June 16, 2017

A message from President Jason MacLean regarding the passage of Bill C-16

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The NSGEU stands behind the passage of Bill C-16, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code. The Act adds gender identity and gender expression to the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination. The Act also amends the Criminal Code to extend the protection against hate propaganda to any member of the public distinguished by gender identity or expression. It clearly sets out that if there is evidence that an offence was motivated by bias, prejudice, or hate based on gender identity or expression, this would constitute an aggravating circumstance that a court must take into consideration when it imposes a sentence.

The passage of this Bill is a first step to addressing challenges that face transgendered and gender-diverse Canadians, federally. It must be followed with policies and practices that build a culture of support for the full and equal rights of transgendered or gender-variant Canadians.
Provincially, our Human Rights Act and the NSGEU Constitution contains protections against discrimination by gender identity. We are glad to see this same protection extended federally with Bill C-16. If you would like to read the legislation in full click on the following link: http://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/42-1/bill/C-16/third-reading

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