Why I support Bill 18

Bill 18 has been in the news a lot lately. Perhaps that's an understatement. It's all become a bit crazy it seems to me. With angry sermons and cries of attack on religious freedom. For the past number of weeks my heart has been aching for the students in our schools, and I feel like it's time that I said something. 

I'm a Christian and I stand behind Bill 18. 

I'm totally fine with people offering constructive criticism on how Bill 18 might better define bullying, or helpful suggestions for the inclusion of consequences. I'm not sure myself if I fully understand the implications of the manner in which bullying is defined in the bill and I am totally ready to let informed educators take the lead on that one. If the majority of school teachers and support staff found the definition to be entirely unhelpful, then I think I'd trust their judgment. They're on the front lines everyday, they know what will be beneficial and what won't.Thus far, I haven't really heard a general outcry in this regard.

And I would be totally fine with people also offering constructive criticism on the ways in which the bill offers support to LGBQT youth. Perhaps there are better ways to support persons of varying sexual orientations in our schools than Gay/Straight alliances. Again, I'm not in the schools so I trust those who have developed such alliances and monitored their benefits to speak in this regard.

But I'm not fine with the argument that this bill is an attack on religious freedom. Religious freedom means a freedom to practice one's faith (any faith) as well as the freedom not to practice a particular faith. This applies to every single student in every single school. Religious freedom does not, however, make space for bullying or marginalization...of anybody. Religious freedom does not make space for prohibiting LGBQT students from receiving support as they seek to live and discover their identities in the world.

My faith in Jesus Christ compels me to love all people. My faith in Jesus Christ compels me to speak up for those who are marginalized. My faith in Jesus Christ compels me to tear down walls that divide, walls that oppress, walls that deny the cherished image of God that is in each of us. I think offering love, support and protection to LGBQT youth can help tear down those walls.

Demanding the right to keep LGBQT youth and their supporters silent, making sure that these youth in our schools believe they are alone, seems an awful lot like bullying and very little like love.