HALIFAX – Today the Nova Scotia Rainbow Action Project (NSRAP) presented Minister Leonard Preyra with a petition to amend the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act to include gender identity and gender expression as prohibited grounds for discrimination. Currently there are no explicit protections from discrimination for transgender, gender-variant, gender non-conforming or intersex people in the Act. The petition has over 1700 signatures gathered from concerned citizens across the province.
“Hundreds of Nova Scotians are calling on our government to extend basic human rights to transgender members of our communities,” said Kevin Kindred, Chair of NSRAP. “No one should face discrimination or harassment due to their gender identity or how they express it. It’s time to enshrine those basic protections into law.”
Amending the Human Rights Act will codify protection from discrimination and harassment in areas such as employment, housing, education, and more in communities across Nova Scotia province for those who are transgender, gender non-conforming or intersex. Ontario, Manitoba and the Northwest Territories already protect gender identity and gender expression in their Human Rights Act.
“Including gender identity and gender expression in the Act is an important step towards making sure that that transgender people are valued, supported, accepted and protected here in Nova Scotia,” said Kindred. “NSRAP will continue to work towards affecting other changes that will improve the quality of life for transgender people right across Nova Scotia.”
The group hopes the timing of this petition will call attention to Transgender Day of Remembrance, an annual event reflecting on violence against transgender individuals, on November 20.
The site for the Halifax local of The Media Co-op has been archived and will no longer be updated. Please visit the main Media Co-op website to learn more about the organization.
