by C. Douglas Golden at The Western Journal
Is Robert Hoogland an augury of what’s to come for trans-skeptic parents in the West?
Hoogland, a father from Canada, found himself behind bars after he talked publicly about his daughter’s gender dysphoria and medical procedures aimed at “transitioning” to male. She’s currently 15 years old and has identified as male since she was 11 and changed her name at 12, according to the New York Post. Hoogland is separated from the girl’s mother, a psychologist and an endocrinologist.
Her mother supports the decision to pursue hormone therapy, whereas Hoogland has been outspoken about the fact he feels it’s problematic. So outspoken, in fact, that the court slapped a gag order on him.
He didn’t listen — and not only that, he “misgendered” his daughter by calling her a her. Off to prison with you!
In 2018, according to the Toronto Star, Hoogland first went to court to block his daughter from receiving the treatment. But, in January 2020, the British Columbia Court of Appeal not only ruled the child could continue receiving hormone therapy, it called Hoogland’s refusal to call his daughter a son “troublesome.”
“The evidence shows that his rejection of [the child’s] identity has caused [the child] significant pain,” the court decided. “[The child] clearly wants and needs acceptance and support from his father.”
Not only that, they ordered Hoogland to “acknowledge and refer to [the child] as male and employ male pronouns” and identify [the child] by the name he has chosen.”
Their reasoning? According to Canada’s Global News, Hoogland’s decision “resulted in a rupture of what both parties refer to as an otherwise loving parent-child relationship.”
“This rupture is not in [the boy’s] best interests,” the court said. “He clearly wants and needs acceptance and support from his father.”
Not only that, the court barred him from speaking publicly about the case and ordered him to understand more about gender dysphoria. He’s not even allowed to identify himself by name and Canadian media refrain from doing so as well.
Hoogland didn’t accept the decision to allow his daughter to be “transitioned” and spoke openly about the case to online outlets — including continuing to use female pronouns when referring to his daughter — which led to the prosecution pursuing a criminal contempt of court case in July.
Earlier this month, however, they requested his arrest.
“[Prosecution] lawyer Daniel Pruim outlined what he described as ‘flagrant’ and ongoing breaches by the father. He homed in on a fundraising website that had been set up by the father that identifies the father by his full name, contains a video clip showing his face, and in which he declares he is ‘fighting the far left based on a civil disobedience defence,’” the Toronto Star reported.
They were further incensed because the arrest warrant didn’t stop him from doing it.
“He has continued [the breaches], despite the conditions, despite the increased jeopardy to his liberty,” Pruim said, adding the publication bans had to do with the fact the child had expressed suicidal thoughts.
“[The father] doesn’t care,” Pruim said. “He thinks his position is more important. … This isn’t someone inadvertently doing this. This is somebody who continually and deliberately flouts court orders.”
Thus, Hoogland was taken into custody last week and…
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