Canada
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada released a position statement saying they were “troubled” by Stephen Woodworth’s private member’s motion, M-312, which is passed will have a Parliamentary committee examine the scientific evidence as to whether the child in the womb is a human being with an eye to amending Section 223 of the Criminal Code definition that says it is not a human being until fully proceeded from the womb. The SOGC claims if M-312 passes it “would challenge and change the fundamental principle of women’s autonomy” because it would compromise the notion that a woman and her unborn child be “treated legally as one person, not two” … With funding from the Quebec Justice Department, the gay rights group Gai Ecoute has launched an anonymous tip registry for complaints about “homophobic” actions, defined as “any negative word or act toward a homosexual or homosexuality in general: physical abuse, verbal abuse, intimidation, harassment, offensive graffiti, abuse, injurious mockery, inappropriate media coverage, and discrimination.” The complaints will be used to analyze the “real situation of homophobia” to develop prevention programs … The Manitoba Teacher’s Society passed a resolution declaring that parents do not have the right to pull their children out of the province’s sex education courses and will lobby the provincial government to prevent parents from having opt-out rights for their children for any part of the curriculum … The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board voted to stop distribution of Gideon Bibles in their schools. The chair of the board, Tim Simmons said: “we have institutions do this already and their called Churches” … Alberta’s Progressive Conservative Premier Alison Redford attended the Edmonton Pride Festival, the first time an Alberta premier took part in the event. Wildrose leader Danielle Smith also attended the Pride.
United States
Planned Parenthood is having a woman dressed up like a package of birth control pills follow Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney during the campaign. The mascot, dubbed “Pillamina,” will promote government funding of contraception. The organization has also committed $1.4 million to run anti-Romney and pro-Barack Obama advertisements … In 2002 and 2011 Gallup surveyed Americans to estimate what percentage of the adult population was homosexual. In 2002, 25 per cent of respondents guessed that at least a quarter of the population was gay or lesbian. In 2011, a third of respondents thought that at least 25 per cent of the population was homosexual. American Vision said the increase in this misperception reflected the success of the gay rights lobby … Judge Michael Boudin of the First Circuit Court of Appeal in Boston ruled that the federal Defense of Marriage Act unjustly discriminates against homosexual couples … The House of Representatives voted 246-168 to pass the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act that would provide a five-year sentence for doctors who carry out sex-selective abortions. However, the majority is not enough to over-ride a threatened presidential veto … New Hampshire Governor John Lynch (D) of New Hampshire vetoed a bill requiring a second physician to verify an abortion … National Abortion Rights Action League president Nancy Keenan announced her resignation effective for the end of 2012 to make room for the next generation of abortion activists. Keenan complained that most abortion activists are middle-aged or older. Speaking of the March for Life in Washington D.C., Keenan told Newsweek: “I just thought, my gosh, they are so young. There are so many of them and they are so young.”
International
Red China’s one-child policy led Ankang City officials to forcibly abort a seven-month pregnant Feng Jianmei because she already had one child and did not qualify for an exemption permitting a second child. Two local family planning officials and a city employee visited Feng after her husband left for work, beat her, and dragged her into a car where she was taken to a family planning office where they induced labour and killed the newborn baby with a chemical concoction. Family planning officials then placed the dead baby on the bed with Feng, and photos of the atrocity made their way to the internet … A petition with just over 500,000 signatures opposed to redefining of marriage was sent to the British parliament. Dr. Sharon James, spokeswoman for the Coalition for Marriage said: “We’ve got over half a million people who are saying they believe in marriage, and this isn’t just religious people but people of no faith, gay people and straight people” … The British Medical Journal has called for legalization of euthanasia and editorialized that doctors who disagree with liberalizing euthanasia should not voice their opposition … Peter Singer, a philosopher and ethicist who supports extending legal abortion beyond birth and advocates for bestiality rights, was given the Companion of the Order of Australia, the highest civilian honour in the country.