Coming to Jesus moment, or criminal offence? Bill C-4 strips Canadians of their freedom to choose

• By Adam Soos

PETITION: Ban Bill C-4

The Canadian government unanimously passed Bill C-4, which renders any counselling that encourages an individual to reduce non-heterosexual attraction or behaviour as illegal. Please sign the petition on this page to have this bill banned.

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Goal: 25,000 Signatures

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Send an email to ban Bill C-4

Send an email directly to the Canadian House of Commons, the Senate, and the Governor General Mary Simon.

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The newly-passed Bill C-4 strips people of their freedom. I would argue that coercive conversion therapy also strips away people’s freedom and undermines their fundamental dignity as human beings, which is why it has thankfully already been illegal in Canada for some time. The troubling new definitions in Bill C-4 are intentionally so broad-spanning that they render illegal everything from forced and abusive conversion tactics to a loving faith-leader respectfully sharing their faith's beliefs about human sexuality.

The politicians who passed this bill would like you to embrace the false notion that Bill C-4 is about inclusion and protection of marginalized communities, but it is not — in fact, it accomplishes the opposite entirely. A person questioning their gender or sexual orientation has every right to seek out a variety of perspectives. They should not be limited to only hearing state-approved anti-cisgendered and anti-heteronormative voices. Bill C-4 directly impedes peoples access to communities that might provide a strong support network to them, and it also undermines the impassioned efforts of religious communities who are willing to journey with and serve a person who is struggling to discover their identity.

Bill C-4 was celebrated by the virtually interchangeable Conservatives and Liberals alike, but they clearly either didn’t know or care just how adversely the law they were passing would impact countless Canadians.

One of those deeply affected was Hudson Byblow. Hudson experienced same-sex attraction and trans-ideation throughout a big portion of his life. He struggled for some time, until he reconnected with his Catholic faith. He found that as he grew in faith, his unwanted sexual attractions and trans-inclinations dissipated. As his faith grew, his non-heteronormative tendencies receded. Hudson is happy and grateful that this path was open to him, and he was happy to share his story with us.

Unfortunately, despite the feigned rhetoric of inclusivity and diversity surrounding Bill C-4, stories like Hudson’s might become altogether less common — in fact, they may technically be illegal. The folks who supported and counselled Hudson as he returned to his faith and reduced his non-heteronormative inclinations would under the letter of the law of Bill C-4 potentially be committing a crime in Canada today. Hudson’s story matters every bit as much as people out there who may have decided to transition or come out as gay, and yet Bill C-4 says that the way he found his happiness should be criminalized.

We live in a country where helping someone grow in their faith can now land you in jail. Bill C-4 takes as a given that all traditional perspectives, religious or otherwise, on human sexuality are wrong and ultimately criminal. It espouses progressive sexuality while condemning long-held sexual norms with a religious zeal and fervor that puts the inquisition to shame. Politicians in this country, and the folks who vote for them, have entirely lost touch with reality for that vast majority of Canadians — and in their efforts to include the marginalized, they have marginalized or outright criminalized the convictions of the vast majority.

If you agree that stories like Hudson’s matter, go to BanBillC4.com now to sign our petition and use our one-click email button to let politicians know that this ideologically-driven our-way-or-prison legislation has got to go.