A federal bill passed last June that prohibits discrimination based on gender identity or expression had been hotly contested by critics who called it a drastic restriction on free speech rights. Now, just five months after it became law, Bill C-16 has its first big controversy — and it shows how the legislation is being misinterpreted in practice. Here, for the record, is what Bill C-16 does and doesn’t do when it comes to debates on transgender issues. The bill also added the targeting of gender identity and expression as an aggravating factor in sentencing. But it’s unclear how the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario would rule on a case involving pronoun use.

Source: National Post November 20, 2017 19:52 UTC