Bill C-279, the transgender bill, will very likely be voted on in the House of Commons this Wednesday February 27th (3rd reading). If passed it will make spaces such as bathrooms and change rooms, which have in the past been gender specific, no longer so. What this means practically is that men who believe they are women (or pose as this) and vice versa will have access to public washrooms and change rooms of their non-biological s-x. Critics to this bill state that this could lead to abuse by s-xual predators.
To find out more click on these links:
MY Canada's explanation of the bill.
Arpa Canada's information page about the bill.
Action Points We Need To Take:
1 - Please take a moment and e-mail your MP about it today (as they will very likely be voting on it tomorrow). Even if you have already e-mailed them once it is still very effective to e-mail them again right before the vote. See a sample letter, and a list of key people to e-mail, below.
2 - Take a moment to call your MPs office and ask them to vote against C-279. Even a 15 second message on the answering machine makes a huge difference. Click here to find out who your MP is and get their info.
3 - Pray and fast.
4 - Pass this on (Tip: See the top of this e-mail for a link to this on-line. Click on that link, copy the url and post it on FB or Twitter to share with your friends via social media.)
BELOW IS A SAMPLE LETTER FROM ARPA CANADA'S WEBSITE (Thank you Arpa Canada!)
Send to:
chris.alexander@parl.gc.ca, michael.chong@parl.gc.ca, john.duncan@parl.gc.ca, Kerry-Lynne.Findlay@parl.gc.ca, jim.flaherty@parl.gc.ca, flaherty.j@parl.gc.ca, shelly.glover@parl.gc.ca, laurie.hawn@parl.gc.ca, laurie.hawn.c1@parl.gc.ca, keddyg@ns.sympatico.ca, keddyg@parl.gc.ca, cathy.mcleod@parl.gc.ca, cathy.mcleod.c1@parl.gc.ca, lisa.raitt@parl.gc.ca, Michelle.Rempel@parl.gc.ca, bruce.stanton@parl.gc.ca, Bernard.Trottier@parl.gc.ca, Bernard.Valcourt@parl.gc.ca, David.Wilks@parl.gc.ca, pm@pm.gc.ca, stephen.harper@parl.gc.ca, webadmin@justice.gc.ca, rob.nicholson@parl.gc.ca, rob.nicholson.a1@parl.gc.ca, rob.nicholson.c2@parl.gc.ca, dave.mackenzie@parl.gc.ca, dave.mackenzie.c1a@parl.gc.ca, dave.mackenzie.c2@parl.gc.ca, dave.mackenzie.c1@parl.gc.ca, Kerry-Lynne.Findlay@parl.gc.ca, Kerry-Lynne.Findlay@parl.gc.ca, robert.goguen@parl.gc.ca, brian.jean.c1@parl.gc.ca, brian.jean.c2@parl.gc.ca, brian.jean@parl.gc.ca, brent.rathgeber.c1b@parl.gc.ca, brent.rathgeber.a1@parl.gc.ca, brent.rathgeber.a2@parl.gc.ca, brent.rathgeber.c1a@parl.gc.ca, brent.rathgeber.c1@parl.gc.ca, Kyle.Seeback@parl.gc.ca, stephen.woodworth@parl.gc.ca, stephen.woodworth@parl.gc.ca, irwin.cotler@parl.gc.ca, irwin.cotler.c1@parl.gc.ca, jack.harris@parl.gc.ca, Francoise.Boivin@parl.gc.ca, Charmaine.Borg@parl.gc.ca, pierre.jacob@parl.gc.ca, pierre.jacob@parl.gc.ca, pierre.jacob@parl.gc.ca, shelly@shellyglover.ca, shelly@shellyglover.ca, rod@bruinooge.com, rod.bruinooge@parl.gc.ca, faytene@4mycanada.ca
Also send to your MP: Click here to find out who your MP is.
Subject: Please vote against C-279
Dear (fill your MP's name in here),
I'm writing to respectfully ask you to vote against, and publicly oppose, Bill C-279 which would add "gender identity" and "gender expression" as identifiable groups in a section of the Criminal Code and the Canadian Human Rights Act.
I recognize that all Canadians should be protected equally under the law. But the reality is that transgendered Canadians already are granted the same protection as all others. There is no doubt that the purpose of this bill is entirely ideological. This bill would make it Canada's official position that gender is a social construct. Unlike the other categories, which are objective, these vague terms can be defined and changed at will.
The legislation is also out of line with all other legislation in the country. If Parliament goes down this ideological path there will be pressure on all other governments to follow its lead.
Further, although the bill's defenders scoff at those who raise legitimate concerns about the bill's application (such as in public washrooms), the reality is that the bill is so vague that there is no way legislators can know how it will be applied. A basic tenet of law is that laws must be clear so that the public is well aware of how to abide by them.
Most important, it is not up to government to redefine gender to begin with. The civil government’s role is to promote justice and freedom, not engineer society according to how people feel.
Instead of trying to appease every interest group, our nation should focus on strengthening the institutions in society that are pivotal to a healthy nation. Marriage and the family should be at the top of that list.
I look forward to your response. If you think it is a good bill, please explain why. If you oppose it, are you willing to speak with your colleagues about why this shouldn't be supported?
Thank you very much for hearing my concerns about this legislation.
Sincerely,
(put your name here)
