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UNITED NATIONS
NEW ATTACK ON FREE SPEECH AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
by Babette Francis, April 16, 2011
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has recently praised
a UN Human Rights Council declaration urging the international community
to end violence against homosexual, bisexual and transgender individuals.
On March 22 she said: “Today 85 countries from every region of the
world joined together in a historic moment to state clearly that human
rights apply to everyone, no matter who they are or whom they love.”
Of course, people should never suffer violence because of whom they love,
but laws against assault apply to everyone. It is not only homosexuals
who are attacked because of whom they love. Heterosexual men also get
beaten up by heterosexual men because they are both after the same woman.
Clinton added, “Gay rights are human rights and human rights are
gay rights”, thus revealing the UN body’s real agenda, an incremental
step towards same-sex “marriage” and penalties for anyone who
opposes formal recognition of homosexual relationships, e.g., landladies
who do not wish to rent to homosexual couples.
Chuck Colson, a leading US Christian commentator writes: “The greatest
threat to religious liberty and free speech in the United States is on
the attack again … the ruthless, methodical attacks by gay-rights
groups on anyone who disagrees with them.
“Last year … we created an iPhone app for the Manhattan Declaration.
The app would allow users to read, sign and share the Manhattan Declaration
and its defence of human life, traditional marriage and religious freedom.
Apple said the app was ‘free from objectionable
material’. “But when a group that supports so-called ‘gay
marriage’ protested that the Declaration promoted ‘hate’
and ‘homophobia’ and was ‘anti-gay’, (which it wasn’t),
Apple removed the app from its iPhone store.”
Now, says Colson, the gay-rights groups have another target: Exodus International,
a Christian ministry that aims to free people from homosexuality. “A
left-wing group called Change.org placed enormous pressure on Apple to
discontinue the Exodus app. … Here’s what they said, and I quote:
‘Exodus’s message is hateful and bigoted’.“ A reviewer
… said it was ‘as dangerous to Christianity as al-Qaeda is to
Islam’.
This kind of libel would be laughable if it weren’t so dangerous.
…
“So now, in their eyes, and apparently also in Apple’s, not
only is standing for traditional marriage verboten, so is helping people
who no longer want to live a homosexual lifestyle. What’s their rallying
cry now? ‘Once you’re gay, we’ll make you stay’?
“But it’s not just about apps. It’s about freedom of speech,
the ability to participate in the marketplace of ideas. The gay-rights
groups have shown their fangs. Victory in the courts or in the legislatures
is not enough for them. They want to silence, yes, destroy those who don’t
agree with their agenda. So they target Christian groups and corporate
America to do just that.” (BreakPoint, March 24, 2011).
Controversy
In Australia, ANZ Bank and IBM withdrew their advertising from OnLine
Opinion, a forum which conscientiously presents both sides of controversial
issues, because it published an article by pro-family campaigner Bill
Muehlenberg criticising same-sex marriage.
In opposing the UN Human Rights Council declaration, the Vatican’s
Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi said: “People are being attacked for
taking positions that do not support sexual behaviour between people of
the same sex. “When they express moral beliefs or beliefs about human
nature, which may also be expressions of religious convictions, or state
opinions about scientific claims, they are stigmatised, and worse —
they are vilified, and prosecuted. … “The truth is, these attacks
are violations of fundamental human rights, and cannot be justified under
any circumstances.” (Catholic News Agency, March 22, 2011).
Meanwhile a radical transgender rights bill is being fast-tracked through
the legislature of the US state of Maryland. The bill, once passed, will
use the force of law to impose cross-dressing, transgenderism and a range
of related behaviours onto society against the will of citizens with traditional
or religious beliefs. It will require all Maryland employers, including
government agencies, to hire, promote and include cross-dressers in every
part of the workplace without discrimination, and provide “diversity”
training in businesses. Business-owners will be helpless — under
threat of lawsuit or punishment — not to have men in dresses waiting
on customers.
The laws will extend to public schools and day-care centres, which will
legally be unable to turn away cross-dressers and “transgenders”
from teaching or working with children. It will require transgenderism,
cross-dressing and related behaviours to be considered legally normal.
Thus, activists will be able to compel schools to have transgender assemblies
and activities including library books promoting transgenderism.
All real estate transactions will be covered — people will have no
choice when renting or selling homes. The Maryland bill defines “gender
identity” as “a gender-related identity or appearance of an
individual regardless of the individual’s assigned sex at birth”.
Transgender employees will no longer be restricted to using either male
or female lavatories in stores, restaurants, bars, schools, day-care facilities
or other places of employment. Employers may not require a genetic test
to determine the actual gender of an employee or applicant.
Babette Francis, B.Sc. (Hons), is national coordinator of Endeavour
Forum Inc.
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