The Canadian legislature is to make it an criminal offence to discriminate against transgender people and other people of differing sexual orientation, such as lesbian, trans, questioning etc. The question has been raised among academics whether using the pronouns ‘he’, ‘she’ etc if the person does not wish it is discriminatory under provincial law. Citizens are advised to keep the new pronouns – up to 27 categories – on their mobile phones alongside the name of the person to avoid breaking the law.
Is this survival of the nuttiest? Charles Darwin must be spinning in his grave.
More nonsense. I’m glad I don’t live in Canada, I hope this idiocy doesn’t happen here.
These people don’t seem to understand that freedom is a two way street – a transaction, (“trans” action!) or negotiation. The mutilated male who minces about in a mini skirt may have felt “forced” into his original male identity, but why should he force me out of my view of that identity? I might concede something to his obvious lunacy and possible distress out of manners, but one should not be obliged to do so – least of all by law.
I will read this piece eventually, but for now, I simply wish to mention that the Ontario government has no jurisdiction to enact criminal law.
Signed, Mr Pettifoggery
Correct, but…
‘Bill C-16, currently before Canada’s parliament, prohibits discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act on the basis of gender identity and expression. The bill covers the federal government and federally regulated industries like banks or airlines. It also extends hate speech provisions under Canada’s criminal code to transgendered people.
‘”I don’t think any legal expert would say using an inappropriate pronoun, while not something that respects the human rights of trans people, would ever result in a criminal conviction,” said Kyle Kirkup, a law professor with the University of Ottawa who specialises in gender identity and sexuality law.
But Dr Peterson could face sanction under Ontario’s human rights code, which extended protection to trans people in 2012.
‘Penalties range from fines and damages to mandatory anti-discrimination training.’
From http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37875695 – read the whole piece and judge for yourself how free speech is in Canada.
OK, I’ll be the first to articulate the obvious reaction: this is what it takes to make Donald Trump seem like the voice of reason; this is what America has voted against!