Canada: Man Handed Out 'Jesus Saves' Pamphlets at Gay Pride Parade—Now He Faces 2 Years in Jail

Will Maule : Jul 3, 2018
Faithwire.com

"When they're looking for you in three provinces ... I knew it was serious. When Dr. Lugosi [a lawyer friend] told me it was the parade, I was shocked. I thought, 'This is insane.' But I also figured the best thing to do was to turn myself in." -Bill Whatcott

[Faithwire.com] A Canadian bus driver is facing charges for an alleged hate crime committed during a gay pride event in Toronto. Bill Whatcott is being charged with "Wilful Promotion of Hatred" against the LGBT community." The basis for this charge stems from a 2016 incident during which Whatcott was caught distributing "safe sex" pamphlets at a gay pride parade. (Image source: YouTube/Mass Resistance/via Faithwire)

The pamphlets asserted that homosexuality has strong associations with sexually transmitted diseases. The literature also noted that Toronto's former deputy education minister, who pled guilty to making and distributing child pornography back in 2015, was involved in designing Ontario's "perverted sex education curriculum." The pamphlets also suggested that homosexual acts would lead to "eternal peril" but repentance will bring "the free gift of eternal life."

As The Federalist's Jeremiah Keenan points out, the pamphlets did not contain any hate speech against homosexuals, though they did include graphic photos of medical conditions.

In a statement, Toronto police said, "It is alleged that William Whatcott distributed anti-gay material which promoted hatred towards the gay community," before noting that Whatcott has been charged with "Willful Promotion of Hatred against an identifiable group, namely the gay community"...

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