Canada
MP Maurice Vellacott (CPC, Saskatoon-Wanuskewin) compared abortion to bullying: “In light of this new awareness of bullying, consistency and credibility demands that we tackle the most cruel and most common bullying of all – the bullying, and ultimately killing, of babies in the womb” … Halifax freelance writer Lezlie Lowe writes in the Chronicle-Herald that Mother’s Day is a great day to be thankful for abortion. Reflecting on a “friend” who had an abortion in 2007, she wrote: “Let’s talk about Mother’s Day, why don’t we? Because if there’s any day to be thankful for abortion access, that’s the one. That’s what I’ll think about when I’m woken too early by wiggling weasels crawling on the bed to wish me a Happy Mother’s Day” … Jackson Doughart, a graduate student in Political Science at the University of Prince Edward Island, and a journalist, published A Refuge for the Unborn: The Case Against Abortion on Prince Edward Island. The book makes arguments against abortion from a secular point of view. National Post columnist Barbara Kay endorses the book and its approach “because the moral ugliness of unregulated abortion is easily established on rational, humanistic, universally accessible grounds” … Regular National Post online contributor Faith Goldy-Bazos backed Motion 312, a private member’s motion calling for a Parliamentary committee to examine the legal status of the unborn child, saying that considering “an estimated $80-million dollars in taxpayer cash is used each year to pay for abortions,” it makes sense that taxpayers, through their elected representatives, should be allowed to have “a say in the matter” … Ontario NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo’s Bill 33, which would add gender identity and gender expression to the Ontario Human Rights Code, passed second reading 66-33. The bill is co-sponsored by Liberal MPP Yasir Naqvi and Progressive Conservative MPP Christine Elliott. Most the P.C. caucus opposed the bill at second reading … The National Post reports that Ottawa might follow Australia’s lead to allow citizens to mark their sex as “X” rather than “M” or “F” in their passports because the male and female options “effectively excludes a minority of transgendered people” … The Toronto Star reports that Ontario is considering encouraging organ donations by requiring the Ministry of Government Services to begin asking Ontarians to consent to be organ and tissue donors when they renew their driver’s license. The ask will be mandatory, but consent will still be voluntary.
United States
For five years, U.S. President Barack Obama said he personally believes in traditional opposite sex marriage, while at the time opposing both the federal Defense of Marriage Amendment and state-level constitutional prohibitions on same-sex “marriage,” but last month he endorsed SSM. The move led Newsweek to put Obama on the cover of the magazine with a rainbow coloured halo and the headline: “The first gay president” … A Gallup poll found that 50 per cent of Americans think same-sex “marriages” should be legally recognized, down from 53 per cent in 2011, while 48 per cent were opposed, up from 45 per cent last year … Another Gallup poll found that 50 per cent of Americans describe themselves as pro-life while 41 per cent self-describe as pro-choice, a record low. As recently as 2008, a majority called themselves pro-choice. … Governor Sam Brownback (R ) signed Heath Care Rights of Conscience Act which protects the conscience rights of pharmacists who object to distributing drugs that could cause abortions. Kansas joins Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, and South Dakota as states that allow pharmacists to refuse to fill a prescription for emergency contraceptives … Planned Parenthood chapters across America promoted May as “National Masturbation Month” to encourage sexual self-satisfaction as “a common and safe kind of sex play” with numerous “health benefits” in the words of Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida. The Centre for Sex and Culture promoted a Masurbate-a-Thon to raise money for sex education programs supported by Planned Parenthood. Jim Sedlak of Stop Planned Parenthood described masturbation as a “gateway drug” for sexual activity and that PP “makes its money from people involved in sex” by distributing contraception and committing abortions.
International
15,000 people attended the March for Life in Rome … New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has followed the example of U.S. President Obama in voicing his support of same-sex ‘marriage’ although the issue does not appear slated for the parliamentary agenda there any time soon … The Daily Telegraph reports that Tim Loughton, the United Kingdom’s Children’s Minister for UK government, said he opposes same-sex “marriage” at a time when the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government seem ready to back the redefinition of marriage … The Telegraph reports that the Law Society of England and Wales banned a conference on family issues because it breached their “diversity policy” by presenting pro-traditional marriage points of view.