Today — International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia — Ontario NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo plans to reintroduce her private member’s bill to add gender identity to the province’s Human Rights Code.
This is the third time DiNovo has introduced the bill. She first did so in 2007, but the bill failed when the Legislature rose for the provincial election later that year. DiNovo introduced the bill again in November 2009, but it died when the Liberal government prorogued in March 2010.
Ontario NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo and trans activist Susan Gapka in November 2009
“It would be a clear message to landlords and employers that it’s wrong
to discriminate,” said trans activist Susan Gapka in November. “It would be a very clear indication that
state and society says, ‘Welcome, you are included.’”
A similar piece of legislation is being debated at the federal level. Opposition MPs spoke in favour of NDP MP Bill Siksay’s C-389 last week in the Commons, but two Conservative MPs said they had concerns about the “vagueness” of the terms “gender identity” and “gender expression.”
For more info, check out www.transhumanrightscampaign.org.
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