This U.S.-based ‘hate group’ is using a shadowy network of lawyers and doctors to infiltrate Canada

The Alliance Defending Freedom has deep and surprising connections in Ottawa

By Kevin Maimann
August 9, 2023

A right-wing Christian organization behind successful efforts to roll back LGBTQ2S+ and abortion rights in the U.S. has been working in Canada for years. And while it has racked up some “successes” in this country, it’s near impossible to tell what the group is up to because of Canada’s lax finance laws, leading to calls for greater transparency.

The non-profit Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) has been a central player in efforts to limit the rights of women, queer and trans people in the U.S. since the 1990s. The organization has been so pervasive and effective in its campaigns to malign LGBTQ2S+ people that it was classified as a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The ADF has intervened in numerous high-profile court cases including the recent Supreme Court case 303 Creative, which limited the purview of anti-discrimination legislation, and Dobbs earlier this year, which overturned the right to abortion in the U.S. The ADF is on a roll, with no sign of slowing down. The Guardian reported in June the ADF plans to use “model legislation” and lawsuits to overturn same-sex marriage, enact a total abortion ban and strip away trans rights in the U.S.

Continued:  https://xtramagazine.com/power/politics/alliance-defending-freedom-adf-hate-group-canada-gerald-chipeur-255467


Canada has zero pro-choice Conservative MPs, watchdog says

Abortion rights group places remaining 15 Conservatives on list of anti-choice MPs after vote on ‘fetal rights’ bill

Tracey Lindeman in Ottawa
Thu 3 Aug 2023

A vote on a controversial bill meant to expand “fetal rights” in Canada has left the country without a single pro-choice Conservative MP, according to an abortion watchdog organization.

This week, the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada (ARCC) placed the last remaining 15 Conservatives on its list of anti-choice MPs after they voted in support of Bill C-311, dubbed the Violence Against Pregnant Women Act.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/03/canada-abortion-rights-pregnancy


Canada – How pro-life bias is limiting reproductive healthcare access in rural Ontario

Right-to-life groups are increasing stigma and barriers to preventing and eliminating pregnancies

By Mary Baxter
August 2, 2023

After the condom broke, Amanda’s* boyfriend hurried to the drugstore to get the morning-after pill. Anxiety eddied as Amanda waited for him to return. The teenage couple had experienced pregnancy scares before but had never resorted to emergency contraception. A baby couldn’t be in the picture yet, Amanda knew.

In 2018, Amanda was 19 years old. The teen from Chatham-Kent, a rural municipality in southwestern Ontario, had dropped out of high school in Grade 11. They struggled with mental health and lived with their parents. They were unemployed. Their boyfriend, the same age, hit them.

Continued: https://broadview.org/abortion-access-rural/


Calgary doctor leads campaign for federal policy on free birth control   

Story by Eva Ferguson
Aug 1, 2023

A locally organized group advocating for federal policy on free birth control has collected over 600 names on a petition to be presented to the Liberal government this fall.

ProjectEmpowHER — spearheaded by Dr. Rupinder Toor, founder and medical director of the IUD and N.E. Female Health Clinic — is pushing for Canada-wide legislation allowing free access not just for its societal benefits, but also the economics.

“Reproductive rights are not men’s rights, women’s rights, or youth rights — they are human rights. And they cannot be left to the whim of changing provincial governments. They must be protected on a federal level,” Toor said.

Continued: https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/calgary-doctor-leads-campaign-for-federal-policy-on-free-birth-control/ar-AA1eEBbs


Canada hailed for focusing foreign aid on women’s rights amid global backslide

Canada stays course on sexual-health education, contraception and family planning

The Canadian Press
July 24, 2023

Foreign-aid groups are praising Ottawa for funding initiatives in developing countries that aim to keep women who care for children or elders from being excluded from the economy.

“Canada actually showed up really strongly,” said Katharine Im-Jenkins, managing director of the Equality Fund, in a recent interview from Kigali.

