1. What are some of the primary concerns facing trans and gender diverse people in relation to the inscription of sex on the Canadian passport?
2. What are the problems associated with (A) travelling with a passport with a sex marker that doesn’t reflect one’s appearance and (B) travelling with a passport with a sex marker that doesn’t reflect one’s anatomical sex?
3. Would it be helpful to have the option of a gender neutral sex marker in the passport? If so, should this be an option for any applicant, or should it be available only to certain types of applicants?

For the purposes of this opinion, Egale Canada has reviewed the relevant standards and orders, as well as consulted widely with trans and gender diverse communities across Canada.

Click here to download the complete position paper.

January 27, 2012

Kirk LaPointe
Ombudsman, CBC
P.O. Box Station A
Toronto, Ontario M5W 1E6

By Email: ombudsman@cbc.ca

Dear Mr. LaPointe,

On behalf of Egale Canada’s Trans Committee, Board of Directors and Executive Staff, we are writing to express our shock and disappointment regarding CBC’s documentary “Transgender Kids,” aired January 7^th at 10:00 pm EST on The Passionate Eye on CBC News Network.

We applaud the CBC for recognizing the need to foster public awareness and discussions about sex and gender differences. However, the filmmakers’ decision to refer to all trans people featured in the documentary by their biological sex at birth, rather than their self-identified genders, was extremely disrespectful and dismissive. In addition, this was inconsistent with the guidelines for appropriate gender pronoun usage according to such respected media style guides as AP and GLAAD. It is our opinion that the CBC should not have aired this documentary without correcting this insensitive and incongruent narration.

This documentary was particularly damaging given the current political climate facing trans people in Canada. As you may already know, the federal Gender Identity Bill (C-279) is approaching second reading in parliament. This bill seeks to provide equal human rights protections to trans and gender diverse people across Canada in the areas of health care, education, housing, employment and legal and social services. As a result, it is particularly important at this time that trans identities not be misrepresented as “artificial” in respected media, such as the CBC.

Trans people in Canada have a long history of being demonized or rendered invisible. We have been unfairly pathologized as mentally ill, denied our true gendered identities and criminalized, leading to cruel and unusual punishments within the corrections system. Documentaries with insensitive and demeaning narration, such as “Transgender Kids,” although increasingly uncommon, perpetuate the misunderstandings that lead to further discrimination, harassment and violence towards members of our communities. Given the increasing incidence of trans youth being bullied at school and the alarmingly high rates of self-harm and suicide within this demographic, it is unconscionable to continue to exploit and ignore the legitimate experiences of vulnerable trans youth such as those featured in this documentary.

While the video footage and the interviews with trans children/teens, their families and friends demonstrated appropriate respect for those whose sex and gender identities do not correspond with that assigned at birth, the narration of the documentary served to undo this. Throughout, the narrator referred to these youth (and in one instance an adult mentor) by the wrong pronoun (e.g. the trans girls who spoke so candidly about their deep-seated feelings and knowledge of themselves as girls were referred to as “he” and vice versa for the trans boys). Otherwise poignant scenes of trans youth and their families struggling to grapple with, protect, embody and celebrate their gender identities were consistently undermined by de-legitimizing narration. Consequently, films such as “Transgender Kids” and the CBC’s decision to air this documentary do violence to these children and youth who represent thousands of Canadian youth in similar situations. It serves to justify the profound misunderstanding of transsexuality, transgender and Two-Spirit as being abnormal or illegitimate existences. Sadly, this significantly increases the likelihood that the viewing public will incorrectly view these children as victims of “gender confusion” and their parents as horribly misguided.

We respectfully request that the CBC issue a public apology for airing this documentary with the offensive and harmful narration. We also request that any future airings of this and similar documentaries be edited to correct the pronoun usage to correspond appropriately with the gender identity of the subject and in accordance with accepted media style guides. While the AP Stylebook provides a minimum standard for reporting on trans subjects, Egale recommends the Media Reference Guide published by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), freely available at www.glaad.org.

