I want to take a moment to urge you guys to support Bill C-389, which would amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to include gender identity and gender expression as prohibited grounds of discrimination, and update the Criminal Code of Canada to include gender identity and gender expression in the hate crime and sentencing provisions.
I have a statistically disproportionate number of friends who are transgender/transsexual, so this is personally important to me. This is not a cross-dressing issue – this is about people who have female brains in male bodies, or male brains in female bodies. There is actual science backing up this condition, which is medically recognized, and which often manifests as young as the age of two or three. And yet, trans folks have to struggle with a lot of prejudice, which can manifest as denial of employment, access to trans-sensitive health care, and difficulties obtaining identification documents.
The vote happens in Parliament next week, I believe, so please email your MP, and tell him or her that you support C-389 and that you hope they will represent you in this matter.
If By Yes 