A Christian doctor who was fired for refusing to use “arbitrary” pronouns says that he was discriminated against for his religious belief.
Dr. David Mackereth said before a court that he was deemed “unfit” for a Medical Assessor position by the Department of Work and Pensions in London last year. The Equalities Act 2010 requires doctors to use a patient’s desired pronoun, which the department enforces.
“What we are being asked to do in the medical profession is so contrary to sound reason.”
Watch Dr David Mackereth discuss the use of transgender pronouns in the medical profession as his case is heard this week.
Find out morehttps://t.co/Zy5zMUyoLI pic.twitter.com/v8ZS74TNyj
— Christian Concern (@CConcern) July 9, 2019
But Mackereth, who has been a doctor for over 25 years, has said that God made man and woman, and that gender is given at birth—something unchangeable.
“So, I’m coming to court today because I want the right to practice medicine as a Christian doctor, in the way that I always have, and I’m very much hoping that the court will decide that I can’t be forced to use language in a way that I consider to be dishonest,” he said during an interview outside of an employment tribunal building in Birmingham.
Dr David Mackereth, who was dismissed for his actions, believes his right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion is being breached. https://t.co/XxVXCJHfHg
— Metro (@MetroUK) July 9, 2019
Piers Morgan of Good Morning Britain accused Mackereth of being “intolerant” and a “bigot” for his belief. But the doctor said that his intention isn’t to hurt any specific group of people.
“I want to stress that this isn’t personal; we’re not out to get anybody,” he said. “As a Christian doctor, I believe we have to show compassion to all our patients, whatever their background.”
The problem, he told The Telegraph, is that other professionals who think like him can be denied a job for having a centuries-old belief.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
