by Diane Robertson
In the name of equality and fairness for LGBT people, the government of the United States is removing the long-standing freedom and rights to speech, religion, conscience, and control of personal property and private businesses.
A New York appellate court ruled that Robert and Cynthia Gifford of Liberty Ridge Farm are not at liberty to do with their own home and property as they see fit. The court ruled that if they allow any marriages on their property, they must allow same sex marriages. And they must go through sensitivity training for refusing to do so.
In 2012, a lesbian couple asked to use their barn, which doubles as their home, and their backyard for a same sex wedding ceremony. They said they did not hold same sex weddings in their home, but would consider doing a reception. The lesbian couple sued. The New York Division of Human Rights found them guilty of discrimination, and fined the Gifford’s $10,000 plus $3,000 in damages and ordered them to implement staff re-education classes. The appeals court has upheld this decision.
The Gifford’s farm is not just a place of business, but their personal home and residence. In this case, the government is not only ignoring a right to conscience and a right to act on religious beliefs, but personal property rights as well.
In Washington State, the State Human Rights Commission made a policy, which works like a law, and will be enforced like a law, though it was not made through the legislature or even by judicial or executive action. This new policy will force businesses and schools to allow transgender individuals as well as anyone else to use the bathroom or locker room of their choosing. The most freedom threatening part of the policy, however, limits and punishes speech.
The Family Policy Institute of Washington, summed up the limits this new policy puts on speech as follows:
“It is illegal to ask ‘unwelcome personal questions about an individual’s sexual orientation, gender expression or gender identity, or transgender status.’
The commission provides no guidance to the public about how they are supposed to know which questions are unwelcome before they ask them.
It is also illegal for a business to deliberately ‘misuse’ someone’s preferred pronoun. If a man believes he is a woman, but you refer to him as a ‘he’ anyway, he can sue you.
However, you should be careful not to ask questions about which pronoun he prefers. Remember, if that’s an ‘unwelcome question’ he can sue you for that.
It is also now illegal to use ‘offensive names, slurs, jokes, or terminology regarding an individual’s sexual orientation or gender expression or gender identity.’
The fact that ‘offensive’ is an undefined and completely subjective term that provides no guidance to the public about what they can and cannot do is apparently lost on the commission.
The best advice may be to just stop speaking. As we all know, someone is offended by everything.”
While many people may believe these government actions are made to help some people, they will in the end, harm an entire nation. Again and again the state and federal judiciary, as well as, various government departments have ignored property rights, the right of conscience and the constitutionally protected right to the free exercise of religion and speech in an attempt to control the actions and beliefs of the people through the threat of punishment. This is how tyranny works. When those who disagree with the edicts of the government are punished, then the people are no longer free.