LaBarbera allowed provisional entry into Canada for ‘Mischief’ trial Oct. 30 stemming from April protest at public university

Canada’s “Hate” Police: Above is an excerpt of the Border Services Agency  document issued against Peter LaBarbera when he was originally denied entry into Canada in April on the basis that he and AFTAH “incite hate” in violation of the nation’s Hate Propaganda” law. LaBarbera was subsequently allowed into the country, but later arrested at a peaceful pro-life/pro-family protest at the University of Regina. Click to enlarge.

By Peter LaBarbera

UPDATE from author: After a short meeting in Regina with a Border Services official this morning, I was allowed to travel and speak in Canada until the completion of my trial Thursday upon agreeing to these two provisions:

“While in Canada:

• “If I am on private property, and am asked to leave that property by the owner for any reason, I must leave the property immediately;
• “If I am issued a direction or command by a police officer or other person in authority, follow that direction immediately.”

REGINA, Saskatchewan, Canada–Customs agents detained this writer (AFTAH president Peter LaBarbera) and did an intense search of my phone, laptop and belongings–as I arrived at Calgary International Airport late last night on the first leg of a trip to Regina, Saskatchewan for my trial on “mischief” charges October 30.

The mischief charges were filed against me and Canadian pro-family activist Bill Whatcott after Whatcott, and then me, refused on free speech grounds to abandon a peaceful protest April 12 against abortion and sodomy at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, a public university. [See AFTAH article HERE and LifeSiteNews article HERE on how I was almost refused entry into Canada on the basis of AFTAH’s alleged “hate.”]

The Calgary Border Services agents confiscated a DVD copy of a new Russian documentary called “Sodom” as potential “hate propaganda” in violation of Canadian law banning material or people who could potentially “incite hate” based on “sexual orientation.”

Ironically, “Sodom”–which I have yet to watch–is available and easily accessible in Canada (and worldwide) on YouTube. Whatcott told me that he had already shared the documentary with his network of Canadian supporters across the country. “Sodom” features an interview with American pro-family leader Scott Lively of Defend the Family International. Lively, who received AFTAH’s American Truth-Teller Award on 2011, is currently running for governor as an independent in Massachusetts.

If the Russian film is deemed “hate propaganda” by the government’s “Prohibited Importation Unit” in Ottawa, it will be destroyed, two border agents informed me. If “Sodom” does not meet that designation, it will be mailed back to my home in Illinois.

Either way, the seizure of the film would make it impossible for me to view and/or present it to others in Canada–were it not easily accessible to everybody with a web connection on YouTube. Such is the folly of state censorship in an Internet age.

Customs hearing today

Canadian pro-family activist Bill Whatcott and AFTAH’s Peter LaBarbera.

Despite my two-and-a-half hour detainment in Calgary, agents ordered me to attend another hearing today (Tuesday) with Immigration officials in Regina at 11:00 A.M.–for “further examination” on my “admissibility” into Canada. Nevertheless, Border Services agents told me that I would be able to attend my “Mischief” trial in Regina on Thursday and that I am “innocent until proven guilty” under Canadian law.

A border agent named Shane Paul (I called him “Paul” because that was on his uniform and I presumed that was his first name) asked me questions about a small speaking engagement I was to have with Whatcott and others this (Tuesday) evening. I was unsure of the location of the meeting, as the venue has been changed three times already–because skittish Canadians pulled out from hosting the event fearing leftist protests. You can read about one cancellation in the Regina Leader-Post HERE (Note: not included in the story is Whatcott’s assertion that the prospective host, Greg Kulak, was not telling the truth when he claimed NOT to know the nature of the event.) By the way, Whatcott distributed thousands of fliers advertising the event–which Kulak’s cowardly pullout rendered meaningless by abandoning the listed location for it.

As an American, let me say that it is remarkable how far official political correctness – enforced and encouraged by sometimes fanatical left-wing activists and abetted by an anti-conservative media – has not only shut down conservative speech in Canada but succeeded in punishing people who run afoul of various liberal ideologies—not limited to pro-homosexualism. For example, the Canadian owners of a conservative website, “Free Dominion,” shut it down after 13 years of operation in January after losing a defamation lawsuit to “human rights” legal activist Richard Warman. They were fined a total of $107,000 and ordered not to print anything negative about the leftist Warman—effectively censoring them as a public forum [See LifeSite article HERE].

