I call this meeting to order.
Welcome to meeting number 137 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women.
For all members, please wait until I recognize you by name prior to speaking.
I'd also like to remind everyone that all comments should be addressed through the chair.
Thank you all for your co‑operation.
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, the committee will resume its study of hate-motivated violence targeting the 2SLGBTQI+ community.
Prior to my welcoming our witnesses I would like to provide a trigger warning. We will be discussing experiences related to hate-motivated violence. This may be triggering to viewers with similar experiences. If at any point any participants feel distressed or need help, please advise the clerk for assistance. For all witnesses and for all members of Parliament, as always, it's important to recognize that these are difficult conversations, so let's try to be as compassionate as we can be.
At this point, I would like to welcome our witnesses. We have, from the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate for New Brunswick, Kelly Lamrock, child and youth advocate, who is joining us by video conference; from Egale Canada, Bennett Jensen, director, legal; from QueerTech, Naoufel Testaouni, chief executive officer; and from the Society of Queer Momentum, Fae Johnston, executive director.
At this point, we will begin with our opening statements.
Mr. Lamrock, you have the floor for up to five minutes.