The new US President, Joe Biden, has started his tenure by removing crucial protections in abortion and equality law, with major implications for individuals’ freedom of conscience.
On his first day in office, President Biden issued seventeen executive actions, including one promoting the idea that children and adults who say they are the opposite sex should be treated in law as though this were true.
Critics say the broad-brush approach tramples on the rights of women and those who state that it is not possible to change your biological sex.
Prior controversies
The executive order states that children should be able to use the toilet and changing facilities of the opposite sex and that males should be able to participate on girls’ sports teams.
Equating ‘gender identity’ with biological sex, it adds that transgender people should not be subjected to “sex discrimination”.
Similar controversial policies made under the Obama administration saw religious organisations facing legal action if they refused to pay for sex-change surgeries.
‘Demanding uniformity’
The president of the Family Research Council, Tony Perkins, warned that Biden’s order is “demanding uniformity”.
He added that the move “effectively targets people of faith and faith-based organizations,” and that those who hold to biological reality “will be forced to violate their consciences, or even lose a government contract”.
Writing for The Telegraph, Suzanne Moore warned of the far-reaching consequences of the order, saying “How will soccer moms feel about teenage girls playing against and sharing locker rooms with male-bodied people?”
Moore recently left The Guardian after being accused of ‘transphobia’ by colleagues. She had opposed the view that men could become women.
Abortion
Biden’s administration also confirmed it would be repealing pro-life protections upheld by the previous administration.
The President’s Chief Medical Advisor Dr Anthony Fauci confirmed to the World Health Organisation that “President Biden will be revoking the ‘Mexico City Policy’ in the coming days”.
The policy – a measure which prevents government funding of organisations which promote or provide abortions overseas – was first introduced by President Ronald Reagan.
It was retained by the Bush and Trump administrations but removed under Clinton, Obama and now Biden.
Also see:
Biden plans to roll back pro-life protections for the unborn
White House order protects babies who survive attempted abortion
‘LGBT orthodoxy threatens US religious liberty’, warns Albert Mohler