In the two years that I have worked closely with Bill Whatcott, I have seen the extraordinary harassment and soft (and hard) tyranny he has had to endure in his quest to get out biblical truth and facts about homosexuality and abortion. Whatcott, who distributes tens of thousands of fliers door-to-door every year, was found guilty of Canada’s “Hate Propaganda” law by Canada’s highest court. Earlier this year, he was denied service by Aaron Rubin, a computer shop in Weybourn because the owner did not like Bill’s views; Whatcott sued under the “human rights” laws and won and–in a demonstration of Christian grace–did not push for a big financial judgment but instead asked Rubin to do volunteer service for a local pro-life group. Rubin opted not to do the service and paid a mere $200 to have it done.

Recently, Whatcott tried to submit a simple ad for his event tonight (where I am to speak) to the Regina Leader-Post newspaper. The ad’s innocuous headline was “Bringing the Light of Christ to Our Culture”–but that did not matter; it was refused anyway. He could have another “human rights” victory in store if he sues the liberal paper for anti-religious discrimination. (Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms ostensibly protects religious freedom.) But even if the ad had run, Whatcott would have been chased out of the venue for the event.

With such relentless leftist pressure led by a few fanatics like Warman, it is only the rare, brave soul like Whatcott who fights on for Truth in Canada, while so many others fall away in fear. (Note that in the Chicago area, AFTAH, too, has been chased out of venues after the leftist activists with the Gay Liberation Network wielded their spurious “hate group” accusation against us.)

Searching my phone, laptop, books and papers–again

Anyway, I cooperated fully with the Border Services “investigation” of me at the Calgary airport, as I did in April at the Regina International Airport. Agent Paul and another Agent with the last name of Meehan went through—as in April—my:

• Phone
• Laptop
• Books (including Dr. Michael Brown’s “Can You Be Gay and Christian?”; his book, “Something Queer Happened to America”; Robert Reilly’s book, “Making Gay OK”; and Frank Turek’s “Correct, Not Politically Corrrect: How Same-Sex  Marriage Hurts Everyone”)
• Tracts: I brought a bunch of ex-“gay” Stephen Bennett’s tract “I WAS ‘Gay’”; and
• Papers

When Shane asked me about Westboro Baptist Church (with its “God Hates Fags” message), I told him that AFTAH has always condemned Westboro, as has every other pro-family group I have worked with. I told them that AFTAH has long condemned violence and genuine hatred against homosexuals or anyone, for that matter.

At one point in the search, Shane asked me if I had children and then I asked him if he had children. He asked me as if offended: “Why do you ask that?” and then said, “I’m gay.” I told him I meant nothing by it and that I ask a lot of people that question. I told him my five children are a tremendous blessing and he said he may want to adopt children some day.

Once Shane’s “gayness” was out in the open, it was almost easier to have a conversation about my work and the larger homosexual issue. I told him that disagreement with homosexuality does not equal “hate,” despite the best efforts of LGBT activists to conflate the two. He and Meehan laughed when I told them that I couldn’t be a “homophobe” because if I truly “feared” homosexuals, I could not do AFTAH’s work, which requires me to be around many homosexuals.

Despite the awkwardness of the situation, it helped this time, compared to my April airport search in Regina, that Shane and Meehan, the two fellows handling my entry at Calgary, were actually interested in my explanation of what I and AFTAH do. They appreciated my defense of civility in the “gay” debate and I think Shane was satisfied that I didn’t hate him or homosexuals in general. I thanked him for his professionalism.

Shane asked me if anything i would present on Wednesday could be construed as “hateful.” I told him no, but explained that they’re is a lively debate going on in the culture about what constitutes “hate” on this question. I explained, and he agreed, that we could have a civil discussion about homosexuality and yet agree to disagree.

Paul discovered in my belongings the Human Right Campaign report, “Exporting Hate,” with its highly unflattering graphics of me and Michael Brown, and Mat Staver. (Others are targeted in the “Hate” booklet, but I only taken copies of the pages with the shadowy images of myself, Brown and Staver.)

He asked me about this quotation accurately attributed to me by the HRC “Export of Hate” hit-piece:

“Kids would ‘be better off in a single-parent household [compared to a homosexual-led household]…because you’re not modeling homosexual behavior. When you have two men raising a young child, that child grows up learning, basically, dysfunction and a sexual perversion as normality.” (Alan Colmes Show, 1/7/14)

Shane seemed especially concerned about my use of the word “perversion” and suggested in so many words that there is no religious (biblical) case for that word. I explained that historically the word has been used in association with homosexuality and that we also make the case that Natural Law opposes homosexuality.

Stay tuned for updates. Please pray for my meeting with Immigration officials today, and for our meeting (if it happens) this evening—and lastly, for Bill’s and my trial Thursday in Regina on the ridiculous “Mischief” charge leveled against us for defending life and sexual morality at—of all places—a public university.

Under Canadian law, espousing Judeo-Christian morality on homosexuality is an “Incitement of Hatred”

Calling Moral Speech “Hate”: Canadian Border Services document last April declares AFTAH’s Peter LaBarbera “inadmissible” to Canada on the basis that his actions had “incited hate,” thus violating the country’s pro-homosexual anti-“hate-speech” law. LaBarbera appealed the decision and was allowed into Canada, only to get arrested a couple of days later with Canadian pro-family activist Bill Whatcott–as they both refused on principle to heed a police demand to cease a peaceful pro-life and pro-family protest at the University of Regina. Whatcott and LaBarbera go to trial Oct. 30 on a criminal “mischief” charge surrounding the arrest. Go HERE for original AFTAH story on the arrest.

By Peter LaBarbera

Two days after AFTAH’s annual banquet featuring Dr. Michael Brown on Oct. 25, I will be heading off to Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada to stand trial with my friend and Canadian pro-family activist Bill Whatcott. We hope to be exonerated from the criminal “mischief” charge that led to our arrest and incarceration April 14–after we resisted a police order to abandon our peaceful pro-life/pro-family protest at the University of Regina. [See AFTAH’s original story on our arrests HERE.]

At the protest, I held one of Bill’s sign that said, “Sodomy Is a Sin,” as well as a large placard showing an unborn baby. Who can blame the University of Regina and Canadian cops for cracking down on such unbridled and sinister HATE?! (Meanwhile, Muslims, a significant portion of whom follow shariah law—whose punishments against homosexual acts include the death penalty by stoning–are welcomed into Canada as students at U-Regina. Such is the folly of political correctness.)

After our arrest, U-Regina provost and vice president Thomas Chase was quoted in the newspaper as saying that our materials were “graphic” and “disturbing.” Among them was my one-page flier on some of the “Homosexual Health Risks.” Dangerous propaganda, that. Said Chase:

“The materials, we felt, could harm members of this campus community who we have a duty to protect and support.”

Leftists like to use government and institutions to control others, and they often fear a robust and free exchange of competing ideas. This explains U-Regina’s censorship and squelching of a debate that actually would have benefited its students. (We had friendly discussions with some young adults before the arrest.) Such bureaucratic speech “protection” dishonors students, who by the time they reach college should be able to hear all sides of every issue and make decisions for themselves on what they believe.

Almost banned from Canada

Prior to our protest, I learned the hard way that Canada is no longer a truly free country. Arriving at the Regina International Airport on a late flight, and after all the other passengers sailed through Customs, I was detained and questioned by Border Services agents for hours. Agents sifted through all my belongings–including my cell phone and computer–searching for evidence of alleged potential “incitement of hatred.” “Hate” propaganda on the basis of “sexual orientation” is banned in Canada, and the country has forced self-censorship of incoming broadcast transmissions dealing with homosexuality–e.g., broadcasts from Christian ministries like Focus on the Family–for years.

At times the airport investigation of yours truly was as comical as it was surreal: one of the images in my smart phone was of a colorful Nazi swastika. One of the Border agents queried me about it, thinking he might have discovered some compelling proof of “hate.” Perhaps Bill and I were planning a secret rendezvous with the Regina Neo-Nazi Brigade! Alas, I explained to the agent, this particular photo was one that I took at a hateful “gay” activist event in San Francisco’s homosexual Castro district, timed to mock Easter. It falsely equates Christians with genocidal Nazis. The agent didn’t really show much interest as he continued to go through my luggage and papers, book by book and piece by piece.

Ultimately, I was informed that I would be formally denied entry into Canada on the basis that my activities through Americans For Truth violated Canada’s anti-“hate” propaganda law.” You can see the official notice above from border agent Darren Banick. It reads in part:

Peter James LaBarbera….

Is a person who is: A foreign national who has not been authorized to enter Canada and who, in my opinion, is inadmissible…on the grounds of criminally committing an act outside of Canada that…if committed in Canada, would constitute an indictable offence under an Act of Parliament….

Mr. LaBarbera….if allowed in to [sic] Canada he may commit and acts [sic] which would be against the criminal code of Canada. Section 319(1)CC Public Incitement of Hatred. 

Section 36(2)(C) of IRPA [Immigration and Refugee Protection Act] states in that there are reasonable grounds to believe is a foreign national who is inadmissible on the grounds of [criminality] for committing an act outside Canada that is an [offence] in the place where it was committed.

AFTAH received this lovely little note yesterday. It refers to my upcoming trial October 29 with Canadian pro-family activist Bill Whatcott, as a result of our arrest at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan–for engaging in a peaceful protest against abortion and homosexual activism. If I had a quarter for every nasty note like this sent to AFTAH, we’d raise some serious money for our Truth ministry! I replied to this fellow (whose name is probably not “Mark Barnard”), but he did not reply back. God bless. –Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH

P.S. I will be returning to Canada for the trial Oct. 29. But even if we lose the case, which is all about freedom of speech and religion in Canada with its odious “hate propaganda” law, it is highly unlikely that I will receive jail time, although Bill certainly could.

_______________________________

Mark Barnard	12:14 AM (15 hours ago)	markbarnard@comcast.net
to me [AFTAH]

 The following message was sent from the Americans for Truth Web site:

---

If you go to jail, just say nothing. If you are compelled to say something, you are likely going to be made an example of. Use larger and larger objects in your anus. This will make it less painful when they play with you. They will be heterosexuals penetrating you. The guards will have a good laugh at their dinner break. I get the sense you might be looking forward to it. Mark

My friend Bill Whatcott–the leading pro-family activist in Canada fighting the aggressive LGBT Lobby–just sent out this notice:

Whatcott and LaBarbera get a trial date

By Bill Whatcott » Tue Jun 24, 2014 12:10 pm

Dear Friends,

I just talked with our lawyer Michael Weber (part of Tom Schuck’s NSWB lawfirm). The trial date for Peter LaBarbera and I for witnessing at the University of Regina will be October 29, 2014. We were charged with Mischief after we set up abortion signs and one sign saying “Sodomy is a sin,” on the public walkway at the University of Regina back on April 14th. Approximately 20 or so pro-abortion and pro-homosexual protesters set up a counter protest across from us. Notwithstanding that I have two Court of Queen’s Bench decisions affirming my right to protest on public university campuses, Peter and I were arrested and charged and the pro-abortion/pro-homosexual protesters were allowed to continue with their demonstration unmolested.

Folks, we received this from our Canadian friend, Robert Jason, who daily updates people worldwide on the politically correct follies in that multicultural basket case to America’s north:

_____________________________________

Parents for Democracy in Education Society

Len Remple, President; Marc Gravelle, Vice President

PARENT, WOULD IT ALARM YOU IF THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS TRUE?

Well, it is true and it is alarming.

The British Columbia school curriculum from K to 12 has been revised to present a favourable portrayal of homosexuality and the homosexual life style.

First they wanted “tolerance”, then they wanted “acceptance”, now they want to teach “celebration” of that lifestyle.

They need an office like this to offer relief when a conservative who doesn’t know his place speaks out. 

Mike Heath was accused of “hate speech” for relating Jesus Christ’s warning in the Book of Matthew (18:6) of God’s punishment for those who cause innocent children to sin. Heath made his comment while opposing a middle school’s plan to dispense birth control pills without parental permission.

The following column ran Feb. 29 in the Portland [Maine] Press Herald. To read the entire column, click HERE. Mike Heath, in addition to being a truly Great American, is executive director of the Christian Civic League of Maine and Chairman of the Board of Americans For Truth:

By M.D. Harmon, Portland Press Herald

— The head of the state’s least-known government office pushed the intercom button summoning his chief assistant.

“Raul, come to my office, would you?” he asked. “We’ve just been handed a very important case and I need your advice on it.”

“Be right there, chief,” came the reply, and a minute later the top aide to the director of the Maine Bureau of Public Censure stepped into his superior’s office.

“Close the door, Raul,” said the director. “I need your discretion on this one.”

“What’s up, boss? Usually you let me handle most things on my own.”

“True, but this is a very special case. It’s a 502-AS.”

Raul let out a low whistle. “Gee, a Committing Christianity in Public complaint, boss? And elevated to Aggravated Status, too! We don’t get very many of those these days.”

With a sigh, the director settled back in his chair.

“You’re right, Raul, but this came from the highest possible outside source, and it’s particularly egregious. It’s Designated Offender No. 1 again.”

A dark look came into the aide’s eyes, and between compressed lips he spat out the hissed name, “Heath!”

“Yes,” his boss confirmed. “He really stepped over the line on this one, and we’ve really got to make an example of him once and for all.”

“I assume we can dispense with the usual assumption-of-innocence-until-proven-guilty garbage with him again this time, right? Boy, I wish we were in Canada, where people like this can be fined, or forced to take re-education courses, or even tossed in jail.” Continued…

Click HERE to read the rest of the column

“The leaders of America’s anti-gay industry are directly responsible for the continuing surge in hate violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. … The right went into demonic, anti-gay hyperdrive following the Supreme Court’s Lawrence v. Texas decision in July of 2003. Since then, church pews have been awash in ugly, anti-gay rhetoric and fear-mongering. … The literal blood of thousands of gay people physically wounded by hatred during 2004 is on the hands of Jerry Falwell, James Dobson, Tony Perkins and so many others who spew hate for partisan gain and personal enrichment.”
–Statement from Matt Foreman, Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, April 26, 2005, blaming “anti-gay crime” on “America’s anti-gay industry”

Dear Readers,

The preposterous and astonishingly bigoted rant above by Matt Foreman, head of the second largest homosexual organization in America, illustrates the dangerous potential of pro-homosexual, pro-transsexual “hate crimes” legislation, S. 1105, which reportedly could come up for a vote before the U.S. Senate TODAY.

TAKE ACTION : Call your U.S. Senators today at 202-224-3121, or write then via www.congress.org. Urge them to oppose the Kennedy-Smith-Reid Hate Crimes Bill, S. 1105. Pass this message on to your friends and contact list.

A strengthened federal “Hate crimes” law — which would include transsexuals (perceived “gender identity”) for the first time in federal law — would provide a powerful foundation for politically-motivated, pro-homosexual prosecutors to go after people of faith, based on their alleged “anti-gay” speech.

Foreman is lying about the link between Christians and violent, despicable crimes, just as the homosexual lobby is lying about the supposedly pressing need for this legislation (see below). The last thing America needs is to put the power of the federal government behind a system of law that creates a politically correct hierarchy of victims — in a country where homosexual victims already receive far more media attention than religious victims like Mary Stachowicz.

S 1105 would also spend YOUR tax dollars on biased “anti-hate” programs that invariably discriminate against faith-based opposition to homosexuality.

No need for this bill

A thorough report on S 1105 by the Traditional Values Coalition states that S. 1105 “makes the following fraudulent and ridiculous claims in [its] Findings:

• Homosexuals are fleeing across state lines to avoid persecution;
• Perpetrators are crossing state lines to commit crimes against them;
   
• Homosexuals are so persecuted they have trouble purchasing goods and services or finding employment. [now that’s a whopper–Editor]
   
• These false claims about homosexuals fleeing across state lines are being used as a hook to justify federal involvement in local law enforcement through the Interstate Commerce Clause of the Constitution.
   
• No Epidemic Of Hate Crimes Exists! S. 1105 falsely claims in The Findings, without any evidence, that “the incidence of violence motivated by the actual or perceived race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, or disability of the victim poses a serious national problem.”
   
• FBI statistics from 2005 (the latest available) reveal that there is no national epidemic of hate against minority groups or against homosexuals:
   
• According to the FBI, in 2005 there were only 5,190 hate crimes directed against all persons. Of this figure, only 1,171 were sexual orientation bias crimes. Out of this 1,171:
   
• 301 were listed as “intimidation.”
   
• 333 were listed as “simple assault.”
   
• 177 were listed as aggravated assault! There was one forcible rape and no murders based on sexual orientation in 2005.
   
• 1 forcible rape; 30 robberies; 10 burglaries; 27 larceny-theft; 2 motor vehicle theft; 1 arson; 275 damage/vandalism; 3 other; 5 crimes against society.
   
• Nationwide there were 862,947 aggravated assaults against all persons. (Source: FBI Crime in the United States 2005, Aggravated Assault)
• Out of 862,947 cases of aggravated assault, only 177 were motivated by sexual orientation bias. This is 0.000205 percent of all aggravated assaults in 2005.
   
• In a nation of 300 million, this is no epidemic of hate against homosexuals that needs federal involvement in local law enforcement. (Source: Tables 2 and 4, FBI Hate Crime Stats, 2005)

My good friend Bob Knight lays out the basic problems with expanded, pro-homosexual federal “hate crimes”, arguing that legislation like S. 1105:

• violates the concept of equal protection under the law by designating special classes of victims, who get a higher level of government protection than others victimized by similar crimes.
• politicizes criminal law, leading to pressure on police and prosecutors to devote more of their limited resources to some cases, at the expense of other crime victims’ cases.
• vastly expands the power and jurisdiction of the federal government to intervene in local law enforcement matters, once a crime is called a “hate crime.”
• has a chilling effect on free speech by making unpopular ideas a basis for harsher treatment in criminal proceedings. More than half of the so-called “hate crimes” in the last U.S. Justice Department report were categorized as “intimidation” or “simple assault,” which do not necessarily involve anything more than words.2 In terms of the proposed national hate crimes bill, this makes name-calling literally a federal case.
• confuses law enforcers, because the definition of what constitutes a “hate crime” is clear in some instances but unclear in others. This burdens prosecutors and opens up endless opportunities for defense attorneys to invoke technicalities.
• is not necessary. There is no evidence to substantiate the claim that “hate crime” victims are receiving less justice than other crime victims.

The last thing America needs is to expand federal power unnecessarily while creating the foundation for dubious federal “rights” based on homosexuality and gender confusion. Read the full TVC report on S. 1105 HERE. And call your Senators today at 202-224-3121, or e-mail them at http://www.congress.org/.

This “hate crimes” bill has already passed the House, so if it passes the Senate, we will be urging President Bush to wield his presidential veto: call the White House comment line at 202-456-1111 or use the Contact Page on the presidential website.

Thank you for standing up for truth and freedom.

Sincerely,

Peter LaBarbera

Americans For Truth

Knows decision unpopular but says he must abide by Bible

By WorldNetDaily.com, August 6, 2007

Motivated by Christian beliefs, a Canadian mayor refused to fly a rainbow “gay pride” flag at his town hall.

The decision by Bill Mills was backed by the town council of Truro, Nova Scotia, with a 6-1 vote Friday, reported the Canadian television network CTV.

“There are writings in the book of Romans chapter one, to name a few – basically I have to go with that conviction, and I know it’s not a popular one,” said Mills, who leads a town of about 12,000 people.

Mills contended he had a right to his opinion, but a local homosexual activist group called the decision a sign of homophobia in a government that should be secular.

Click HERE to read the rest of the article in WorldNetDaily