Bill C-389 - Human Rights in Jeopardy

  • by: Cid Van Zwol
  • recipient: Tell the Canadian government to pass Bill C-389
This bill died and the senate.  The goal of this petition is to garner enough interest, that it is picked up again, and to let the government know that issues like this are important.  Our goal is to show that people care about the human rights of trans people.  This bill is not something that should be dead on the floor, but passed. 

Bill C-389 would amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to protect the rights of transgender or transsexual citizens. It would prohibit discrimination on the basis of 'gender identity' or 'gender expression' in the workplace or elsewhere, and would amend the Criminal Code so that crimes committed against people because they are transgender or transsexual would be treated as hate crime.

Because it is a private member's bill C-389 should have had little chance of clearing the House of Commons. But MPs from all parties rallied behind the legislation, which passed third reading by the narrow vote of 143 to 135.

Critics have dubbed C-389 'the bathroom bill,' claiming it would allow male sexual predators to invade women's washrooms and change rooms.

The bill's supporters say nothing in the bill would change the criminal prohibitions against voyeurism. But the debate is likely to be short-circuited in any case, since the legislation has little chance of making it through the Senate.

The Conservatives, who have a majority in the upper house, have adopted the tactic of using the Senate to block private members' bills passed by the House of Commons that don't accord with the government's agenda (and there is a good chance that will happen here, since Prime Minister Stephen Harper does not support the transgendered rights legislation).

Tell the Canadian government that human rights matter for everyone, and that fear and intolerance have no place within the government.
Prime Minister Harper and members of the senate,

We the undersigned are requesting that pick up Bill-C389, and allow it to come to an open vote.

To leave Bill C-389 dead on the senate floor would be a smack in the face of human rights and equality. In the last election you promised to govern the country for all Canadians -- all Canadians deserve basic human rights and a lack of discrimination.  This is a chance for you to show that you were serious in your claims and allow all Canadians the rights they deserve, regardless of race, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation. 

Transexual rights are not a "gay" issue or a "sexual" issue, but one of identity, and it must be understood that to discriminate against someone on the basis of identity is a terrible and immoral crime.  Bill C-389 would help to assure that it would be illegal to discriminate against transexual individuals and allow them the basic human rights and dignity as should be afforded to us all.

This bill in no way is a danger to anyone.  Transexuals that would wish to use the restrooms, locker rooms or showers of the opposite gender are those living and existing as that gender -- they are not perverts or sexual deviants.  This bill does not change the laws on sexual assault, voyeurism, or the like -- the same laws that would apply to anyone of any gender at anytime.

In closing, we ask you to think of tolerance and equality for all Canadian citizens.  The Senate has risen above factional interest in support of human rights before, and we count on you to do so again.

Thank you for you time.
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