Support Bill C-389: contact the Senate today

Bill C-389, which would add gender identity and gender expression to the Canadian Human Rights Act, could be headed for defeat in the Senate. A campaign has been launched asking Canadians to contact members of the Senate to express their support for the bill and encourage its speedy passage through the unelected body.

(via tranrights.ca)

The speed at which this bill is moving is encouraging, but 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, the bill instantly dies.

We must act NOW.

Copy and paste the letter below and send it to the senators’ emails listed here:

[Date]

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 and 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 trans communities in your own province and throughout the country.

Sincerely,

[Your name here]

[Your address info here]

 

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