Another hero of the campaign against transgender madness is, like me, from B.C.s Lower Mainland.
Canadian dad fined ahead of 'litmus test' free speech hearing in Australia
'In a free society, ideas should be challenged with ideas, not state censorship'
Elon Musk’s personal crusade against the “woke mind virus” is a global one and the latest frontline is to be found in Australia, where his company X is joining in a case against the country’s “e-Safety Commissioner.”
The case concerns a Canadian man, Chris Elston, also known as Billboard Chris, who in February 2024 wrote a post on X that was critical of the World Health Organization's decision to appoint Australian trans activist Teddy Cook as an “expert” on trans issues.
Elston’s post also included a link to a Mail Online article titled, “Kinky secrets of a UN trans expert REVEALED.” The article describes Cook as “a female-to-male Australian” who frequently posts online about “everything from public nudity to bondage parties, trans orgies and even a photo of a man apparently having sex with a dog.”
Cook took exception to Elston apparently questioning his credentials to work for the WHO, and submitted a complaint to Australia’s e-Safety Commissioner.
The commissioner demanded that X remove the post, which they initially refused to do. However, following a formal order, X geo-blocked the post, making it unavailable to view in Australia.
Elston, together with Musk’s X, the Australian Human Rights Law Alliance, and ADF International, are appealing the decision, saying it breaches Elston’s right to free expression.
The court in Melbourne will hear the case over five days starting on March 31.
Speaking ahead of the case, Elston said, “No child has ever been born in the wrong body. As a father, I have grave concerns about the impact of harmful gender ideology on our children’s well-being.
“This reality is being increasingly recognized around the world, with government after government ordering a review into the use of toxic puberty blockers. This is a serious issue with real world implications for families across the globe and we need to be able to discuss it."
In an interesting twist, Elston was threatened with arrest last week, fined AU$806 ($507 US), and, according to ADF International, forcibly moved in Brisbane by police after conducting what it says were consensual conversations with members of the Australian public about trans issues.
Ahead of the court date, Robert Clarke, director of Advocacy for ADF International, who is serving as part of Billboard Chris’s legal team, said the case "represents a litmus test for free speech in a world seeing increasing push back against global censorship."
“We’re used to hearing about governments silencing or punishing citizens for their ‘wrong’ speech in parts of the world with strict blasphemy laws. But now, from Australia to Mexico, to across the EU, we see Western governments increasingly take authoritarian steps to shut down views they don’t like, often by branding them as 'offensive,' 'hateful' or 'misinformation,'" he said.
“In a free society, ideas should be challenged with ideas, not state censorship. For years, Chris has been speaking an important truth to which many in Australia are now waking up: children cannot consent to puberty blockers."
Supporters of Elston have rallied round him, with over 24,000 people signing a petition calling on Australia’s minister of communications to “protect free speech in Australia.”
Musk’s opposition to “woke” issues appears to stem from events in his own life. He has said that trans ideology “killed” his son, apparently referring to his oldest child who in 2020 came out as trans.
This article was originally published at Christian Today
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Planned Parenthood staffer 'inadvertently' provided sexually explicit coloring book to kids
A Kentucky museum says a Planned Parenthood staffer "inadvertently" provided sexually explicit coloring books to kids as young as 8 years old at an event earlier this month.
The Kentucky Science Center, located in Louisville, issued an apology on March 26 after alleging that Planned Parenthood distributed an explicit "Adult Coloring and Activity Book" to children ages 8 to 13 during a March 21 Health and Wellness Days event attended by public school students.
In a statement posted on Facebook, the science center expressed regret, saying, "We sincerely apologize for the distribution of a Planned Parenthood coloring book at our recent Health & Wellness Days event."
The center claimed the book, which includes illustrations of male and female anatomy and sexual education activities like crosswords and word searches, was provided by Planned Parenthood without their consent and did not align with the event's intended content or their policies.
"We deeply regret the harm this caused," the center added. "We are taking immediate steps to ensure that all materials distributed at our events are thoroughly reviewed in advance and this partner is no longer welcome at the Science Center."
It's not immediately clear whether the statement is referring to Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider, as "this partner."
On Friday, the Science Center shared in an update that Planned Parenthood is "acknowledging this mistake."
"We have learned that a staff member inadvertently distributed an item that wouldn't typically be used in a setting like this event," the statement reads. "We apologize for this error and are reviewing our internal protocols."
Inadvertently! Right! Why did he even have them with him?
