Slaw: Human Rights legislation to include gender identity in Manitoba and Ontario, among others

July 5, 2012 Yosie Saint-Cyr, LL.B. Managing Editor Employee Relations, Human Resources, Human Rights

Manitoba and Ontario recently added gender identity and/or gender expression to their human rights legislation as prohibited grounds of discrimination.

Ontario private member’s Bill 33, Toby’s Act (Right to be Free from Discrimination and Harassment Because of Gender Identity or Gender Expression), 2012, received royal assent on June 19, 2012, and is now law and in force.

The Manitoba government gave royal assent to passed Bill 36, the Human Rights Code Amendment Act to add gender identity to the list of protected characteristics. On June 14, 2012, Tthe Bill received royal assent; it is now law and in force.

The changes amend Ontario and Manitoba’s Human Rights Codes to specify that every person has a right to equal treatment without discrimination because of gender identity. In Ontario, it includes gender expression.

For more, read my latest post on Slaw.

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Yosie Saint-Cyr, LL.B. Managing Editor

Managing Editor at First Reference Inc.

Yosie Saint-Cyr, LL.B., is a trained lawyer called to the Quebec bar in 1988 and is still a member in good standing. She practiced business, employment and labour law until 1999. For over 18 years, Yosie has been the Managing Editor of the following publications, Human Resources Advisor, Human Resources PolicyPro, HRinfodesk and Accessibility Standards PolicyPro from First Reference. Yosie is one of Canada’s best known and most respected HR authors, with an extensive background in employment and labour across the country. Read more