Call to Action on Bill C-16 and Transgender Rights

“In Canada, we celebrate inclusion and diversity. All Canadians should be safe to be themselves. The law should be clear and explicit: transgender and other gender-diverse persons have a right to live free from discrimination, hate propaganda, and hate crime. We are committed to making Canada stronger by ensuring Canadian laws reflect the rich diversity of our people.”

Jody Wilson-RaybouldMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Bill C-16 is a bill that proposes to protect the rights of transgender individuals in Canada by amending the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code:

1. To include gender identity and gender expression as prohibited grounds of discrimination.

2. To clarify that where someone commits a crime motivated by bias, prejudice or hate based on gender identity or gender expression, a judge must consider that as an aggravating factor in deciding what sentence to impose.

Bill C-16 is currently before the Senate. QMUNITY encourages all community members to reach out to Canadian Senators to let them know the importance of Bill C-16 and that the human rights of transgender and gender diverse people is crucial to the wellbeing of our society. QMUNITY supports the passing of Bill C-16 in the Senate. It is an important step in explicitly supporting the human rights of transgender and gender diverse individuals in Canadian law and by providing protection from hate crimes. Now is the time for Canadians to act. Hate crimes are on the rise and we need to take action. Senators are being flooded with messages of opposition to the protection of transgender and gender diverse people in Canadian law according to Amnesty International. To find out ways to have your thoughts heard, visit the Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies website and contact Senators to let them know that you support the human rights of transgender and gender variant people and support Bill C-16. Support QMUNITY in encouraging Senators to pass Bill C-16 into law now.  

Resources

: Trans Rights BCBill C-16 – No, its Not about Criminalizing Pronoun Misuse

by Brenda Cossman

Trans PULSE (2015) Transgender People in Ontario, Canada: Statistics from the Trans PULSE Project to Inform Human Rights PolicyTrans PULSE (2014) Avoidance of Public Spaces by Trans Ontarians: The Impact of Transphobia on Daily Lifebarbara findlay’s HumanRights for Trans People in BC