Transgender rights bill in Canada faces setback

Canada’s long-gestating transgender rights bill C-279 faced opposition in an amendment that many say is “transphobic”. The bill aims to add gender identity to the Human Rights Act, but the Senate proposed an amendment to exclude federal “sex-specific” facilities like washrooms, changing rooms, crisis facilities and correctional facilities. 

Conservative Senator Donald Plett, who proposed the amendment, had previously opposed allowing transgender people to use bathrooms that correspond to their gender identity. Plett argued the amendment was necessary to protect “vulnerable women” from being traumatised by “the presence of a biological male,” including those who may falsely pose as women.

The amendment will be voted on in the Senate’s Third Reading of the bill, before its final approval. 

The hashtag #C279 was used on Twitter more than 3,000 times, mostly by people criticising the amendment: