Amended trans bill heads to justice committee NDP MP needs Tory supportBradley Turcotte / National / Wednesday, September 19, 2012
http://www.xtra.ca/public/National/Amended_trans_bill_heads_to_justice_committee-12562.aspx
MP Randall Garrison hopes to see Bill-C279 passed by Christmas.
(Dale Smith)As federal politicians settle in for the fall session, NDP LGBT critic Randall Garrison is confident his trans rights bill will pass a third reading before Christmas, after the justice committee approves it.
In June, trans activists criticized Garrison, unhappy with his move to amend the bill and remove "gender expression" and replace the term with a definition of "gender identity." Garrison maintains the amendment is necessary to get the bill passed.
If passed, the bill will add gender identity to the list of statuses protected under the Canadian Human Rights Act and will amend the Criminal Code to include anti-transgender violence, assault and harassment.