The bylaw is a sweeping assault on parental rights, religious freedom, and the rights of those with unwanted same-sex attraction and gender dysphoria.
May 20, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Very few Christians have noticed, but one of the most dangerous developments for religious freedom in decades has been unfolding in Calgary, Alberta.
A city council committee has already unanimously approved a so-called “conversion therapy” ban bylaw after a two-day public hearing featuring 121 speakers and 1,800 submissions on the subject. The bylaw is a sweeping assault on parental rights, religious freedom, and the rights of those with unwanted same-sex attraction and gender dysphoria.
LGBT groups are already speculating on Twitter that if the ban passes the final vote at City Council on May 25, it could pave the way for similar nation-wide legislation.
Graeme Lauber is the executive director of Free to Care, an organization that seeks to build bridges between Christians and other groups in Canadian society as well as working to protect the rights of individuals to determine their own understanding of their sexuality and gender identity. For Lauber, it is personal—he realized he was attracted to other men when he was in middle school, but also understood that a relationship with a man was not something that God wanted for him. As an adult, he committed to a marriage with a woman, a relationship he describes as “the most important and life-giving relationship” in his life.
A key component to the success of his marriage, he says, “has been the ability to access the love and support of other Christians for his choice to follow Jesus in his relationships and sexuality”—support which he now sees as under threat from current “conversion therapy” bylaws. Lauber has become an outspoken activist opposing this bylaw, and is urging Christians to stand up and push back. He was kind enough to agree to an interview with me earlier this week.
HH