All responses to this letter may be directed to Helen Kennedy at 416-964-7887 ext. 21 or helen_kennedy@egale.ca.

Yours sincerely,

Toronto: Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) community will come together in Toronto to launch Courage in the Face of Hate, a new initiative by Egale Canada designed to combat the rising incidence of hate crime in Canada motivated by sexual orientation and gender identity.

Hate crimes based on sexual orientation more than doubled in 2008 and increased by another 18% in 2009, according to Statistics Canada. Further, three-quarters of hate crimes against the lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) community in Canada are violent, with 63% resulting in physical injury to the victim—far more than any other identifiable group. Notably, the absence of legal protections on the basis of gender identity and expression means that police-reported hate crime data give no indication of the level and severity of hate crimes against trans Canadians.

These numbers stress the need for amplified education, training and prevention initiatives explicitly targeting homophobia and transphobia in our schools and communities. “It is clear that hate crime in Canada is a youth phenomenon,” said Helen Kennedy, Executive Director of Egale Canada. “When youth ages 12 to 18 represent the highest volume of both victims and those accused of hate crimes, it is impossible to deny the urgent need for comprehensive anti-homophobia and anti-transphobia measures in every school in Canada.”

Courage in the Face of Hate will bring together educators, police services and those directly affected by hate crime to combat the rising trend of LGBT-targeted violence. The program will provide victims of hate crime with a forum in which to share their experiences and connect with other members of the community during focus groups and individual interviews, to be facilitated by Prof. Barbara Perry, an internationally renowned expert in hate- and bias-motivated violence. Using video footage of victims` testimonies to create an educational video and lesson plan for high school students, the project will reach out to youth across the country. By highlighting the human impact of hate and bias, the project will reduce fear and dispel prejudice, thereby decreasing the overall number of hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation and gender identity.

Courage in the Face of Hate will travel across Canada over the coming months to connect with LGBT Canadians from all walks of life.

This project has been made possible by a grant from the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services in Ontario.

For more information: Helen Kennedy, Executive Director, 416-964-7887 ext. 21, www.egale.ca/courage

Toronto: Fear and hatred have claimed the lives of 221 people around the world since the commemoration of Trans Day of Remembrance in 2010. This year, on November 20, we remember not only the 221 trans and gender diverse individuals who have been murdered in 26 countries over the past year, nor solely the 755 lives we have lost since the Trans Murder Monitoring Project (TMM) began documenting the deaths of trans people in January 2008. Rather, we turn our thoughts as well to the countless trans and gender diverse people whose names we do not know, and whose senseless deaths have passed silently and brutally without acknowledgement and without justice.

Within Canada, trans individuals frequently face discrimination, dramatically affecting their access to basic necessities such as housing, health care, employment and even education. Egale’s final report on homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in Canadian schools, Every Class in Every School, revealed that fully 78% of trans students feel unsafe at school, and 44% had skipped school because they feared for their safety. Moreover, 65% of trans students had been verbally harassed because of their gender identity and/or expression, and 37% had been physically harassed or assaulted.

To date, only six countries in the world have enacted legislation to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity. In Canada, the Northwest Territories is the only provincial/territorial jurisdiction to have included “gender identity” in its human rights act, despite repeated calls by human rights commissions across the country for legislators to take action to promote and protect the rights of trans Canadians. Federally, a Private Member’s bill to include “gender identity” and “gender expression” in both the Canadian Human Rights Act and the hate crime provisions of the Criminal Code progressed as far as first reading in the Senate this year before it died on the Order Paper with the spring election call.

On November 20, 2011, over 140 countries will mark Trans Day of Remembrance with sombre reflection and an urgent call to action. Hatred grows on fear and it grows on silence, but it cannot grow unless we allow it to. “We call on all Canadians, from coast to coast to coast, to stand in solidarity against fear and against hate,” declared Helen Kennedy, Executive Director of Egale Canada. “We cannot allow the continued silence and misinformation about trans lives to carry on unchallenged while violence against the community continues to escalate.”

