Nursing home workers may be jailed for not using transgender pronouns

If liberal California legislators have their way, calling a transgender man “he” could result in a $1,000 fine and a year in prison.

The “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Long-Term Care Facility Resident’s Bill of Rights,” or Senate Bill 219, will criminalize referring to a transgender nursing home resident by his/her actual gender.

The proposed law, which passed the California senate, states, “It shall be unlawful for a long-term care facility or facility staff to … willfully and repeatedly fail to use a resident’s preferred (transgender) name or (opposite sex) pronouns after being clearly informed of the preferred name or pronouns.”

The bill also requires nursing homes — whether Christian-owned or not — to accommodate transgender bathrooms and showers.

Penalties are capped at $1,000 and a year in prison. Supporters say the law is justified because nursing homes and long-term care facilities are state regulated and licensed, and “professional-client speech is subject to more government regulation than other speech.”

California Family Council’s Greg Burt testified before the state Judiciary Committee, asking, “How can you believe in free speech, but think the government can compel people to use certain pronouns when talking to others?”

“Compelled speech is not free speech,” he continued. “Those proposing this bill are saying, ‘If you disagree with me about my view of gender, you are discriminating against me.’“

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“This is not tolerance. This is not love. This is not mutual respect. True tolerance tolerates people with different views,” Burt concluded. “We need to treat each other with respect, but respect is a two-way street.”

“It is not respectful to threaten people with punishment for having sincerely held beliefs that differ from your own.”

P/C PIXABAY