Union applauds move to strengthen Criminal Code

The House of Commons is considering a Bill that would add gender identity and gender expression as distinguishing characteristics protected under the hate propaganda section of the Criminal Code. Introduced by NDP MP Bill Siksay, the Bill also adds gender identity and expression as aggravating factors to be considered at the time of sentencing an offender.

“Transgender and transsexual people are regularly victims of abuse, harassment and physical violence”, said Siksay, “this Bill will ensure that transphobic violence against transgender and transsexual people is clearly identified as a hate crime.”

Siksay’s Bill addresses the lack of explicit protection for transsexual and transgender people under the current hate provisions of the Criminal Code. It will also allow judges to take into account whether crimes committed were motivated by hatred of transgender or transsexual people when they are determining the sentence of an offender.

CEIU National President Jeannette Meunier-McKay applauded Siksay’s initiative saying, “The law must consider gender identity and expression in its scope, and this Bill will make this a reality.”

Siksay also has tabled another Private Member’s Bill (C-326), which would add gender identity and gender expression as prohibited grounds of discrimination in the Canadian Human Rights Act.