A Dad's Transgender Trauma: Why He's Facing 'Family Violence' Accusations for Not Using Male Pronouns
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- A struggle over parentalrights is underway
in Canada, especiallywhen it comes to dealing
with children and gender identity.
Our Wendy Griffith has details on one case
that is spurring protests.
- Laura-Lynn, give us abrief history on this case
of the father and his14-year-old daughter.
- The parents were separatedand they had a daughter
who was struggling withmany and numerous issues.
And one day, the mother called the father.
And she had taken thedaughter, who was saying
that she was strugglingwith gender dysphoria.
And had taken her to adoctor who referred them
to go to Children's Hospital in Vancouver.
On the very first visit,
they wanted to put her on testosterone.
And the mother was concernedand called the father,
and they both agreed at that moment,
"No, no.
"Let's slow down here, stop the process."
And so they stopped that day.
However, the doctorscontinued to talk to the mom
and to say, "Listen, thisis what you need to do.
"She could be suicidal,this could lead to suicide
"if you don't just help herto transition right away."
The father maintained that thisis just a 14-year-old girl.
He wasn't particularly religious,
just a good dad thinkingthat 14 is a little too young
to make the kind of decisionthat will land you up,
having a facial beard forthe rest of your life,
because she could change her mind.
We know 82%-92% of all children
who struggle with gender dysphoria,
can change their mind.
And so he said, "Whoa!
"I'm not in agreement.
"Let's not do this."
Well the mother was in agreement
and so it proceeded to a court case.
The court now, with neithermother nor father willing
to actually give approval,the court has ordered
that the daughter willbe given the hormones
that she would like to take.
It got even worse, Wendy,
because the court told the father
that if you do not refer toher in her chosen pronouns,
which are now he and him,
and if you do not refer toyour daughter in the new name
that she has chosen, then you are subject
to being charged with family violence.
- Tell us about the planned protests
in Vancouver this weekend.
- Well the protests cameabout because the judge said
even more damaging things to this father.
The judge then said,
"That if you speak aboutthis, privately or publicly,
"you are subject toarrest without warrant.
"No warrant, you are not to speak, sir,
"about this situation in your family.
"Canada will never know andyou will not talk about this
"or you will be subject towarrant without arrest."
- Laura-Lynn, what's next in this case?
- Well they're still going back to court,
they have to appeal it.
It's very alarming becausethis precious, young girl,
she is within about 25 days of sterility
for the rest of her life.
Because a court has orderedthat parents have no say.
That there's no wisdom,there's no holding back.
This girl decides she wants to be a boy
and now she can be a boy.
And it doesn't matter what anybody says.
- What are you seeing God do across Canada
as moral issues like these play out?
- Well on the one hand, we'reseeing that some pastors
are beginning to fiercely rise.
There's a group thathave formed, One Accord.
And this is a group muchlike the Nashville Statement.
They have a statement onBiblical sexuality and gender
that they are abiding by.
And they're beginning to be more vocal.
And then on the other hand,we have many churches,
they don't want to talkabout gender issues,
they don't want to talkabout what's going on
because they don't want to offend anyone
and they want to have a presenceof love in their church.
And so while we completelyadvocate for this love,
we have to understand that, in Canada,
we are losing our rights.
We are losing the ability to speak,
to simply speak the truth.
And I'm afraid, I'm very afraid, Wendy,
that if we don't rise up,
and if pastors don't really join together
and begin to say, "No, webelieve in the scriptural,
"the way that the scripturesdefine gender and sexuality."
If we don't rise up, weare going to lose our right
to even speak on this.
Because in Canada, genderrights have been set up
as a human right, and you can be taken
to this human rights tribunal.
It's like a kangaroo court.
- Thanks so much forbringing this issue to light
for us and we look forward to updates
on this important case.