Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Toby's Act Passes Third Reading!

In an anti-climactic but still historic day for transpeople in Ontario, Bill 33, also known as Toby's Act unanimously passed the Ontario Legislature. 

Toby's Act had tri-party support and it capped several years of attempts starting in 2007 to pass it by New Democratic Party MPP Cheri DiNovo and local trans activists.

The wonderful news from Queen's Park followed good news on the Canadian trans activism front in Alberta and from Ottawa.

NDP MP Randall Garrison's C-279, the federal trans rights bill passed Second Reading on June 6 by a 150 to 132 vote that included several Conservative MPs.  A provincial trans rights bill similar to Ontario's is currently pending in the Manitoba legislature as well

Bill 13, an anti-bullying bill was also passed by the Ontario legislature as well.

Toby's Act is still awaiting the final step of Royal Assent before it becomes law and makes Ontario the second large Canadian jurisdiction after the Northwest Territories to confer upon its trans citizens full human rights coverage.

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