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Vancouver feminists protecting women's sex-based rights: protect women-only space, define ourselves, reject sex role stereotypes, reject silencing and intimidation. We are Vancouver feminists making our voices heard: protecting women’s sex-based rights including the right to retain spaces created specifically for us. Support our work by eTransferring a donation via womenspaceyvr@gmail.com For all females who are curious about, or who have questions about why keeping women only spaces is still so important, we'll provide our research and learnings, support your concerns, and answer your questions. Because sex discrimination and violence against women still plays too big a role in ‘enlightened’ Canada. Women make up over 50% of the our population, and the law must continue to work for women and girls. We appreciate all women and allies who stand with us and say: Yes, our sex still matters . What we stand for The protection of women's human rights The protection of women-only spaces The rejection of sex-role stereotypes The right to discuss and describe our bodies, our sexual lives, and our reproductive abilities The right to express ourselves without bullying and intimidation Democracy See our upcoming and past educational events listed here Video Our educational events are available on YouTube Download our brochure on Gender Self-ID

Other groups advocating for women's sex-based rights. Other Canadian Women's Organizations Aboriginal Women’s Action Network (AWAN) @awanbc on FaceBook Asian Women’s Coalition CaWsbar - Canadian Women's Sex-Based Rights @cawsbar on X EVE Feminist Current @FemlnistCurrent on X Gender Dissent @gender_dissent on X GIDYVR @GIDYVR on FaceBook Heather Mason - Keep Prisons Single Sex @Mason134211f on X Meghan Murphy @MeghanEMurphy on X @Meghan_Murphy on GETTR Vancouver Lesbian Collective @FeministDykesVancouver on FaceBook Vancouver Rape Relief (VRR) @VanRapeRelief on X Women Are Real Canada Women’s Studies Online @WMSTonline on X @WomensStudies on FaceBook Women's Rights Network Canada @WRNCanada on X

Examining Canada's legislation on conversion therapy and its potential impact on children and clinical practice. Letter to MPs on reintroduction of Bill C-6 to amend the criminal code regarding conversion therapy Please use any part of this letter for your own use. Dear [name] MP Congratulations on your election as MP for [riding] of which I am a constituent. I write from a deep concern about the physical and mental health of children and the hazards of the current transgender identity movement. This may be an issue you have not looked into much, as many people haven’t until it affects them as a parent, a grandparent, a teacher, a mental health counsellor, a doctor, or some other connection. I’m assuming in the coming days you will be faced with a vote on a reintroduction of Bill C-6 , An Act to amend the Criminal Code (conversion therapy). Your party has sponsored this poorly-written piece of legislation. As a new member of parliament I ask you to please fully inform yourself on the implications of criminalizing thoughtful, professional health care for children and youth presenting with gender dysphoria through Bill C-6. It is unfortunate that Bill C-6 conflates lots of good research and medical statements on the harms of conversion therapy related to sexual orientation with treatment of gender dysphoria. The politicized singular focus on “affirming therapy” is a gross disservice to children and youth who need thoughtful, evidence-based treatment for their distress. In many cases they need to be supported to accept their homosexuality, or bisexuality, which is still stigmatized, rather than be put on a path to lifelong medicalization through experimental puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to “affirm” their identity as the opposite sex. Conversion therapy as it is properly understood — trying to change a person’s sexual orientation — is unacceptable and deserving of a prohibition. Yet by the addition of “gender identity” this bill will criminalize therapy that helps children and adolescents deal with the homophobia they have experienced and often internalized and come to accept themselves as they are. Please think carefully about amending the bill to either remove gender identity or more specifically insert an assurance that medical practitioners will not be subject to spurious and intrusive accusations of providing ‘conversion therapy’ when they are not. Exploratory counselling and psychotherapy that is neither “affirmation” nor “conversion” should be the first-line treatment for all young people with gender dysphoria, potentially reducing the need for invasive and irreversible medical procedures. This is especially critical now, when we are witnessing an exponential rise in the incidence of young people presenting with gender dysphoria who have diverse and complex mental health issues and require careful assessment and treatment planning. For your convenience, here is a link to the excellent submission on Bill C-6 by Canadian Gender Report . Please read this thoroughly researched, balanced submission and ask yourself some questions about the ethics of Bill C-6 and its potential consequences for the safeguarding of children’s health. If you have not had time to thoroughly research this issue as many of us have, this submission has done it for you, including a linked bibliography of relevant research studies, reviews, and news reports. You owe it to the young people of this country to do no harm to them. In reviewing this bill, please call in medical professionals on all sides of this issue and create room for civil dialogue to inform your decision. In your zeal to protect the human rights and dignity of all people, please don’t shy away from examining unintended consequences for children’s health. I also ask you to read this beautifully written post on the pitt.substack (PITT stands for Parents with Inconvenient Truths about Trans): Letter To a Well Meaning Bystander: Open your mind-when it comes to trans, you might be misguided I trust you will give this issue the careful thought it deserves. It takes courage in the current social/political climate to challenge beliefs adopted by your political friends. For your information, I am not a conservative in my social or political views and am deeply dismayed by the failure, represented by Bill C-6, to safeguard children’s mental and physical health by the “left” or “centre left” or “progressives.” Sincerely, [name]

