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Posts Tagged ‘human rights’

Queer Ontario Sees Bill C-279 As Step in Right Direction, But Still Lacking

March 14th, 2013 Comments off
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Toronto, ON March 14, 2013 – Queer Ontario unequivocally sees federal Bill C-279* as a step in the right direction; however,we harbour serious concerns with the dropping of ‘gender expression’ from the original bill.
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Individuals need to have rights and protections not only with respect to how they identify their gender (including individuals who do not identify in terms of gender) but also how they express their gender. Indeed, we recognize that attacks on individuals based on their ‘sexual orientation or ‘gender identity’ are the result not of their sexuality or gender identity, per se, but rather, of the particular ways they express their sexuality, gender, or affections – that is: in a way that contradicts the attacker’s expectations of how that individual is supposed to look, speak, act,dress, or show affection, based on their perception of their target’s sex or gender.
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We see this Bill has having the potential to extend its rights and protections to all individuals based on their gender identity and gender expression, not only those who identify as transsexual or transgender. This includes individuals who are intersex, agender, bigender, genderqueer,two-spirited, androgynous, genderfluid, and not gender-identified. This also includes individuals who are cisgender but gender non-conforming (given the tolerances of the people in their close vicinities).
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It is for these reasons that we believe the federal Conservative Government has made a serious error in calling for the removal of ‘gender expression’ from Bill C-279, inexcusably denying the bill’s rights and protections to Canadians in need.
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Although Queer Ontario sees Bill C-279, in its amended form, as a necessary first step, we would like to send the message that the government’s protective work is far from over. We stand by the position that both ‘gender identity’ and ‘gender expression’ must be included inhuman rights legislation (as is the case in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Sweden), and thus, we are committed to continue the pursuit of their inclusion in a future amendment.
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* The bill to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code of Canada to include ‘gender identity’ and ‘gender expression’ as protected grounds against discrimination and hate crimes.
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Queer Ontario is a provincial network of gender and sexually diverse individuals – andtheir allies – who are committed to questioning, challenging, and reforming the laws,institutional practices, and social norms that regulate queer people.
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Contact: Nick Mulé
————- Chairperson
————- info@queerontario.org
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Downloadable Version: QO-BillC279-Statement
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News re: the Federal ‘Gender Identity’ Bill.

November 7th, 2012 Comments off

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Hello Everyone,
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We just found out via Sarah Manns and the Trans Lobby Group that Bill C-279 (the Federal ‘Gender Identity’ Bill) will be discussed at the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights on November 20, 22, and 27.
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This is the bill that was originally written to add ‘gender identity’ and ‘gender expression’ as protected grounds from discrimination and hate crimes under the Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms and the Criminal Code of Canada; however, it is now only proposing ‘gender identity’ after the Conservative Party of Canada threatened to defeat the bill during Second Reading.
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More information on the Bill can be found here: http://www.parl.gc.ca/LegisInfo/BillDetails.aspx?billId=5122660&Mode=1&Language=E
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Information about how to depute or make a submission has not been published yet. It will likely be posted on the House of Common’s Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights website.
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Moving forward,
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Martin Otarola
Queer Ontario Secretary
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RECOGNIZE! The 25th Anniversary celebration of the inclusion of ‘Sexual Orientation’ into the Ontario Human Rights Code

November 26th, 2011 Comments off

Queer Ontario would like to cordially invite all members of our LGBTQ communities to come to RECOGNIZE! The 25th Anniversary celebration of the inclusion of ‘Sexual Orientation’ into the Ontario Human Rights Code. It promises to be an evening full of merriment and remembrance.

Special guests Tom Warner and Susan Gapka will be present to speak about recognition struggles past and present; and we will be presenting the John Damien Award for Outstanding Activism to an individual or group that has caused a major stir this year.

So please, come on by, bring your guests, and celebrate with us.

When: Sunday, December 4, 2011. 7:00 – 10:00 PM
Where: Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
    12 Alexander Street, Toronto, ON
Note: The Program is set to start at 8:00 PM

Visit our Facebook event page for further details: https://www.facebook.com/events/267604516625048

Special Thanks to our sponsors:

Buddies in Bad Times Theatre

Canadian Lesbian & Gay Archives

Xtra!