British Columbia Finally Passes Trans Human Rights Law!

Provincial trans rights laws in Canada have been on the fast track since 2012, with seven Canadian provinces, Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and Alberta  plus the Northwest Territories being ones that have laws that explicitly protect  transgender people from discrimination..

New Brunswick, Quebec, Nunavut Territory and Yukon Territory don't have explicit language in their human rights acs, but interpret the current laws in ways that imply trans human rights are covered in those areas

We are also awaiting action on C-16, the federal trans rights bill that has been tabled by the Liberal federal majority and has passed its first reading.

On Monday British Columbia finally joined that list of provinces that protect the rights of their trans citizens thanks to the passage of Bill 27, a bill that was fast tracked through the legislature in one day as transgender BC residents like Tru Wilson, her family and others came to Victoria to lobby for its passage
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NDP MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert has been trying for five years to get four different private members trans right bills through the BC Legislature without success, so it was a surprise that the BC Liberal majority finally decided on July 25 to table and pass in all three readings Bill 27.

Bill 27 is now awaiting royal assent by BC's lieutenant governor, and adds explicit trans rights protection to the BC Human Rights Code.  Gender identity and expression are now listed as protected classes, and BC trans folks can no longer be fired, lose housing or face discrimination just for being their trans selves.

While Bill 27 was passed unanimously,  there was opposition from one of the ruling Liberal Party MLA's in Laurie Throness.  He cited the usual anti-trans BS to justify his opposition to the bill, called it 'unnecessary', but abstained from voting against it.,

Well peeps, if you live in the Chilliwack-Hope provincial riding, y'all know what to do in the next provincial election.   Vote this transphobic bigot out of office.

Congrats British Columbia for finally recognizing that trans rights are human rights, and doing the right thing in protecting the human rights of BC residents.

January Lapuz Update

Will continue to monitor this north of the border case and see if the Canadian justice system is better than the one in my own nation when it concerns dispensing justice in the murder of trans individuals.
--TransGriot, July 20, 2013

Based on the result of this case, inconclusive.

When I last checked in on this case, Charles Neel was facing second degree murder charges in the stabbing death of trans pinay January Lapuz.

The 26 year old Lapuz was stabbed in her New Westminster, BC home in September 2012 and died in a local hospital a few days later.   Neel was arrested in December 5 and charged in the case with a trial start date of June 9, 2014.

One the date the jury trial was supposed to start, Neel pleaded guilty in BC Supreme Court to the lesser charge of manslaughter.  He accepted responsibility for Lapuz's death, but didn't admit the intent to kill her.

He was sentenced on June 12 to 8 years in prison, which will be reduced further due to time served to five years and three months.

Was justice served here?   Depends on your point of view in this case.

Tracey Update

A few months ago I wrote about Tracey Wilson, the trans kid in Vancouver whose parents filed a human rights complaint with the BC Human Rights tribunal when her Catholic school refused to recognize her femininity, refused to authorize a name change, let her use the female restroom or allow Tracey to wear the girls school uniform while claiming they didn't have a policy for it.

There's good news to report in Tracey's case

The human rights complaint filed by Tracey's parents on her behalf against the semi-private Catholic school and the Catholic Schools Vancouver has resulted in a new policy entitled the "CISVA Elementary School Policy regarding Gender Expression and Gender Dysphoria.”

“Where a request for accommodation is received on the basis of gender dysphoria or gender expression, the administrative staff should respond in a prompt and supportive manner, and in accordance with the principles outlined in this policy.”

The new CISVA policy states the student has the right to be addressed by their preferred name, even if they don’t legally change it.  School  records will be amended to reflect any changes.  Gender presentation appropriate school uniforms will be provided upon written request by the student's parent/guardian . 

“Upon receipt of a written request by a student’s parents/guardians in the attached form, a school shall provide an alternative uniform for that student, in designated school colours. The alternative uniform shall be determined in collaboration with the student’s parents and the school administration.”

So it looks as though it was a huge human rights win for not only Tracey, but every trans child who will go through the Vancouver Catholic school system.

Now if only the province of British Columbia will follow suit and protect the human rights of Tracey and all its trans citizens like five other provinces and the Northwest Territories have already done.

Tracey Fighting To Be Herself

Where are the trans teen kids who share my ethnic background?  It's a question I've been asking and frankly so have my readers for a while.

One of my readers recently sent me a story about 10 year old Tracey Wilson, who lives in British Columbia with her parents.

While I was happy to read about her transition and her loving parents supporting it, the part of the story I'm not happy about is that the seeds of the transphobia that Dr. Paul McHugh sowed in the Vatican back in 2003 continue to bear poisonous transphobic fruit at the flock level. 

Tracey is now living as a girl full time.  When she wanted to do so at her semi-private Catholic school as well and her parents Michelle and Garfield informed Sacred  Heart of Tracey's wish, the school said no.   They offered to let her use the disabled bathroom, but not the girl's one and refused to authorize a name change or allow Tracey to wear the girls school uniform claiming they didn't have a policy for it.

The great thing about living in Canada besides universal health care and Timmy's is that they have strong human rights protection enshrined in their Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  Tracey's parents have filed a human rights complaint with the BC Human Rights Tribunal against the Independent Catholic Schools of Vancouver.

And yes BC, it's past time for you to join the other four provinces and the Northwest Territories in your home and native land that protect the human rights of trans citizens of your province.

Tracey's human rights complaint will be heard in the spring, and I'll definitely be keeping an eye on it along with everyone else in Trans World and the African Diaspora

Alleged Killer of January Lapuz To Face Trial

The alleged killer of Vancouver area trans woman January Marie Lapuz will be going on trial next year.

Twenty year old Charles Jameson 'Jamie' Mungo Neel is facing second degree murder charges in the death of the 26 year old Lapuz, who was stabbed in her New Westminster, BC home last September and subsequently died in a hospital a few hours later.

Neel was arrested on December 5 by New Westminster, BC police and faced a preliminary hearing in the court of Judge Therese Alexander back in June.

After hearing witnesses and viewing presented evidence, Judge Alexander ruled this case should go to trial and a date was set for June 9-16, 2014 for the trial to take place.

Will continue to monitor this north of the border case and see in the Canadian justice system is better than the one in my own nation when it concerns dispensing justice in the murder of trans individuals.

Justice For January Rally Tonight

I posted about January Marie Lapuz, one of the girls like us in the Vancouver area who was loved and respected in the community being murdered in her New Westminster, BC home on September 29th of last year.  
Charles Neel, the person who is alleged to have committed the crime was arrested on December 5 and charged with her murder. 

Later today the Vancouver trans community and their allies will have a rally starting at 4 PM PST in support of January.  They will gather at the New Westminster City Hall and march to the New Westminster Provincial Courthouse in a call for justice for January Lapuz and in opposition to the release of Charles Neel.   

Activists at this rally will call on the Canadian federal and British Columbia provincial governments to immediately enshrine human rights protections at the federal and the provincial level in BC for all gender variant, transgender, transsexual, two spirit, intersexual, and other individuals.  

They will also call for general reform and improvement of BC's Trans Health Program, and ending the mistreatment of Canada's transgender and gender variant citizens.

Good luck and hope you have a sizable turnout for this event.