Dear Colleague,
UN member nations are in the process of negotiating a new treaty on "crimes against humanity," meant to ensure that the most heinous crimes against people are prosecuted and punished. At issue is the definition of "gender": the draft treaty was meant to incorporate an existing definition from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which defines "gender" as "the two sexes, male and female, in the context of society." But now, Western countries and their allies in human rights expert bodies are pushing to remove this definition in favor of an understanding of "gender" as merely a social construct.
In this month's Definitions, Stefano Gennarini, J.D. sounds the alarm about how, if this new definition is adopted, advocating for traditional morality, including the definition of marriage, could be construed as a form of "gender-based persecution" and a crime against humanity. He also illustrates how pro-abortion advocates are pushing to redefine the crime of "forced pregnancy" to include pro-life laws and policies. These debates will have important implications for international law, and far-reaching consequences for people around the world.
Sincerely,
