FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 1^st, 2011

ACT NOW: Third reading next Monday, February 7, 2011 for Bill C-389, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code (gender identity and gender expression)

Toronto: Egale has received confirmation that Bill C-389, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code (gender identity and gender expression), will now be up for debate next Monday, February 7, 2011 at 11:00 AM. The final vote in the House of Commons will likely be on Wednesday, February 9, 2011 between 5:30 and 6:00 PM. This means we have less than one week to get as many MPs onside as possible. Email your Member of Parliament now to ensure they vote in favour.

Bill C-389 passed report stage on December 8, 2010, with 143 votes in favour and 131 against. However, 31 MPs either abstained or did not show up for the vote. As such, it is extremely important that every supporter of the Bill is in the House on February 7. Click here for a summary of the more notable votes at report stage, or check out the complete breakdown of how each Member of Parliament voted on December 8. If you don't see your Member of Parliament listed, it may be because they were absent or abstained from the vote. Scroll down to find your Member of Parliament and then use one of the draft letters included below either to send your encouragement to those who supported the bill or to urge those who voted against to reconsider their position before third reading. Email addresses for all current Members of Parliament can be found here. Be sure to include Egale in your correspondence by copying C389@egale.ca on your email.

Bill C-389 is an incredibly important initiative. If passed, the bill would amend the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA) to include “gender identity” and “gender expression” as prohibited grounds of discrimination. It would also add crimes motivated by transphobia to the list of crimes treated by the Criminal Code as potential hate crimes. This kind of explicit reference within the CHRA would afford transgender, transsexual, cross-dresser, intersex, gender-queer, gender non-conforming and gender-open individuals clearer protection against discrimination and help create a safer Canada for all of us.

Draft letter to MPs who voted in favour of Bill C-389 at report stage:

[Insert Name Here], MP
[Insert Riding Here]
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6

Dear MP [Insert Name],

I'm writing you in support of Bill C-389, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code (gender identity and gender expression). I applaud and encourage your efforts to include gender identity and gender expression as prohibited grounds for discrimination within the Canadian Human Rights Act as well as the inclusion of transphobic hate crimes within the Criminal Code. Finally, I support you in your efforts to educate all members of the House of Commons about trans matters, and I encourage each of these to vote in favour of C-389 after having considered their responsibilities to the many transgender, transsexual, cross-dresser, intersex, gender-queer, gender non-conforming, and gender-open individuals in their own constituency and throughout the country.

In thanks and support,

[Your Name Here]
[Your Address Info Here]

Draft letter to MPs who voted against Bill C-389 at report stage:

[Insert Name Here], MP
[Insert Riding Here]
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6

Dear MP [Insert Name],

I'm writing you in support of Bill C-389, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code (gender identity and gender expression). As a resident of your constituency, I would like to stress the importance of including “gender identity” and “gender expression” as prohibited grounds for discrimination within the Canadian Human Rights Act as well as the inclusion of a “transphobic hate crime” within the Criminal Code. Finally, when voting on C-389 at third reading, I encourage you to strongly consider your responsibilities to the many transgender, transsexual, cross-dresser, intersex, gender-queer, gender non-conforming, and gender-open individuals in your own constituency and throughout the country.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]
[Your Address Info Here]

Egale Canada ©2011

Canada's LGBT human rights organization: advancing equality, diversity, education, and justice.