The harrowing numbers from the Trans Murder Monitoring Project require immediate action from our communities, from our schools, and from all levels of government. Transphobic violence and murder are global phenomena and will remain our horrifying reality unless governments and communities around the world organize and educate to eradicate transphobia.

For more information:
Helen Kennedy, Egale Canada, 416-964-7887 ext. 21

Events to Commemorate Trans Day of Remembrance 2011 Across Canada

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Will hold a memorial for the Transgender Day of Remembrance on Sunday, November 20, 2011 from 7-9 pm at the McDougall United Church, 10086-101 Street, Edmonton, AB

Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

Will be holding a Transgender day of Remembrance event Sunday November 20, 2011 2pm — 4 pm, 1206-6 Ave S (Lethbridge HIV Connection) Along with an opportunity to remember lives lost due to transhobia and violence, there will be a round table discussion on issues of safety and violence for trans people. Contact: info@outreachsa.ca or www.outreachsa.ca

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Will be holding a Transgender day of Remembrance event on Sunday, November 20, 2011 from 5:30-8:30 pm. March begins at The Carnegie Community Center. 401 Main St. (corner of Main & Hastings) (Vancouver)

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

The Nova Scotia Rainbow Action Project will be hosting a Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil on Sunday 20th from 7.00-9.00pm. doors opening at 6.30pm. At Veith House ( 3115 Veith St., Halifax Nova Scotia ) There will be Guest Speakers, Reading of the Names and a Social after. All are Welcome. Contact: Regina Lohnes at tdor.hlfx@gmail.com

Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada

Will be holding a Transgender day of Remembrance on Saturday, November 19, 2011 at 7:00 pm at the Mount Allison University Chapel [15 Salem Street, Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada]. Join us for a candlelight vigil, followed by a screening of “A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story”, hosted by Catalyst, Mt.A’s Queer Straight Trans Alliance and Activist Society. Staff, students, faculty, and community members are welcome. For more information, please contact Amelia at catalyst@mta.ca.

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Will be holding a Transgender Day of Remembrance event on Monday, November 21, 2011. There will be a candlelight vigil at the University Pride Center. For more information conact: Emily Striker emilystriker87@gmail.com.

Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Monday, November 21st, 7:30pm at Out On The Shelf, 141 Woolwich St, Unit 106. Presented by the paTio trans support group. For more information contact thepatiogroup@gmail.com

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Will be hosting a Transgender Day of Remembrance event on Friday, November 18th from 7:00 — 9:00 PM. At the 519 Church Street Community Centre at 519 Church St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada. For more information, please contact Morgan at mpage@the519.org.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Will be hosting a Transgender Day of Remembrance event on Monday, November 28th from 6:30 — 8:30 PM. At the William Doo Auditorium, 45 Willcocks St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Contact: tig.action.toronto@gmail.com

In total, since January 2008 the murders of 755 trans people have been reported

The 13^th International Transgender Day of Remembrance is being held on November 20^th 2011: Since 1999, the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), on which those trans people who have been victims of homicide are remembered, takes place every November. The TDOR raises public awareness of hate crimes against trans people, provides a space for public mourning and honours the lives of those trans people who might otherwise be forgotten. Started in the USA, the TDOR is now held in many parts of the world. In the past, the TDOR took place in more than 180 cities in more than 20 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania.

Sadly, this year there are 221 trans persons to be added to the list to be remembered, mourned and honoured as an update of the preliminary results of Transgender Europe’s Trans Murder Monitoring project reveals.

The Trans Murder Monitoring (TMM) project started in April 2009 and systematically monitors, collects and analyses reports of homicides of trans people worldwide. Updates of the preliminary results, which have been presented in July 2009 for the first time, are published on the website of the “Transrespect versus Transphobia Worldwide” project three to four times a year in form of tables, name lists, and maps:

http://www.transrespect-transphobia.org/en_US/tvt-project/tmm-results.htm

Every year in November, Transgender Europe provides a special update of the TMM results for the International Transgender Day of Remembrance so as to assist activists worldwide in raising public awareness of hate crimes against trans people.

