Canadian House Of Commons Passes Private Member’s Bill C=389 Protecting Rights Of Transgender And Transsexual Citizens; Bill Faces Almost Certain Defeat In Conservative-Ruled Senate

The Globe and Mail reports that despite the objections of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the House of Commons has passed Bill C-389, which would amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to protect the rights of transgender and transsexual citizens. It prohibit discrimination on the basis of the “gender identity” or “gender expression” in areas of employment or elsewhere, and would amend the Criminal Code, making crimes committed against transgender or transsexual individuals based on their gender identity a hate crime. However, since it is a private member’s bill, sponsored by NDP MP Bill Siksay, C-389 is not thought to be able to clear the House of Commons. But MP’s from all parties, including several Conservatives, supported the legislation, which passed third reading of Wednesday night by the narrow margin of 143-135. Prime Minister Harper and the majority of the Conservative caucus voted against the bill, six Conservatives voted for the bill, including House Leader John Baird, Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon, and Heritage Minister James Moore. The bill’s opponents, including lunatic-fringe conservative Christian (and confidant of the PM) Charles McVety, president of the Institute for Canadian Values, says C-389 would allow male sexual predators to invade women’s bathrooms and change rooms. “Bill C-389 is a danger to our children,” said McVety. “If ‘gender identity’ is enshrined in the Criminal Code of Canada, any male at any time will be permitted in girls’ bathrooms, showers and change rooms as long as they have an ‘innate feeling’ of being female.” Supporters of C-389 say nothing in the bill would change the criminal prohibitions against voyeurism. But the debate is likely to be short-lived, since the legislation has little chance of making it through the Senate. The Conservatives, who hold a majority in the upper house, have adopted the tactic of using the Senate to block private members’ bills passed by the House of Commons that don’t accord with the government’s agenda.