Is Opposition to the LGBT Agenda Child Abuse?

Canadian parents are pushing back against a child welfare bill recently passed in Ontario that elevates gay rights over parental prerogative.

Opponents say the measure, called the Supporting Children, Youth, and Families Act, or Bill 89, would give the state the power to remove children from families who oppose LGBT and gender ideology, as well as disqualify couples from fostering or adopting.

The bill, passed by a vote of 63 to 23 late last week, repeals and replaces the previous act governing child protective services, foster care, and adoption.

Under the new law, both “gender identity” and “gender expression” are factors government officials must consider when examining a child’s best interest. The act also removes parents’ religious faith as a factor and says only the child’s own “creed” or “religion” can be considered.

Michael Coteau, the minister of child and family services, has tried to reassure parents the bill does not change the grounds for removal and will not make it easier for children to be seized from Christian homes.

“I want to reassure the Christian community out there that this bill, its purpose is to protect children and make sure the child’s at the center of decision-making,” Coteau said in an interview with QP Briefing.

But Coteau noted that telling an LBGT teen their identity is wrong or that they should change remains an act of abuse.

“I would consider that a form of abuse, when a child identifies one way and a caregiver is saying no, you need to do this differently,” he told QP Briefing. “If it’s abuse, and if it’s within the definition, a child can be removed from that environment and placed into protection where the abuse stops.”

Pro-family groups remain unconvinced.

“With the passage of Bill 89, we’ve entered an era of totalitarian power by the state, such as never witnessed before in Canada’s history,” Jack Fonseca, senior political strategist for Campaign Life Coalition, told LifeSiteNews. “Make no mistake, Bill 89 is a grave threat to Christians and all people of faith who have children, or who hope to grow their family through adoption.”

More than 10,000 people have signed a petition calling for the bill’s repeal.