The TDOR 2011 update has revealed a shocking total of 221 cases of reported killings of trans people from November 20^th 2010 to November 14^th 2011:

http://www.transrespect-transphobia.org/en_US/tvt-project/tmm-results/tdor2011.htm

In comparison to the TDOR updates of the last years (162 reports 2009, 179 reports in 2010), we are witnessing a significant increase, which points to the extreme level of violence many trans people continue to be exposed to. However, this increase may also reflect the TvT project’s intensified cooperation and data exchange with trans and LGBT organizations, which document murders of LGBT or trans people in local and national contexts such as Grupo Gay da Bahia (Brazil), Observatorio Ciudadano Trans (Cali, Colombia), Pembe Hayat (Turkey), or TVMEX – Travestis México.

The update shows reports of murdered or killed trans people in 26 countries in the last 12 months, with the majority from Brazil (97), Mexico (23), Colombia (19), and Venezuela (14) followed by Argentina (9),  Honduras (9), and the USA (9). In Asia most reported cases have been found in Pakistan (6), and the Philippines (5), and in Europe in Turkey (5).

As in the previous years, most reported cases were from Central and South America, which account for 80 % of the globally reported homicides of trans people since January 2008. In Central and South America, in 2008, 96 killings were reported in 13 countries, in 2009, 165 killings in 16 countries, in 2010, 174 killings in 13 countries. In 2011, so far 188 killings were reported in 15 Central and South American countries. The starkest increase in reports is also to be found in Central and South America, e.g. in Brazil (2008: 57, 2009: 69, 2010: 101, January-November 2011: 97) and Mexico (2008: 4, 2009: 10, 2010: 12, January-November 2011: 23). The data also show an alarming increase in reported murders in Turkey in the previous years (2008: 2, 2009: 5, 2010: 6, January-November 2011: 5).

In total, the preliminary results show 755 reports of murdered trans people in 51 countries since January 2008.

The new result update reveals that in the last 47 months, 57 homicides of trans people were reported in Asia (2008: 11, 2009: 14, 2010: 17, January-November 2011: 15), 48 in North America (2008: Canada: 1, USA: 17, 2009: USA: 13, 2010: USA: 8, January-November 2011: USA: 9), 45 in Europe (2008: 11, 2009: 17, 2010: 9, January-November 2011: 8), and 4 in Oceania (2008: 3, 2009: 1) as well as 2 in Africa (2008: 1, 2009: 1).

The TDOR update of the preliminary results also reveals that since January 2008 45 killings of trans people have been reported in 10 European countries (Albania: 1, Germany: 2, Italy: 14, Poland: 1, Portugal: 1, Russia: 1, Serbia: 1, Spain: 3, Turkey: 18 and, UK: 3). In Asia, since January 2008 57 killings of trans people have been reported in 12 countries (Azerbaijan: 2, China: 6, India: 8, Indonesia: 4, Iran 1, Iraq: 3, Malaysia: 6, Pakistan: 12, Philippines: 11, Republic of Korea: 1, Singapore: 1, and Thailand: 2). In Oceania, 4 killings have been reported since 2008 (Australia: 1, Fiji: 1, New Caledonia: 1, and New Zealand: 1) and in Africa 2 (South Africa: 1, and Algeria: 1).

Yet, we know, even these high numbers are only a fraction of the real figures; the truth is much worse.

These are only the reported cases, which could be found through internet research. In most countries, data on murdered trans people are not systematically produced and it is impossible to estimate the numbers of unreported cases. Another finding of these updates is that while Brazil has received special attention due to the elevated number of killings, the number of killings in other South and Central American countries like Venezuela, Honduras and in particular Guatemala is equally or even more worrying in view of the much smaller population sizes of these countries.

