Sense Project

The story is not over for the trans rights bill, Bill C-389. The Bill was passed in Parliament on February 9th (though barely - 143 to 135!) and now needs to get approved in the Senate.

This bill puts legal protection on the table for transgendered, transsexual and gender non-conforming people. It adds gender identity to the Canadian Human Rights Code. It calls harassment and discrimination against trans people what it is: a hate crime. Essentially, it’s a step toward protection, equality, and human rights for all people - regardless of how they express their gender. 

Last night, I took 15 minutes to contact all of the Quebec senators to tell them that I care about this Bill, and encouraged them to vote for it. It felt gooood. Frankly, the Conservative-dominated Senate is not the happiest place for this Bill to go, so I want to show that we’re watching and listening.

If you want to show your support too, Egale Canada has a list of all the senators’ contact info and also a handy template email that you can use to make your statement. They include a myth-buster document about the Bill, too, to address some of the stereotypes and falsities emanating from the House of Commons (e.g.: “This Bill will encourage sexual predators to lurk in girls bathrooms!”) 

Head & Hands is proud to work closely with so many trans-identified youth throughout Montreal and support them in their health needs. But transphobia is widespread and real - so we have our work cut out for us. Solidaritay, all the way! 

For more information, check out the campaign on Facebook and this recent story in the Globe and Mail.

On Tuesday, October 6^th, Choose Life will host “Echoes of the Holocaust”, a presentation by co-founder of the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform and acclaimed speaker on pro-life topics, Jose Ruba. Indeed, Ruba will be drawing parallels between abortion and genocide.

Choose Life is a pro-life club at McGill in support of Ruba’s claim that abortion is an act of “dehumanization and denial of personhood” - two processes, he argues, that have “justified some of the greatest affronts to human dignity that the world has seen, including the Holocaust”. For more details of the event, click here.

Interestingly, pro-choice advocates are in the midst of trying to pass a motion that would prevent this event from happening on the grounds that this presentation “targets” women and their right to choose. They, also, claim that the parallels being drawn to the Holocaust are offensive and classify as “hate-speech”. So, they are inviting members of the pro-choice community to organize at SSMU’s office board room on Friday, October 2^nd @ 5PM. For additional details, please e-mail prochoicemcgill@googlegroups.com or choice.mcgill@gmail.com.

So, what do you think of what’s going on? Do you find that bringing the Holocaust into pro-life discourse is offensive or creative? Moreover, do you think this event should be stopped?

I’m pro-choice but I’m also against censorship. But, that’s just me…

Make your voices heard!!!