Will Bill C-6 Take Away Our Freedom to Speak on Sex and Gender?
What is Bill C-6?
Bill C-6 was introduced to the Canadian House of Commons on October 1, 2020. The stated purpose of the bill is to criminalize conversion therapy practices in Canada, which Bill C-6 defines as
A practice, treatment or service designed to change a person’s sexual orientation to heterosexual or gender identity to cisgender, or to repress or reduce non-heterosexual attraction or sexual behaviour.
What's the problem with Bill C-6?
Certainly, all Canadians should stand in solidarity against any coercive practice or treatment that would seek to alter a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity against their will.
While this may be the stated intention of Bill C-6, the legislation contains language and definitions that are so vague and ambiguous that it threatens to criminalize other freedoms, such as
- A healthcare provider’s right to counsel or treat patients according to their professional judgement or personal conscience
- A parent’s right to teach and pass on their religious beliefs about human sexuality and gender
- A pastor’s, rabbi’s, or imam’s right to teach sexual ethics according to their sacred and historical religious beliefs
On December 11, 2020, the Justice Committee presented its report on Bill C-6. Rather than listening to the recommendations from 28 separate witnesses asking for clarification, the Justice Committee amended and returned Bill C-6 to the House of Commons with its scope and ambiguity extended to include “gender expression.”
In its current form, Bill C-6 poses a real threat to Canadian freedoms, including those that allow Christian to practice and pass on their faith.