While the documentation of homicides against trans people is indispensable for demonstrating the shocking extent of human rights violations committed against trans people on a global scale, there is also a need for in-depth research of various other aspects related to the human rights situation of trans people. Therefore, Transgender Europe developed the Trans Murder Monitoring project into the ‘Transrespect versus Transphobia Worldwide’ (TvT) research project. TvT is a comparative, ongoing qualitative-quantitative research project, which provides an overview of the human rights situation of trans persons in different parts of the world and develops useful data and advocacy tools for international institutions, human rights organizations, the trans movement and the general public. A research team from Transgender Europe is coordinating the project, which is funded by the Open Society Foundations, the ARCUS Foundation, and partly by the Heinrich Boell Foundation. The TvT research team is assisted by an Advisory Board, composed of 20 international LGBT, trans and human rights activists and academics from Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Europe, North America, and Oceania. It furthermore cooperates with 15 partner organizations in these six world regions. After having completed a survey on the social and legal situation of trans people in more than 50 countries in all six world regions, in November 2011, the TvT project research team together with 7 partner organizations from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Oceania, and South America start a new survey in form of a peer research on trans people’s experiences with Transrespect and Transphobia.

If you have further questions or if you want to support the research project, please contact the TvT research team:

Dr Carsten Balzer and Dr Jan Simon Hutta

research[at]transrespect-transphobia.org

www.transrespect-transphobia.org

Perth, Ontario. Suicide prevention, self-acceptance, self-confidence, love and happiness are top of mind for Calvin Neufeld, and he wants to share what he has learned.

“Meet Calvin” at a free public presentation and film screening on Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. at St. Paul’s United Church in Perth, and hear the story of his journey as a female-to-male transsexual. Calvin is the subject of the 2011 short documentary On the male side of middle, directed by Paul Neudorf, which demonstrates how strong a family can be when they love, care and listen to each other.

“Suffering is epidemic,” Calvin says. “It’s a nasty bug, contagious too, with symptoms ranging from fear to cruelty, cowering to bullying, self-destruction to apathy. I’m tired of watching it destroy lives as it nearly did mine. Life is good, and it can be better.”

Calvin notes young people seem particularly vulnerable to suffering, from bullying to suicide. “They’re on the front lines of violence and despair – but they’re also intelligent and adaptive and rebellious by nature; the change should start there, and with urgency. Why? Because kids are killing themselves when a better life is possible.”

At the heart of Calvin’s work as a speaker is the conviction that life is good. The focus of his presentation is on suicide prevention, self-acceptance, self-confidence, loving your neighbour, loving yourself, being happy and making quality of life a priority.

“Like all people, children and adolescents struggle with self-acceptance and self-esteem,” he says. “The epidemic is nothing new, but that doesn’t make it incurable. Accept yourself and make the most of what you’ve got. What else can anyone do? What else can I do? What could be better? These are the things I like to talk about.”

He says every topic, from queer issues to bullying to veganism, lends itself to this fundamental conclusion. “It’s a simple message and a powerful weapon. Words, humour, and honesty have the power to transform lives for the better.”

This event marks the launch of Calvin’s new career as a self-described “speaker, writer, and thinker” and is intended to model the service that he is offering to schools, churches, businesses and community groups alike.  To RSVP for this free event or to find out more about Calvin Neufeld, visit www.calvinneufeld.com.

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Media Contact:

Calvin Neufeld
calvinneufeld.com
Box 2012, Perth, Ontario, K7H 1R9
877-312-1718
info@calvinneufeld.com

Grodzka, who decided to run in the elections from the new Palikot Movement party a couple of months ago, based her campaign on the needs of people who are constantly being ignored and silenced by society. This, of course, included the Polish transgender and intersex community, whose problems were for the first time fully and directly addressed by a parliamentary candidate.

When asked about what kind of issues she would like to work on, Grodzka replied that her priorities have not changed and that she sees a real chance in getting transgender and intersex matters to the parliament’s agenda.

