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A recently passed bill in Michigan could make it a felony to harass someone by deliberately using the wrong gender pronouns, according to some legal experts.
The Michigan House of Representatives has passed Bill HB 4474, a piece of legislation that criminalizes feeling threatened by words.
Under the new bill, offenders are “guilty of an offense punishable by imprisonment not exceeding 5 years, or a fine not exceeding $10,000.”
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Michigan State Capitol Building in Lansing, Michigan. The state House of Representatives has passed a bill that could make it a felony to use someone’s favorite pronouns in a way that “intimidates” them. (Google Maps)
“‘Intimidate’ means an intentional course of action whereby another person is repeatedly or continuously harassed, which would cause a reasonable person to feel terrorized, frightened or threatened, and which in fact causes the victim to feel terrorized, frightened or threatened,” the statement said. read account.
The bill specifically treats “sexual orientation” and “gender identity or expression” as protected classes.
According to the bill, “‘Gender identity or expression’ means having or being perceived as having a gendered self-identity or expression, whether or not associated with a person’s assigned sex at birth.”
Critics accuse the bill of violating the First Amendment.
“Make no mistake about it. Those who advocate for this legislation will use this policy as a weapon capable of destroying conservative expressions or positions based on the sacred,” emeritus professor William Wagner told media outlet The DailyWire.
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“The state of Michigan now explicitly allows the issue of gender delusion to be used as a ‘protected class. bill.
She continued, “We saw similar concerns when they wanted to block ‘conversion therapy.’ It seems Dems want to tell people how to think.”
The bill passed the Democratic-controlled state House 59 to 50. It now goes to the Michigan State Senate for consideration.
If approved by the Senate, it will be sent to Governor Gretchen Whitmer for approval, who is expected to sign it.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivers her State of the State address at a joint session of the House and Senate at the Capitol in Lansing, MI. (AP Photo/Al Goldis, file)
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Michigan lawmakers gave final approval to legislation banning “conversion therapy” for minors as Democrats in the state continued to push a pro-LGBTQ+ agenda in their first months in power.
The legislation would prohibit mental health professionals from attempting to convert LGBTQ+ youth to heterosexuality and traditional gender expectations.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated for clarity.
Timothy Nerozzi is a writer for Fox News Digital. You can follow him on Twitter @timothynerozzi and email him at timothy.nerozzi@fox.com