Continued: https://www.goldstreamgazette.com/world-news/canada-hailed-for-focusing-foreign-aid-on-womens-rights-amid-global-backslide-672278


Government of Canada commits to increasing sexual and reproductive rights including access to abortion services

IPAS
July 21, 2023

Ipas is pleased to announce a partnership with the government of Canada to increase access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care for women and girls in Bolivia, Indonesia, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The Canadian government has pledged $10 million CAD for programmatic work in Bolivia, Indonesia and Nigeria to increase the sexual and reproductive autonomy of women and girls by expanding their access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services and enhancing their ability to make decisions about their own sexual and reproductive health.

Continued: https://www.ipas.org/news/government-of-canada-commits-to-increasing-sexual-and-reproductive-rights-including-access-to-abortion-services/


Canada – City heading to court over rejected anti-abortion Hamilton bus advertisement

Christian group’s ad ‘not compatible’ with ‘safe, inclusive and welcoming transit system,’ city argues; Association for Reformed Political Action contends ‘no legitimate and pressing reason to censor’ it

By Teviah Moro Spectator Reporter
Thursday, July 20, 2023

The stage is set for a court battle this fall between the city and anti-abortion activists over a rejected Hamilton bus advertisement.

The Association for Reformed Political Action (ARPA) Canada and local member John Boekee argue the city should be ordered to accept the ad that it turned down in 2021 or reconsider it with court instructions.

Concerned that ARPA’s judicial review could set a “dangerous precedent” for advertising in Canadian cities, a national pro-choice group has also entered the fray.

Continued: https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilton-region/city-heading-to-court-over-rejected-anti-abortion-hamilton-bus-advertisement/article_fa8053a5-833f-5d2b-a8b0-f666dfdc8eaa.html


Canada – Her obituary requested donations to an abortion clinic. It’s a final political act for some

Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, a number of people have made donations to the pro-choice movement in Canada

Natalie Stechyson · CBC News
Posted: Jul 18, 2023

At first glance, Kathleen Dyer's obituary might seem like any other.

Beneath the photo of a smiling, older woman, we learn the basics: Dyer, who was living in Halifax, died on June 14 at age 84. She is survived by her husband, her son and his wife, and two sisters-in-law. But it's the third and final line that stands out: In lieu of flowers, Dyer asked for donations to the Nova Scotia Women's Choice Clinic.

The clinic, which performs medical and surgical abortions, doesn't know Dyer, except that she had once sent them a donation. And Dyer, who dedicated her life to supporting her husband and raising her children, wasn't a known abortion advocate.

Continued: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/abortion-donations-canada-1.6909124


Anti-abortion killer James Kopp files court papers arguing Supreme Court decision should set him free

In a court filing, Kopp argues his federal life sentence should be dismissed.

By Jon Wells, Hamilton Spectator
Friday, June 30, 2023

James Kopp, who took the war over abortion literally, killing an obstetrician in Buffalo and allegedly shooting and wounding three doctors in Canada, is attempting to use a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision as a get-out-of-jail card.

In court papers filed in June, Kopp argues his 2007 federal court life sentence should be dismissed, in light of the high court’s decision last summer in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that struck down the constitutional right in the U.S. to terminate pregnancies established in the 1973 Roe vs. Wade case.

Continued: https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilton-region/anti-abortion-killer-james-kopp-files-court-papers-arguing-supreme-court-decision-should-set-him/article_a822f29c-57bb-5909-a490-bb5f46609d84.html


Canada – Why is this CAQ minister so determined to draft an abortion law nobody wants?

Women's health and legal experts agree Martine Biron is trying to fix something that isn't broken

Steve Rukavina · CBC News
Posted: Jun 28, 2023

Martine Biron, Quebec's minister responsible for the status of women, announced to the surprise of many in April that she wanted to enshrine in law a woman's right to abortion in Quebec.

The idea was surprising for many reasons. The CAQ government never campaigned on it and had never before mentioned it.

Continued: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/martine-biron-abortion-law-no-one-wants-1.6889888