Campaign Life Coalition (“CLC”) has expressed concerns to CAHN that it believes the 40 Ways publication implies that CLC is a fascist, far-right, ultra-nationalist group that opposes electoral politics. In the interests of open and democratic discourse, we take CLC’s concerns very seriously.
CAHN does not state that CLC is a fascist, ultra-nationalist group that opposes electoral politics. Nor did CAHN wish to imply that CLC is such an organization when it categorized CLC as a “Christian nationalist group which believes that Canada was founded on authoritarian conservative Christianity and should be governed accordingly today” in its 40 Ways publication. To the extent that this was unclear, CAHN wishes to apologize pursuant to the Apology Act, S.O. 2009, Chapter 3.
In listing CLC as an example of a “Christian nationalist group,” CAHN was instead referring to CLC’s self-definition as a national Christian organization which believes that Canada was founded on Judeo Christian principles and should be governed accordingly where God is recognized as ruling supremely, as set out in CLC’s Charter. CLC makes clear in its publications that it is seeking to impose CLC’s religious definition of “life at conception,” “real marriage” as being between a man and a woman, and “gender identity” as being a “dangerous socio-political philosophy that seeks to normalize a mental disorder” on all Canadians via electoral politics. CLC regularly boasts of its lobbying prowess. For example, CLC claims it sent 1,100 supporters to the Conservative Party of Canada convention in 2021, making up one-third of all the delegates.
CLC also expressed concerns to CAHN that the 40 Ways publication implied that CLC is an organization that engages in hate-based advocacy. Likewise in the interests of open and democratic discourse, we wish to advise that CAHN is of the opinion that the following statements by CLC oppose pluralism, equality and individual rights:
- The CLC refers to “same-sex marriage” as harmful to children and a harm to society: “the family suffers, society suffers.”
- The CLC states that “the purpose of the Gay Pride Parade is to promote the acceptance of sexual deviance and perversion (e.g. sodomy, transvestitism, transsexualism).”
- The CLC states that “Those who enter into the homosexual lifestyle have a higher risk of fatal diseases, a plethora of serious infections and other health risks, domestic partner abuse, depression, drug and alcohol abuse, etc.”
- The CLC asserts that there is a “gay lobby[…] chokehold on Alberta families.”
- The CLC states that “participation in the Gay Pride Parade could entice Catholic staff, teachers, and students at the TCDSB down the path of sexual sin and self-harm.”
- The CLC states that “is it really beyond the pale now to imagine a Canadian LGBT activist, someday soon, explaining to students that the “plus” in LGBTQ+ includes bestiality or other sexual aberrations.”
- The CLC states that “The students who join these gay pride clubs are not downtrodden, bullied kids. They are typically outspoken LGBT-activists, who have never been bullied for their sexual attraction. They want the GSA merely as a platform of indoctrination and to spout hatred against Christians and other faiths who believe that marriage is between a man and a woman, and that there are only two sexes.”
- The CLC refers to queer straight alliances in schools as “encroaching homo-fascism.”
- The CLC refers to “gender identity” as a “dangerous socio-political philosophy that seeks to normalize a mental disorder,” thereby dehumanizing transgender people.
- The CLC states that “pushing gender identity theory on 8-year olds has nothing to do with science, health or the wellbeing of children, but rather, everything to do with a political agenda by adults whose goal is sexual revolution.”
- The CLC states the government has “embraced the lie of transgenderism.”
- The CLC refers to transgenderism and gender theory as “all this evil!”
- The CLC states that “Gender Theory also endorses mutilating sex change surgery, sterilizing artificial hormone therapy, and the violation of girls’ privacy and security rights.”
- The CLC refers to “gender-affirming care” “as nothing less than butchery.”
- The CLC refers to Drag Queen Story Hour events taking place at local libraries as “the greatest grooming program ever devised,” stating that there are “more and more reports of these Drag Queen ‘story tellers’ being exposed as criminal sex offenders and paedophiles.”
CAHN is of the opinion that the above statements made by the CLC target 2SLGBTQ+ persons and are consistent with one or more of the Hallmarks of Hate, which have been endorsed by the Supreme Court as a guide for determining what constitutes hate speech.
CAHN is also of the opinion that statements denying the existence of transgender and gender nonconforming persons is dehumanizing and gives rise to discrimination, as found by the BC Human Rights Tribunal in Oger v Whatcott (No 7), 2019 BCHRT 58 (“Oger”).
CAHN thanks the CLC for expressing its concerns and providing CAHN with this opportunity to clarify its opinion. CAHN will ensure that its revised publication of 40 Ways will be precise in regards to the CLC.
