Christian families that refuse to promote LGBT ideology within the home are under threat from separate measures announced in Canada and the US.
In Ontario, a Bill was passed which critics say will rule out parents who oppose gender ideology for adoption and fostering for not providing a home ‘in the best interests of the child’.
And in the US, training in “LGBTQ competency” has become a mandatory requirement for employees of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).
‘Grave threat’
The Supporting Children, Youth and Families Act, described as “totalitarian” by critics, was passed by a vote of 63 to 23 by the Ontario Legislature. It was pushed through by Ontario’s Premier Kathleen Wynne, who is herself in a same-sex marriage.
Jack Fonseca, senior political strategist for Campaign Life Coalition, described the Bill as “totalitarian”. He added that it is “a grave threat to Christians and all people of faith who have children, or who hope to grow their family through adoption”.
The Bill also removes the religious faith in which the parents are raising the child as a consideration for child protection services.
Instead, it instructs parents to raise their children “in accordance with the child’s or young person’s creed, community identity and cultural identity”.
Illinois
The policies being introduced in Illinois require that “all LGBTQ children and youth” be placed in “affirming safe housing”.
The amended procedures also state that the child’s “chosen name and preferred gender pronoun (including gender-neutral pronouns such as ‘they’ or ‘ze/hir’) must be respected.”
The policy changes were created under the guidance of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, along with a number of other pro-gay and transsexual rights organisations.
The DCFS will also require “any person who is involved with DCFS children/youth” to complete “mandatory training in LGBTQ competency”.
‘Chilling effect’
Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council, slammed the new policies as “discriminatory against anyone with traditional moral values, in particular, Christians”, adding they will “hurt children” by limiting available resources.
Mary Hasson, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C, predicted it would have “a chilling effect on DCFS staff, volunteers, foster parents, and others whose ‘speech and behaviour’ will be monitored and evaluated according to ideological criteria by the state of Illinois”.