Good News Out of Canada

C-389, the bill to protect Canadian transpeople from discrimination, proceded through another step Wednesday. The committee report passed the House of Commons with a standing vote of 143-131. The timetable is to have third reading in March, two hours of debate, and then a final vote.

Holding a report stage vote is "not normal," but this extra step proved not to be an insurmountable barrier.

The bill adds "gender identity" and "gender expression" to the Canadian Human Rights Act's list of prohibited grounds for discrimination.

O, Canada!

By Robyn

Unlike here in the US, we have some progress to report from north of the border.

Recently the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights of the Canadian Parliament had been working on C-389, otherwise known as the Transgender Rights Bill. On November 2 the Committee reported the bill back to the House of Commons for its Third Reading, where it is awaiting its final vote. If that is successful, it would move on to the Senate for approval.

Bill C-389 adds gender identity and gender expression to the Canada Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code of Canada hate crimes provisions. The bill's author is MP Bill Siksay of the New Democratic Party (the social democrats, sadly missing in the US).