CP reached out to Planned Parenthood to comment on Friday. This story will be updated if a response is received.
The coloring book in question, described by Planned Parenthood as an "Adult Coloring and Activity Book," was initially created for the organization's annual conference, and intended for adult attendees, not children, according to the museum.
Billed as "Planned Parenthood's first ever adult coloring and activity book," the 20-page book by illustrator Bethany Robertson and Sarah Sandman includes an illustrated coloring sheet with apparent packages of contraceptive pills, images of male and female genitalia and a page titled "Sex Libs" with fill-in-the-blank sentences such as "The first time I ever put on a condom" and "My favorite way to put on a condom."
Another page of the activity book featured a "connect the dots" image of the White House along with an illustration intrauterine device (IUD), a small, T-shaped contraceptive device that is inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy.
The incident comes on the heels of a report claiming the Trump administration plans to freeze millions of dollars in federal family planning grants.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is in the process of reviewing over $27 million in Title X federal family-planning grants to ensure recipients comply with federal law and executive orders by President Donald Trump, an official confirmed with The Chrisitan Post this week.
"HHS is concerned about the compliance of several awardees impacting $27.5 million in continuation awards," the official said. "HHS expects all recipients of federal funding to comply with federal law."
The department is considering freezing the funds while it reviews whether or not "the money was used for diversity efforts," sources familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal Tuesday.
Affiliates of Planned Parenthood were among the groups that the freeze could impact, the report noted.
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Toddler reportedly suspended from nursery school for transphobia: 'Totalitarian insanity'
A toddler in the United Kingdom was reportedly suspended from a nursery school for allegedly exhibiting transphobia.
Data from the country's Department of Education show that the student, who was 3 or 4 years old, was among 94 students who were suspended or expelled from similar primary schools for "abuse against sexual orientation and gender identity" during the 2022-2023 academic year, according to The Telegraph.
Of the 94 suspended pupils that year, 10 were aged 7 or younger and one was 4 or younger, though the government data did not provide details of the children's identities. The data also reportedly show that the number of students suspended or expelled from all state primary schools for homophobic or transphobic behavior increased from 164 in 2021-22 to 178 in 2022-23.
Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at Sex Matters, criticized what she believes is the absurdity of the situation.
"Every once in a while, the extremes of gender ideology throw up a story that seems too crazy to believe, and a toddler being suspended from nursery for so-called 'transphobia' or homophobia is one such example," she told The Telegraph.
"Teachers and school leaders involved in this insanity should be ashamed of themselves for projecting adult concepts and beliefs on to such young children," she continued, adding that this isn't an isolated case.
British author J.K. Rowling, who has been outspoken against the issue of transgenderism and men in women's sports, torched the story Monday as "totalitarian insanity."
"If you think small children should be punished for being able to [recognize] sex, you are a dangerous zealot who should be nowhere near kids or in any position of authority over them," the "Harry Potter" creator wrote on X.
The case echoes that of Nigel and Sally Rowe, parents from the Isle of Wight who took legal action in 2021 when a Church of England school labeled their 6-year-old son as potentially "transphobic." They had complained upon learning their son and his classmates were expected to accept that one of them had transitioned from a girl to a boy.
The Rowes were ultimately awarded more than $23,900 in legal costs and a commitment from the British government to reform trans-affirming policies in schools, though Nigel Rowe told Fox News Digital in 2022 that representatives from the affiliated Church of England opposed them in their fight.
"They still don't support us," he said at the time. "It's a bizarre world we live in."
"The Bible says we do not fight against flesh and blood, but against spiritual principalities," Nigel said, referencing Ephesians 6:12. "As a Christian, I believe that there is a demonic realm bent on the destruction of everything that is of God."
"Destroy the family, and you'll destroy society. ... Destroy the family and then the culture will collapse. I very much see [transgender ideology] as that, and it's very much a movement throughout the world," he added.
A spokesperson for the U.K. Department of Education gave a statement to The Telegraph without addressing the allegedly transphobic toddler.
"All pupils and staff should feel safe and protected at school and should never face violence or abuse," the spokesperson said. "The Education Secretary has been clear that she expects school leaders to enforce good behavior and we are committed to a comprehensive program of behavior support for schools."
"Our Plan for Change sets out our relentless focus on making sure every child gets the best life chances, no matter their background, including establishing free breakfast clubs in every primary school, providing access to mental health support and making attendance one of the four core priorities of our school improvement teams," the statement added.
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