Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau [official website] introduced [press release] legislation Tuesday that would ban transgender discrimination, including it within Canada’s hate crime laws. In his announcement of the legislation, Trudeau stated [NYT report] “everyone deserves to live free of stigma, persecution and discrimination [and] today is about ensuring that all people … feel safe and secure and empowered to freely express themselves.” The legislation covers [Telegraph report] both gender identity and gender expression, thereby protecting not only how people define themselves but also how they choose to dress or act. The legislation includes changes to both the Federal Criminal Code and the Canadian Human Rights Act. Under the federal code, transgender people would be included within the law that makes it a crime to make “hate propaganda” against members of specific groups.

Discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity has been a controversial issue in the US and internationally. In April a labor arbitration panel in China heard [JURIST report] the first transgender job discrimination suit in the country. In March Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge filed a notice of appeal [JURIST report] of a judge’ s decision upholding an ordinance that protects members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community from discrimination. A day earlier, North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper stated that he would not defend [JURIST report] House Bill 2 [materials], which he considers to be discriminatory against the LGBT community.