Evidence of meeting #51 for Justice and Human Rights in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was trans.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:25 p.m.
Psychotherapist, Trans Activist and Educator, As an Individual
Yes. It's more....
I can't speak to the legal stuff. I just don't know it.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Conservative Brampton West, ON
All right.
And would you say that's the same...? I don't think this legislation could help with the story that you talked about, with the people who came up in the van. Education, I think, might help with people like that.
With respect to the passport, how do you see this legislation helping with that issue you face?
5:25 p.m.
Psychotherapist, Trans Activist and Educator, As an Individual
I'm certainly hoping that this legislation will lead rather directly to a complete change in the regulations for how people like me can have a passport that accurately represents their gender identity.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Conservative Brampton West, ON
Excuse my ignorance, but why is it difficult? Is it because it's...?
5:25 p.m.
Psychotherapist, Trans Activist and Educator, As an Individual
The current regulations state that you can change the gender on your health card: done. You can change the gender on your driver's licence with a doctor's letter: done. Those are both provincial.
At the federal level, you are not permitted to change your gender identity on any federal documents unless you have had some trans-related surgeries. I have a medical condition that makes those very dangerous for me.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
[Inaudible--Editor]...a letter that...[Inaudible--Editor].
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Conservative Brampton West, ON
So for people who aren't going to go through and have a surgery, they're sort of caught in this.
5:25 p.m.
Psychotherapist, Trans Activist and Educator, As an Individual
We are caught in this no-man's land—no-person's land.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Conservative Brampton West, ON
Right.
Do you view identity documents, passports, and any other sort of federally regulated identity documents as the same?
5:25 p.m.
Psychotherapist, Trans Activist and Educator, As an Individual
To have identity documents that don't match is a real problem for us. It means we can go through the kind of experiences I went through. We can have all kinds of difficulties with the police. It's a constant source of anxiety and difficulty for us. It's really big.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Conservative Brampton West, ON
Do I have more time? Very little.
Mr. Dyck, you seem to think that this legislation will help people actually come forward and go and report crime to police if they have been assaulted based on being transgendered. Is that your belief, that this legislation would give people the courage to come forward that they wouldn't have otherwise to go to the police?
5:25 p.m.
Director, Policy and Public Education, Egale Canada
I don't know that legislation can give people courage. What I do know is that making it explicit will, in itself, help to educate people that they do have rights.
To give you an example—I'm afraid I don't have the statistics on me right now—we conducted a survey of schools across the country. What we saw in schools was that in schools or school boards that had explicit policies that included gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation, rates of victimization went down. LGBT students—and teachers and parents—were more comfortable and more willing to report because they believed support would be there for them when they did.
I'm sorry I don't have those exact statistics on me—
5:30 p.m.
Director, Policy and Public Education, Egale Canada
—but those rates increased.
5:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dave MacKenzie
Thank you.
We've come to the end of today's meeting. The bells will ring in a few seconds, and all the members will disperse. This doesn't mean they aren't interested. When the bells ring, we go back to the House.
I really want to thank the panel. You've brought a great deal of information again to the committee on this study. We appreciate your being here.
I would ask committee members to be prepared to discuss future business on Thursday. We anticipate getting through clause-by-clause on the bill on Thursday, so we need to be prepared.
The meeting is adjourned.