Bill C-16 more reason to celebrate for Toronto trans marchers
For some participants in Friday's Toronto Trans March, last week's passage of federal legislation that provides new protections for transgender Canadians came as yet another reason to celebrate at the march and a vindication of the event's activist roots.
"Bill C-16 ... finally gives equal rights to people on the basis of their gender identity," trans writer and performer Nicki Ward told CBC News.
"Many of us, regardless if we were born here or came here later in life, feel a sense of citizenship and engagement in the world around us that we simply didn't have before," she added.
"I'm still trying to figure out what that means, to be actually a full citizen of this amazing country."
The bill updates the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code to include the terms "gender identity" and "gender expression."
The legislation also makes it illegal to discriminate on the basis of gender identity or expression and extends hate speech laws to include the two terms. It will be a hate crime target someone for being transgender.
Critically, the bill also amends the sentencing principles section of the code so that a person's gender identity or expression can be considered an aggravating circumstance by a judge during sentencing.
Ward, who has attended the Trans March since its inception in 2009, believes marches like Friday's are a catalyst for change.
"Our march is to demonstrate, to push back, to say things are not as they should be and we need to affect change. It's political," she said.
"I'm going to take time to enjoy [this year's march] and I hope other people do as well, because it's the result of this kind of action that the law did in fact change."
Kiley May, an Indigenous trans artist and Toronto Pride's 2017 youth ambassador, said the bill's passage should provide "a huge boost in morale" for those marching.
"Hopefully that will be celebrated and it will be reflected in the happiness and the celebration tonight," she said.
'Doesn't mean bigotry is over'
Despite legal progress, both believe more needs to be done in order to achieve equality based on gender identity.
"For me it is really just a beginning, it is a stepping stone," said May, noting she has spoken with many trans people on social media about the bill.
"For a lot of us ... it is not a panacea, it is not a cure-all, it's not going to be overnight changes. However, it is a good start and that will mean a lot more protection for a lot of trans people and going forward a lot of social progress for our rights."
May lists better education about trans people and rights in schools; the enforcement of laws to combat discrimination in housing and employment; and reducing the bureaucracy that hinders transitions — such as legal name changes — as some of the priorities for the community.
Ward welcomes equality of law, but argues that alone won't stop discrimination.
Up until the bills passage, "it was possible to fire someone simply for being trans," she said. "Now, I guess you can still fire them but it is against the law."
"Just because it's the law, it doesn't mean that bigotry is over. So we have to continue to push.
