Legal protection for transgender and transsexual Canadians

[Toronto Kristen]

I am not certain if this is the right area to post this but today a Private Member's bill passed Third Reading in the Canadian Houses of Parliament. The bill's title is An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code (gender identity and gender expression). It will provide human rights protection for transgender and transsexual Canadians by adding gender identity and gender expression to the list of areas of discrimination in the Canadian Human Rights Act, and in the hate crime provisions of the Criminal Code of Canada.

The bill still has to go through the Senate but it should come into effect.

[Michelle.M]

News like this is so encouraging!

[Nick2Nikki]

Awesome! I'll be keeping a close eye on this.

[Cynthia Anne]

Good news for Canadians best people! keep us posted!

[Steph.TS]

does anyone know how likely it is to pass through the senate?

[giuseppina]

The governing party, the Conservative Party of Canada, has a majority in the Senate. They are similar to the US Republicans. Most of the Nays came from this party, though one openly gay cabinet minister (government house leader) and about a half-dozen backbenchers voted for it.

The CPC has been known use their majority in the Senate to kill legislation passed in the House of Commons the government doesn't like.

I'll leave everyone to draw their own conclusions.

[Chickhe]

Usually the Canadian senate passes the bills unless there is a very strong political will not to. The conservatives would have some really bad press if they defeated the bill because it is human rights related (they require all the voter support they can get these days) and there are some very discouraging statistics out recently that prove the protection is required. I would say there is a good chance it will pass. It is good news... not just for Canada because other countries should follow suit.

[Veronica 1]

Here is a link to the article.
http://news.sympatico.ctv.ca/home/co..._bill/14584783

[JustineFallow]

Most of the Conservative caucus voted against it? Wow. I'm shocked. Really.

Stephen Harper is the product of the union between a Boy From Brazil and a Stepford Wife. I suspect that's the case with many of their MP's, too.

[Shari]

Just another "law" to legislate the people's thinking process.
Think anything will really change?

[joan658]

Makes immigrating to Canada tempting ... except that its just so damn COLD up there ... LOL

Have some very good friends near Winnipeg but I think I'll stay here in South Texas ... in the closet ... where its WARM ... :-)

--Joan

[Michelle 51]

If they leave the gun registry alone I'll look after myself.

[Leslie Langford]

Well, now that a new federal election has been called in Canada, Transgender Rights Bill C-389 has died on the Senate floor and has been consigned to the dustbin of history, along with all other pending legislation placed before it that didn't get passed before Parliament was dissolved.

http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Tra...788/story.html

Oh well, it was a great ride while it lasted, and maybe some day, someone else will take up the cause and reintroduce it again as a new piece of legislation.

The good news is that with initiatives such as this, the visibility of the transgender community is continuing to grow around the world. Our voices are being heard more and more, so maybe it is only a matter of time before such rights become fully entrenched in the law.

The Civil Rights movement in the U.S. didn't succeed overnight either, and met with many setbacks along the way, as did the eventual elimination of apartheid in South Africa.

[sandra-leigh]

I read recently that private members bills can be restarted at the point they were left off. I do not know, however, if that includes bills before the Senate.

[giuseppina]

That is true for any legislation, Sandra-Leigh. However, if the current government is re-elected, I think the chances of them resurrecting this bill is zero. After all, the CPC, who hold an absolute majority in the Senate at this writing, is on record saying they will kill the bill when and if it comes up for debate.