The Christian legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International hosted the Standing Up for Biological Reality panel on Tuesday. Their main agenda was to address concerns about freedom of expression in Mexico following the conviction of three leaders.

Rodrigo Iván Cortés posted a tweet back in 2022, in which he allegedly “misgendered” Salma Luévano, a biological male Mexican congressional representative who identifies as a woman. The tweet was a response to the a draft bill of Mexico’s Congress that would categorize teaching Christian views on sexuality as “hate speech.” Cortés was convicted of gender-based political violence and digital, symbolic, psychological and sexual violence against Luévano.

Cortés, the current head of the political advocacy group Frente Nacional por la Familia (National Front for the Family), who is awaiting an appeal, said: “In Mexico the freedom of expression of citizens is cancelled and their free participation in the democratic conformation of laws is prevented. Unfortunately, I suffer this in my own flesh in the cases that are being carried out against me and the organization that I preside over, the National Front for the Family, for objecting to initiatives that ostensibly violate human rights. The real purpose of this process is to silence me from saying what every concerned citizen needs to hear — that these proposed laws are driving forward a radical agenda, which poses a very serious threat to the wellbeing of our society, especially our children.”

According to ADF International legal counsel Kristina Hjelkrem “Disagreement is not discrimination, and peaceful dissent should never be penalized as violence. It is deeply disturbing that Cortés, who is exercising his right to peaceably share his views on a matter of significant current debate, has been convicted as a violent political offender when in fact it is his opponents that have a history of perpetuating unrest within Mexico’s political institutions. We eagerly await a ruling on his appeal.”

ADF International is also supporting Gabriel Quadri, who was convicted as a “political violator against women” for opposing men who identify as women taking seats in Congress designated for biological women. He warned that the “trans establishment” has political power in Mexico, after they forced him to register as a “trans oppressor.” His chances for running for office again have been obstructed.  

Thomas Henríquez clarified that the Catholic Church could face criminal liability for speaking against the laws of the republic, therefore the Church could not offer support to the congressmen. He warned everyone to remain vigilant of where “lines in the sand are being drawn. The chilling effect is real. And an important part of our work is trying to prevent that chilling effect from taking hold so that individuals, families will be able to speak out and shape the culture in the way that they would want to shape it, as opposed to just being victims of somebody else shaping it for them.”

Source: https://www.christiantoday.com/