Login / RegisterVancouver council to vote on support for Canadian transgender rights bill C-389
Vancouver city council could throw its support behind a private member’s bill that would protect transgender people in Canada from discrimination.
Coalition of Progressive Electors councillor Ellen Woodsworth has put a motion on the agenda for council’s meeting on Tuesday (November 16).
Her motion asks the city to support Bill C-389 and to call on members of Parliament to recognize it as a “necessary measure to ensure the health and well-being of the citizens and residents of Canada”.
Introduced last year in the House of Commons by Bill Siksay, the NDP MP for Burnaby-Douglas, the bill would add “gender identity” and “gender expression” to the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination in the Canadian Human Rights Act.
Currently, the act protects people on the basis of “race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, disability and conviction for which a pardon has been granted”.
Bill C-389 passed second reading in June.
On November 2, the standing committee on justice and human rights voted 9-2 to send the bill back to the House of Commons without amendment.
Conservative MPs Brent Rathgeber (Edmonton-St. Albert) and Stephen Woodworth (Kitchener Centre) voted against the bill in committee.
The bill must clear third reading and then gain Senate approval and royal assent to become law.
According to a November 3 press release from Siksay—who is his party’s critic for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender issues—the “next step” could come in December.
You can follow Stephen Hui on Twitter at twitter.com/stephenhui.
That means the city mayor and council, administration and police must adopt and enact a series of strategies to ensure the equality and safety of all people in this city:
For once I can say good job Gregor the Vision, Cope and the NPA
Vancouver has a great deal more pressing issues that council should be allocated their time to rather than redundant legislation.
Good government, not social activism...
Unlike many who post here.
Closeted bigots? Or don't have the guts to just come out and say your against equality rights for trans Canadians?
Well, eventually you will be marginalized and oppressed like most Canadian trans people. Karma is coming your way people.
I am so proud to know Ellen and not only call her my colleague, mentor, but also my friend. Certainly would be nice if more civic leaders have the fantastic personal politics and guts she has! Unfortunately 90% of our current council is a bunch of sell outs.
Certainly this Bill C-389, Ellen's continuing dedication to deep and meaningful social justice issues is not lost on me on this Transgender Day of Remembrance. (takes place internationally every Nov. 20th)
(The Vancouver location is here - as well as those we will be memorializing: http://www.transgenderdor.org/ )
THANK YOU ELLEN AND ALL WHO SUPPORT EQUALITY, ANTI OPPRESSION & SOCIAL JUSTICE FOR ALL.
Namaste