Bill 33 will make religious freedom unlawful in Ontario

As if Bill 13 weren’t unjust enough, there’s another piece of misguided Liberal legislation called Bill 33 that has passed second reading and will soon probably become law in Ontario. Bill 33 has, for the most part, gone under the radar because of all the public criticism of Bill 13. We must say public attention since most of the mainstream media have declared a blackout in their coverage. The Liberals are politically doing all they can to pass both Bills 13 and 33. The legislation proposed in Bill 33, known as Toby’s Act, is to provide additional legal backing for the right to be free from discrimination and harassment based on "gender identity" and "gender expression". Bill 33 covers the workplace while Bill 13 will do the same thing in schools. The deceptive end game is the same: Legally force Ontarians to accept and try to normalize all the socially constructed "sexual orientations".

Bill 33 is designed to further liberalize the Ontario Human Rights Code. There's a very good chance you never heard of these major changes to the Ontario Human Rights Code being considered through this new legislation. With this in mind, shouldn't we, in a democracy, be asking this question: Why does our government not consult with its citizens when considering the passage of a law that will have huge social and moral repercussions for both present and future generations?

Tabled by NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo, Bill 33 will amend the Ontario Human Rights Code. There are a number of changes proposed, but essentially it’s about inserting the words "gender identity" and "gender expression" wherever the term sexual orientation currently appears in the document. In total, there are seven Sections and Subsections of the Bill where this new language will be added. In Subsection 7 (1, 2) of the Bill, the revised version will add the words “because of sex” and the new wording will state, “because of sex, gender identity or gender expression”. 

The terms "gender identity" and "gender expression" are fluid and thus difficult to clearly define. However, should anyone question their definition you're likely to be labelled as being a bigot and intolerant. Even worse you may be accused of being "homophobic", a word with no clinical or legal meaning, but  which serves to arrest open discussion of the topic. Thus, Ontario citizens are being legislated into accepting the decoupling of human sexuality from biology. Socially constructed sexual orientations will trump natural law and religious beliefs.

Bill 33 proposes to drastically change the Ontario Rights Code by specifying that every person has the right to "equal treatment" without discrimination based on gender identity or gender expression. This "equal treatment" will apply in Ontario in the following areas: services, accommodation, contracting, employment and membership in a trade union or a self-governing profession. Currently the Standing Committee on Social Policy is holding hearings, but the bill is expected to pass third reading and if the governing Liberals have their way it will become law in Ontario.

Bill 33 and Bill 13 are designed to legally force all citizens to accept sexual orientations and gender identity.  However, if every citizen has the right to "equal treatment" than why does Bill 33 give preferential treatment to one group by referring to gender identity and gender expression? We can only assume that if we say every person is equal before the law, then we mean every person has a right to equal treatment. Otherwise Orwell's fictional Animal Farm has now become the new reality in Ontario Farm with all the doublespeak and the "some are more equal than others" proposed legislation.

Let's be clear: Bill 33 is more deceptive legislation claiming to be about human rights when in fact it will put the arm of the law against Christians and every cultural group that, if they obey the law, must reject their own teaching about human sexuality, the family and parental rights. Make no mistake about it. Bill 33 will make religious beliefs about these all important issues, illegal. Bill 33, along with Bill 13, is another attack on religious and multicultural freedom. 

A good and just law should protect parental rights, religious liberty and freedom of conscience. Bill 33 does none of that. Bill 13 does none of that. Without these protections, Ontario and Canada will never be great places to live and raise children because true human liberty and religious freedom, the building blocks of the Common Good, have been made illegal. God help us if this happens.