MPs send Siksay’s trans rights bill to committee

UPDATE: After a second hour of debate, MPs voted to proceed with Bill Siksay’s trans rights bill. It now moves to committee for further study.

Xtra’s federal politics reporter Dale Smith was there:

“Once again, most of the speeches were in support of the bill, with the exception of the Conservatives, who put up the Parliamentary Secretary for the Minister of Justice, Daniel Petit, to claim that the bill was unnecessary. He said trans people are already protected from gender-based discrimination.” NDP, Liberal and Bloc MPs spoke in favour of the bill.

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EARLIER: The House of Commons is debating NDP MP Bill Siksay’s trans rights bill this evening — watch live on CPAC or follow our tweets, via Xtra’s federal politics reporter Dale Smith.

Siksay’s C-389 would add gender identity and gender expression as
prohibited grounds of discrimination to the Canadian Human Rights Act.
The private member’s bill would also amend the hate crime and
sentencing provisions of the Criminal Code.

NDP MP Libby Davies speaks in favour of the trans rights bill

Xtra covered the first hour of debate on the bill in early May. Opposition MPs spoke in support of the bill, but two Conservative MPs raised concerns.

Read more:

• Opposition supports trans rights bill in Commons debate
• Third time’s the charm? Ontario trans rights bill reintroduced