Religious Freedom and Gender Ideology, Oral Statement

OSCE, Working Session 6, Freedom of thought, of conscience, of religion or of belief, Warsaw, 14^th September 2017.

The European Center for Law and Justice (ECLJ) would like to draw the OSCE's attention on the fact that currently, in Europe as well as elsewhere, an ideological vision of equality between men and women is being imposed, a vision that conflicts with the freedom of religion and of belief of many, in particular, of Christians.

This vision, commonly called « gender », denies the difference and natural complementarity between men and women. It leads to considering the human being as a neutral individual, interchangeable and independent of any biological reality.

Yet, attempting to subjectively erase any natural sexual difference amounts to denying a fundamental anthropological truth, to weakening the anthropological basis of the family and to denying oneself. As human persons, men and women are equal in dignity and so are absolutely equal in their diversity.

Of course, the culture, the religion and the beliefs of a person can result in unfair constraints weighing on her, which are obstacles to her legitimate accomplishment as a human person and which must be remedied. Yet, the man-woman relationship must not be seen in the perspective of a battle of one against the domination of the other, but in the perspective of the complementarity permitted by difference which is a treasure for our society.

The ECLJ denounces the fact that this vision which opposes the « gender » ideology is subject to defiance, including in a violent way, in particular when expressed by Christians. It also reminds States that to impose, for example at school, the vision conveyed by the « gender » goes against the religious or philosophical convictions of many parents, when actually, the State ought to respect them.