It’s a brave new world out there.
In late March, a bus driver-turned-Christian-activist was slapped with a $55,000 fine after a Canadian “tribunal” determined he discriminated against a transgender activist who ran for public office in 2017.
The British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal ruled March 27 that Bill Whatcott, who was arrested over similar violations last summer, caused emotional harm to politician Morgane Oger when he created a flyer describing Oger as a “biological male,” according to The Vancouver Sun.
Whatcott was fined $20,000 for “improper conduct” during the five-day hearing in December and $35,000 for “injury to [Oger’s] dignity, feelings, and self-respect.”
The ruling stated Whatcott didn’t “enrich” conversation, therefore violating speech codes. The tribunal claimed the flyers he distributed in the Vancouver area sought “to exclude a group of already marginalized persons from political life.”
The panel later added:
Indeed, the proposition that we should continue to debate and deny the existence of transpeople is at the root of the prejudice and stereotypes that continue to oppress them. It rests on the persistent belief, held by people like Mr. Whatcott, that a person’s genitals are the essential determinant of their sex and, therefore, gender.
How is Whatcott responding?
In an interview with Vancouver’s CityNews, Whatcott said he cannot afford to pay the tribunal’s fines, arguing it “wouldn’t make sense” for him to do so, anyway.
“I think that’s a horrible decision,” he said, adding, “I’m a pretty tough guy, and if they take something from me or throw me in jail, I’ll live through it.”
Whatcott also told The Star Vancouver he’s “not going to shut up” about Oger or his views on sexual orientation and LGBTQ issues.
What did Oger say?
In response to Whatcott’s stick-to-itiveness, Oger told CityNews: “If Mr. Whatcott decides to die on that hill and go to jail over his convictions, I can’t help him. That’s his decision.”
Oger published a video response to the tribunal’s ruling:
For his part, Whatcott has returned to distributing his flyers decrying transgenderism due to his Christian convictions. He was confronted over the weekend by police who reminded Whatcott he must stay away from any LGBTQ events.
You can watch a portion of that encounter in the video below: