In this episode of Life on the Leftist Crazy Train… 

A bill recently passed by the Michigan House of Representatives would make it a felony to “intimidate” someone by using the “wrong” pronoun. Under the new bill, offenders are “guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years, or by a fine of not more than $10,000” — so-called “misgendering.”

The bill reads, in part:

‘Intimidate’ means a willful course of conduct involving repeated or continuing harassment of another individual that would cause a reasonable individual to feel terrorized, frightened, or threatened, and that actually causes the victim to feel terrorized, frightened, or threatened.

The bill doesn’t specifically define what the term “harassment” could refer to.

So think about it. If the legislation becomes Michigan law, it would criminalize causing someone to feel threatened by words. If approved by the state senate, the bill will head to the desk of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who is expected to pull a hamstring rushing to sign it into law. [Sarc— barely.]

(George Orwell and Ayn Rand were unavailable for comment.)

“Shockingly,” the bill identifies “sexual orientation” and “gender identity or expression” as protected classes.

‘Gender identity or expression’ means having or being perceived as having a gender-related self-identity or expression whether or not associated with an individual’s assigned sex at birth.

So, simply perceiving someone as “having a gender-related self-identity or expression whether or not associated with an individual’s assigned sex at birth.”

And can we please knock off the ridiculous “assigned at birth” silliness? I don’t want to come across as a conservative troglodyte, but I’m pretty sure that certain body parts were “assigned” well before birth.

Distinguished Professor Emeritus William Wagner told The Daily Wire the bill was written to “destroy conservative expression,” and more:

Make no mistake about it. Those advocating for this legislation will wield these policies as a weapon capable of destroying conservative expression or viewpoints grounded in the sacred. One merely needs to look at the scores of cases brought against schools, churches, businesses, and individuals around our country. Proponents use these laws to silence and financially cripple those who dare to adhere to a different viewpoint and oppose their agenda.

Wagner’s point was not only correct; it’s reminiscent of the legalization of same-sex marriage in all 50 states in 2015 when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality at the federal level in Obergefell v Hodges.

It didn’t take long for all hell to break loose. In one case, two Christian ministers were told by the city of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho they had to either perform same-sex weddings or face jail time and up to a $1,000 fine.

Wagner also said that under the legislation, an accuser could claim “they” were intimidated or harassed by a pastor or a conservative writer because their “perceived gender identity” was under attack.

Even worse, intimidation or harassment could be based on the interpretation of the accuser or prosecutor, Wagner said, adding that the bill’s language is tantamount to determining whether an action is criminal “after the action” takes place. I’m not a constitutional scholar, but it appears to me that the scenario runs counter to due process, which is required by the U.S. Constitution.

Finally, Michigan state Rep. Angela Rigas said of the bill:

The state of Michigan is now explicitly allowing the gender delusion issue to be used as a ‘protected class.’ This opens up numerous issues when it comes to the courts and the continued weaponization of the system against conservatives.

We saw similar concerns when they wanted to pass blocks on ‘conversion’ therapy. It seems Dems want to be in the business of telling people how to think.

I disagree a bit with Rep. Rigas, but only in one respect: Democrats don’t give a damn about what conservatives think, but they very much give a damn about what conservatives say, how they act, and what they at least pretend to not only accept— but to embrace, as well.