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By Giorgio Mazzoli
Director of UN Advocacy, Alliance Defending Freedom
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Amid the fervent debate over sex and gender, a rising chorus of critics is at long last denouncing the mutilation of children via "gender affirmation" surgery as nothing short of severe and irreversible harm. In no uncertain terms, any efforts to tamper with the biological reality that girls are born girls and boys are born boys, including subjecting the most vulnerable among us to life-altering medical procedures they cannot truly consent to, are an act of violence.
Now, Reem Alsalem, the United Nations special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, has jumped into the swirling gender conversation vortex. Alsalem's latest statement affirms the crucial importance of protecting free speech on this issue. As she states, "it is important that people, including researchers and academic[s], who express their views on 'gender affirming' interventions including for children are not silenced, threatened, or intimidated simply for holding and articulating such views." Indeed, there should be no doubt or debate that those who peacefully express their views on this most urgent of conversations should not live in fear of retribution.
Alsalem's recent statements diverge strongly from the mainstream position of the UN bureaucracy, which finds itself at the center of the global push for radical gender ideology. Going beyond mere rainbow-themed branding, the UN's advocacy for trans rights has mostly been about suppressing dissenters who hold to biological reality, often in the face of immense pressure. Governments and peoples that maintain the view of man and woman that for millennia has served us well are labeled as proponents of "hate." And attempts are made to silence all who dare to speak out in defense of objective facts and defend dissenting perspectives.
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It is in this climate that Alsalem has taken her stand. It is unsurprising that a significant portion of the debate concerning biological reality revolves precisely around the right to speak freely. So tenuous is the claim that biology is a fiction that any "progress" on this issue requires a clampdown of the greatest severity. The special rapporteur should be applauded for rightfully using her mandate to shine a spotlight on this insidious dynamic.
Alsalem asserts without equivocation:
Measures that I find particularly concerning include reprisals such as censorship, legal harassment, loss of jobs, loss of income, removal from social media platforms, speaking engagements and the refusal to publish research conclusions and articles. These tactics have affected the ability to discuss issues related to sex, gender, and gender identity within universities and in society.
For the many across the globe who have endured intimidation, reprisals, or even violence for simply voicing basic biological facts—many times for simply raising common-sense questions—Alsalem's stance is a much-needed breath of fresh air. It is clear that the most contentious issues of our time require more, not less, conversation. And the special rapporteur is absolutely correct to fight for the right to have these conversations.
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Alsalem makes clear that this is a matter of basic human rights. "Sweeping restrictions on the ability of women and men to raise concerns regarding the scope of rights based on gender identity and sex," she says, "are in violation of the fundamentals of freedom of thought and freedom of belief and expression." Where there is no respect for freedom of speech, all human rights are placed in jeopardy.
Men and women from all walks of life are facing the ominous specter of censorship, which, in many parts of the world, is reaching its apex on the issue of "gender identity." Take the case of Mexican congressman Gabriel Quadri. An avowed liberal, Quadri has been charged and convicted as a "political violator against women" after expressing concern on Twitter that biological males who identify as women have occupied spaces in Mexico's Congress reserved for women.
The highest electoral court in Mexico ruled that Quadri's posts, simply asking questions about gender identity and fairness for women, were discriminatory. He was ordered to delete his tweets, issue a public apology, and be registered as a gender-based political violator—blatant censorship measures that infringe upon his human right to freedom of expression. With no further recourse for justice within Mexico, Quadri is now bringing his case to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Civil society leader Rodrigo Iván Cortés finds himself in a similar situation, having been convicted of "gender-based political violence," including digital violence, over social media posts referring to a transgender-identifying Mexican congressional representative as a "man who self-ascribes as a woman." He is awaiting a ruling on his appeal.
Like countless concerned citizens worldwide, Quadri and Cortés took to social media platforms to seek open conversation on a highly relevant matter of serious societal importance. They committed no crime and endorsed no violence. The same is true in the case of Finnish Member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen, who has been facing "hate speech" charges carrying a potential prison sentence of two years. A civil servant, medical doctor, and grandmother, Räsänen has endured three years of onerous legal proceedings simply for expressing her views on marriage and sexuality on Twitter.
The targeting of persons in positions of influence inevitably has a chilling effect that reverberates throughout society. Regardless of one's views on the hot-button issues of our time, the importance of free speech should be a unifying factor rather than a divisive one. The threat of severe consequences for questioning the reigning narrative requires astonishing bravery to be overcome. Perhaps even more astonishing is the simple fact that we've reached the point in our history where this level of bravery is not just admirable, but imperative.
Speaking out is the most powerful defense of free speech, and indeed, of human rights in general. Those, like Alsalem, who champion respect for this fundamental freedom deserve widespread recognition and support—regardless of whether you share their opinions or not.
Giorgio Mazzoli serves as Director of UN Advocacy, representing ADF International at the United Nations. Follow him on Twitter @Giorgio_ADFIntl.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
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