C-389 Moves on to the Senate: Call or Email your Senators Today

Toronto: Bill C-389, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code (gender identity and gender expression), passed third reading in the House of Commons on Wednesday, February 9, 2011. It now moves on to the Senate, and with an election looming, it is extremely important that all Canadians who stand opposed to discrimination, harassment and hate-motivated violence based on gender identity and gender expression call or email their province or territory’s senators today.

C-389 moved quickly through first reading in the Senate on Thursday, February 10, 2011, and is now on the Order Paper for second reading. It still needs to pass through committee and second and third readings in the Senate before it becomes law. If this doesn’t happen before an election is called, likely in March, the bill instantly dies on the Order Paper, effectively hitting the restart button and requiring it to be re-introduced from the very beginning of the legislative process in the next Parliament.

The looming election, complete with its inevitable gamesmanship, renders palpable the need for immediate and concerted action in support of C-389. Call or email your senators today! A template email is including below, and current contact information is available 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.

Before speaking with your senator, it may be helpful to review the "8 Myths Around C-389," delivered by the Hon. Marlene Jennings, P.C., M.P., during third reading in the House of Commons. Ce document, « 8 mythes autour de C-389 » est aussi disponible en français.

Draft letter to senators:

The Honourable
[Insert Name Here], Senator
The Senate of Canada
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A4

Dear Senator [Surname],

I am writing to 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 would like to stress the importance of including “gender identity” and “gender expression” as prohibited grounds of discrimination in the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA), and as relevant factors in hate crimes sentencing under the Criminal Code.

This bill is an important step toward explicitly recognizing and affirming the equality-rights of trans Canadians. For too long, social and political invisibility have enabled discrimination, harassment and hate-motivated violence against the trans community to continue unnoticed and unchallenged. Bill C-389 is essential for ending this terrible trend.

When voting on C-389 in the Senate, 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 province and throughout the country.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]
[Your Address Info Here]

L'honorable
[prénom et nom], sénateur/sénatrice
Le Sénat
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A4

Monsieur le Sénateur, / Madame la Sénatrice,

Je vous écris pour vous faire part de mon appui au projet de loi C-389, loi modifiant la Loi canadienne sur les droits de la personne et le Code criminel (identité et expression sexuelles).

Je tiens à souligner à quel point il est important d’ajouter « l’identité et l’expression sexuelles » à la liste des motifs de distinction illicite de la Loi canadienne sur les droits de la personne et dans les dispositions du Code criminel portant sur la détermination de la peine dans le cas des crimes haineux.

Ce projet de loi est un pas important vers la reconnaissance et l’affirmation explicites du droit à l’égalité des personnes trans du Canada. Depuis trop longtemps, l’invisibilité sociale et politique ont contribué à alimenter les actes de discrimination, de harcèlement et de violence motivés par la haine à l’égard de la communauté trans. Il faut mettre fin à cette horrible tendance et le projet de loi C-389 est essentiel pour y arriver.

Au moment de voter sur le projet de loi C-389 au Sénat, je vous demande instamment de ne pas oublier vos responsabilités à l’égard des nombreux citoyens et citoyennes transsexuels et transgenres de votre province et de l’ensemble du pays.

Je vous prie d’agréer mes sincères salutations

[votre nom]
[votre adresse]

Egale Canada ©2011

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