthony Kennedy said when he, and four other justices, struck down the Reproductive Fact Act as unconstitutional.
“Governments must not be allowed to force persons to express a message contrary to their deepest convictions. Freedom of speech secures freedom of thought and belief. This law imperils those liberties.”
No one wants to be forced to say what they do not believe.
When you force transgender pronouns on someone who believes gender is binary and determined by biology, you are compelling speech.
Bill Update: AB 175 has cleared the Assembly Judiciary and Human Services Committees, and now waits to be scheduled for a hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. See previous votes here.
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“Woe to those who enact evil statutes And to those who constantly record unjust decisions” (Isaiah 10:1).