Conservative platform pledges ban on trans women in women’s prisons

ANALYSIS: The Conservative Party of Canada’s 2025 federal election platform also hints at possible future anti-trans policies

The Conservative Party of Canada released their full costed platform today for the 2025 election, and it includes a ban on trans women from federal women’s prisons in Canada. 

Under the platform’s section regarding public safety, the Conservatives pledge to “Defend women’s safety by repealing Commissioner’s Directive 100, and ensure that women’s spaces and services remain protected in federal institutions and policy.”

Commissioner’s Directive 100 is a policy that was released by Canada’s Correctional Service in 2022, and designed to preserve the human rights of incarcerated trans and gender-diverse people in Canada. It called for training around gender identity for correctional service staff, as well as ensuring that incarcerated people are held in facilities that align with their gender identity. 

The directive’s purpose is stated as aiming to meet the needs of Canada’s prison system’s “gender diverse offender population in ways that respect their human rights and ensure their safety and dignity.”

Senior editor Mel Woods breaks down what this pledge could mean for future anti-trans policy at the federal level.

With the 2025 Canadian federal election underway, Xtra is bringing back our weekly pop-up election newsletter, Rainbow VotesSubscribe now for free exclusive reporting, analysis and opinion in your inbox every Thursday.

Senior editor Mel Woods is an English-speaking Vancouver-based writer, editor and audio producer and a former associate editor with HuffPost Canada. A proud prairie queer and ranch dressing expert, their work has also appeared in Vice, Slate, the Tyee, the CBC, the Globe and Mail and the Walrus.

Keep Reading

Actors Ian McKellen and James Laurenson in 'Edward II', which featured the first gay kiss on British television

The history of the first gay kiss on British TV

In 1970, Sir Ian McKellen and James Laurenson made history with a kiss in a filmed production of “Edward II”
Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission Brendan Carr in front of the FCC logo

FCC explores adding warning labels for trans content on TV

The U.S. government agency is taking comments on whether television ratings should be updated to signal “controversial gender identity issues”
On the left, Jason Collins on the cover of Sports Illustrated coming out as gay. On the right, a photo of Collins playing for the Brooklyn Nets.

Remembering Jason Collins, the gay NBA player who changed the game

The late trailblazer made history when he came out in 2013
Senior Director for Counterterrorism Sebastian Gorka speaks during the Semafor World Economy Summit.

U.S. counterterrorism strategy takes aim at ‘pro-transgender’ groups

The Trump administration’s updated counterterrorism strategy targets “left-wing extremists” and groups who are “radically pro-transgender”
Advertisement