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Help stop harmful Federal Bill C-16 ‘Transgender Rights’ in the Senate

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January 23, 2017

Read our first post about Bill C-16 ‘Transgender Rights’ here.

On a mountainBill C-16, introduced by the Liberal government, seeks to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to outlaw discrimination on the basis of “gender identity” and “gender expression”. If passed, C-16 will also amend the Criminal Code to prohibit “hate propaganda” about people based on their gender identity or gender expression.

If you came to one of our tour presentations this past fall, you will understand why this bill may have good intentions but will cause lasting harm. In fact, the people it will hurt the most are transgendered youth.

ARPA’s Policy Report on Gender Identity addresses the nuances of this issue, including the complexities of intersex conditions (biological conditions at birth) and gender dysphoria (a psychiatric condition). Our Report explains that there is no evidence that the difficulties associated with transgender identification – including higher rates of suicide and attempted suicide, overall mortality, and the need for psychiatric care – are alleviated by affirming alternative gender identities in those with gender identity issues.

The people it will hurt the most are transgendered youth.

Bill C-16 sailed through the House of Commons late last year. The committee that is supposed to carefully review every piece of justice legislation didn’t even bother examining the bill.

It has now been passed on to the Senate. The House of Commons and Senate have recessed until the beginning of February, so now is the time for us speak up and ensure that Bill C-16 does not also rush through the Senate without careful and thoughtful scrutiny.

The time to act is now, before this hurtful legislation becomes law. It takes just 10 minutes to write an Easymail, and 15 minutes to call three Senators. That’s just 25 minutes out of your week to love our vulnerable neighbours, particularly transgender youth, by graciously and compassionately speaking about the truth of how God designed us.

We’re challenging each of you to do two things:

  1. We’ve created a draft email for you at easy.arpacanada.ca with some arguments against Bill C-16. Pick the letter that corresponds to your province and send it off. Each of the senators who represent that province will be copied on your email automatically.

You can find links to the Provincial EasyMail letters below:

  1. Emails can so easily be ignored, but phone calls can’t. We are challenging you to call three of the senators from your province using the phone script below. The discussion will likely vary, but this will help you with some of the discussion. Find the phone numbers for the Senators in your province below the script. If you’re uncomfortable calling a Senator directly, just leave a voicemail after hours!

Audio Player

 

YOU: Hello, my name is {name} and I’m just calling in regards to a Bill that is coming before the Senate shortly, Bill C-16.

Assistant: Ok, I’m afraid the senator isn’t available right now, can I pass a message along?

YOU: Yes, I would just like to express my concern that Bill C-16 will not help people struggling with gender identity issues. I’ll give you a couple reasons if you don’t mind.

Assistant: Go ahead

YOU: Many doctors, including some Canadian doctors, are concerned about what happens when the government gets involved in a controversial topic like gender dysphoria. We don’t even understand the long-term effects of surgery or hormone therapy and other methods. But now, this bill would seek to muzzle those with concerns about it. I’m particularly concerned how it will negatively affect children and youth with gender dysphoria and limit the help that’s available to them. I would encourage the Senator to vote against it.

Assistant: Well I appreciate your thoughts on this, I’m not sure where the senator will stand on this issue, but I’ll be sure to pass along the message.

YOU: Thank you very much.


ALBERTA
Name Affiliation Phone Number Email
Douglas Black Non-affiliated 613-996-8757 doug.black@sen.parl.gc.ca
Elaine McCoy Non-affiliated 613-995-4293 elaine.mccoy@sen.parl.gc.ca
Grant Mitchell Non-affiliated 613-995-4254 grant.mitchell@sen.parl.gc.ca
Scott Tannas Conservative 613-943-2240 scott.tannas@sen.parl.gc.ca
Claudette Tardif Liberal 613-947-3589 claudette.tardif@sen.parl.gc.ca
Betty Unger Conservative 613-996-7420 betty.unger@sen.parl.gc.ca

BRITISH COLUMBIA      
Name Affiliation Phone Number Email
Larry Campbell Non-affiliated 613-995-4050 larry.campbell@sen.parl.gc.ca
Mobina Jaffer Liberal 613-992-0189 mobina.jaffer@sen.parl.gc.ca
Yonah Martin Conservative 613-947-4078 martin@sen.parl.gc.ca
Richard Neufeld Conservative 613-947-4055 richard.neufeld@sen.parl.gc.ca
Nancy Greene Raine Conservative 613-947-4052 nancy.raine@sen.parl.gc.ca
Yuen Pau Woo Non-affiliated 613-995-9244 YuenPau.Woo@sen.parl.gc.ca

MANITOBA      
Name Affiliation Phone Number Email
Patricia Bovey Non-affiliated 613-995-9176 Patricia.Bovey@sen.parl.gc.ca
Raymonde Gagne Non-affiliated 613-943-4323 Raymonde.Gagne@sen.parl.gc.ca
Marilou McPhedran Non-affiliated 613-996-2106 Marilou.McPhedran@sen.parl.gc.ca
Donald Plett Conservative 613-992-0180 don.plett@sen.parl.gc.ca
Murray Sinclair Non-affiliated 613-995-0234 Senator.Sinclair@sen.parl.gc.ca

ONTARIO      
Name Affiliation Phone Number Email
Salma Ataullahjan Conservative 613-947-5906 salma.ataullahjan@sen.parl.gc.ca
Lynn Beyak Conservative 613-996-8680 lynn.beyak@sen.parl.gc.ca
Gwen Boniface Non-affiliated 613-995-9193 Gwen.Boniface@sen.parl.gc.ca
Anne C. Cools Non-affiliated 613-992-2808 anne.cools@sen.parl.gc.ca
Tony Dean Non-affiliated 613-996-2312 Tony.Dean@sen.parl.gc.ca
Nicole Eaton Conservative 613-947-4047 nicole.eaton@sen.parl.gc.ca
Art Eggleton Liberal 613-995-4230 art.eggleton@sen.parl.gc.ca
Tobias C. Enverga Jr. Conservative 613-943-1945 tobias.enverga@sen.parl.gc.ca
Linda Frum Conservative 613-992-0310 linda.frum@sen.parl.gc.ca
Peter Harder Non-affiliated 613-995-0222 peter.harder@sen.parl.gc.ca
Colin Kenney Liberal 613-996-2877 colin.kenny@sen.parl.gc.ca
Frances Lankin Non-affiliated 613-995-2795 Frances.Lankin@sen.parl.gc.ca
Sarabjit Marwah Non-affiliated N/A sabi.marwah@sen.parl.gc.ca
Don Meredith Non-affiliated 613-996-8572 don.meredith@sen.parl.gc.ca
Lucie Moncion Non-affiliated 613-996-2224 Lucie.Moncion@sen.parl.gc.ca
Jim Munson Liberal 613-947-2504 jim.munson@sen.parl.gc.ca
Thanh Hai Ngo Conservative 613-943-1599 thanhhai.ngo@sen.parl.gc.ca
Victor Oh Conservative 613-943-1880 senator.oh@sen.parl.gc.ca
Ratna Omidvar Non-affiliated 613-943-4330 Ratna.Omidvar@sen.parl.gc.ca
Kim Pate Non-affiliated 613-995-9220 Kim.Pate@sen.parl.gc.ca
Bob Runciman Conservative 613-943-4020 bob.runciman@sen.parl.gc.ca
Howard Wetston Non-affiliated 613-995-9197 Howard.Wetston@sen.parl.gc.ca
Vernon White Conservative 613-996-7602 senatorwhite@sen.parl.gc.ca
Bill C-16: Gender Identity and Expression, Gender Identity Email Us 

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