Sometimes you just have to stop and shake your head at the stupidity of what comes out of some people害羞草研究所檚 mouths害羞草研究所攐r in this case, even worse, what was written in a premeditated news release.

In response to the federal government害羞草研究所檚 move to protect transgendered people in this country under human rights legislation, the president of an organization that grandly calls itself the Institute for Canadian Values, says gender identity is 害羞草研究所渇luid害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所渕omentary.害羞草研究所�

Huh?

Charles McVety says the proposed legislation to stop discrimination based on gender identity is 害羞草研究所渞eckless.害羞草研究所�

While Canadians may debate what values they hold near and dear, I doubt anyone could seriously argue that protecting all human rights is not a Canadian value.

Well, maybe with the exception is McVety and anyone who else who thinks human rights protections for transgendered people means the door will somehow swing open to 害羞草研究所渁ny man who wishes to access women害羞草研究所檚 bathrooms or girl害羞草研究所檚 showers with momentary gender fluidity.害羞草研究所�

He goes on to say 害羞草研究所淓very Member of Parliament should examine their conscience over the potential of their vote exposing women and girls to male genitalia and even being sexually violated, not by a 害羞草研究所榯ransgender害羞草研究所� (his parentheses) person but by the sexual predator protected by Bill C-16.害羞草研究所�

In other words, if we protect transgendered people, we give sexual predators the green light to molest. Seriously?

His quantum leap in logic seems to ignore the fact that transgendered people are being discriminated against today. And, as for the bathroom example, transgendered folks have been using male and female bathrooms for a long time and it hasn害羞草研究所檛 been an issue. And besides, bathrooms have stalls.

The fact of the matter is: Transgendered people, like gays and lesbians before them, minorities before them and women before them face discrimination in this country everyday and that害羞草研究所檚 why sex, religion, race, sexual orientation, and now gender identity, need to be included as areas where discrimination will not be tolerated.

Canada didn害羞草研究所檛 go to hell in a hand-basket when same-sex marriage was made legal, and it won害羞草研究所檛 when transgendered people are protected from discrimination in places like the job market, housing, healthcare and on the street.

As for gender identity being 害羞草研究所渇luid害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所渕omentary,害羞草研究所� McVety is just plain wrong.

My daughter went to school with a girl who became a boy. It wasn害羞草研究所檛 easy, it wasn害羞草研究所檛 quick and it wasn害羞草研究所檛 without a great deal of pain, and yes, discrimination.

That young man is one of the bravest people I have ever met. It害羞草研究所檚 tough to do what he did as an adult, but even tough as a teenager.

So on this issue, I say the current federal government is on the right side of history.

Alistair Waters is the assistant editor of the Capital News.