“There are many things I would like to work on but to ease the gender recognition process seems to be our priority at the moment. We have already been discussing it in our organization and started to draft an actual proposal, which we think would be as much inclusive as possible. It would not only deal with gender recognition procedures traditionally associated with transgender people but also with the absolutely ignored matter of intersex newborns being subjected to surgeries they do not need.”

Trans-Fuzja’s both vice-presidents, Lalka Podobińska and Wiktor Dynarski, are extremely happy about the results and hope that a transgender MP will make a great change. If not in the law, then at least in people’s minds. “Ania got into the parliament, from one of the most conservative regions in the country” says Dynarski “Not only did she make it to the parliament, she also made history today.”

Podobińska, who was also Grodzka’s campaign manager says that her friend’s success was also made possible thanks to a great team of volunteers, most of them coming from the transgender community, who helped along the way. “It wasn’t just posters and flyers. We had incredible people to help us along the way. This is also their victory”.

According to the Polish law, the new Parliament should assemble no later than 30 days after the elections, which would mean that Grodzka would start her work no later than November 8^th.

Toronto: Today the LGBT community in Canada mourns the loss of a great ally. The Honourable Jack Layton was a man whose principled and unwavering commitment to equality, love and human dignity shone through with every step he took. As a leader whose constant support of the LGBT community reflected nothing other than his staunch devotion to social justice, his voice, his tenacity and his determination will be deeply missed. Our thoughts today are with his family and friends, to whom we offer our heartfelt condolences on the loss of a man who was truly inimitable.

—— The Egale Canada Team

La Coalition interagence sida et développement (CISD) vient de publier une nouvelle fiche d’information intitulée « Le VIH et les collectivités transsexuelles et transgenres ». Égale Canada a participé au Groupe consultatif pour la production de ce document. Les copies en anglais et en français sont disponibles en ligne à www.icad-cisd.com.

Toronto: Egale Canada is excited to announce a new partnership with the internationally renowned Dr. Barbara Perry, a specialist in hate and bias-motivated crime, in response to the terrible upward trend in hate crimes recently revealed by Statistics Canada’s analysis of 2009 police-reported hate crime in Canada. According to the report, published in Juristat on June 7, 2011, overall hate crime in Canada increased 42% between 2008 and 2009, and a disturbing 74% of hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation were violent in nature. As such, hate crimes against lesbian, gay and bisexual Canadians were far more likely to result in injury to the victims than those motivated by any other factor.

Dr. Perry is Professor of Criminology, Justice and Policy Studies at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. She has written extensively in the area of hate crime, including two books on the topic: In the Name of Hate: Understanding Hate Crime; and Hate and Bias Crime: A Reader. Her work has been published in journals representing diverse disciplines: Theoretical Criminology; Journal of Social and Behavioral Sciences; Journal of History and Politics; and American Indian Quarterly.

“Dr. Perry’s knowledge and expertise are invaluable assets to the fight against hate-motivated crime and violence against the LGBT community in Canada,” remarked Helen Kennedy, Executive Director of Egale Canada. “In our schools and on our streets, homophobic and transphobic bullying and violence have gone unchecked for far too long. This partnership will produce concrete strategies to combat hate crime and ensure the safety of our community.”

Given that gender identity and expression are not explicitly included within Canada’s hate crime provisions, there are currently no police-reported data on the incidence of hate crime against trans Canadians. As such, a key element of this partnership will be to eliminate the silence around hate incidents directed toward transsexual, transgender and gender variant Canadians.

At a time when two-thirds of LGBT students report feeling unsafe at school, and suicide rates among LGBT youth are far higher than any other demographic, this partnership will be an essential tool for developing safer and more inclusive communities for all Canadians.

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Egale Canada is Canada’s LGBT human rights organizations: advancing equality, diversity, education, and justice.

For more information:
Dr. Barbara Perry, t: 905-809-5456. e: barbara.perry@uoit.ca
Helen Kennedy, t: 416-964-7887 ext. 21e: helen_kennedy@egale.ca