Read our letter addressing concerns about Bill C-6 and its implications for law, language, and safeguarding. Our Letter to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights Regarding Bill C-6 Please use any part of this letter for your own use. Dear Members of Parliament, It is unfortunate that Bill C-6 conflates lots of good research and medical statements on the harms of conversion therapy related to sexual orientation with treatment of gender dysphoria. As a supporter of the bill, you appear to be unaware of the potential harm of Bill C-6 to prevent people with gender dysphoria, particularly young people, from getting the psychotherapy help they need before they proceed to irreversible and lifelong medical intervention. Please read this just-published article carefully critiquing the dishonest and politically-motivated research that is now widely cited purporting to support “affirmative care” for people presenting with gender dysphoria as the only option . One Size Does Not Fit All: In Support of Psychotherapy for Gender Dysphoria (Oct 2020) The caveat in Bill C-6 that "These new offences would not criminalize private conversations in which personal views on sexual orientation, sexual feelings or gender identity are expressed such as where teachers, school counsellors, pastoral counsellors, faith leaders, doctors, mental health professionals, friends or family members provide affirming support to persons struggling with their sexual orientation, sexual feelings, or gender identity,” is unclear. In the current political context, where therapists who did or do not immediately “affirm” a child or youth who is questioning their gender identity fear they will be or have been fired (reference Dr. Kenneth Zucker in Toronto), this is no assurance that they will not be accused of “transphobia” for providing the kind of careful psychological therapy many patients need. The politicized singular focus on “affirming therapy” is a gross disservice to children and youth who need thoughtful, evidence-based treatment for their distress. In many cases they need to be supported to accept their homosexuality, or bisexuality, which is still stigmatized, rather than be put on a path to lifelong medicalization as transgender. Yes, there are still religious groups and others who are homophobic. Yes, conversion therapy as it is properly understood — trying to change a person’s sexual orientation — is unacceptable and deserving of a prohibition. In the government’s news release the links to evidence of the need for this legislation are mostly about homosexuality — yet gender identity is included in this bill at a time when the debate over appropriate treatment for the increasing number of youth presenting as gender dysphoric is polarized, ill-informed and highly politicized. I urge you to read this article and think carefully about amending the bill to either remove gender identity or more specifically insert an assurance that medical practitioners will not be subject to spurious and intrusive accusations of providing ‘conversion therapy’ when they are not. The authors argue, "We believe that exploratory psychotherapy that is neither “affirmation” nor “conversion” should be the first-line treatment for all young people with GD, potentially reducing the need for invasive and irreversible medical procedures. This is especially critical now, when we are witnessing an exponential rise in the incidence of young people with GD who have diverse and complex mental health presentations and require careful assessment and treatment planning.” This clause in the bill’s preamble is also problematic: “Whereas conversion therapy causes harm to society because, among other things, it is based on and propagates myths and stereotypes about sexual orientation and gender identity, including the myth that a person’s sexual orientation and gender identity can and ought to be changed ;” This is inconsistent with the reality that many young people explore different gender identities over time and can decide to change to something new or to detransition. You owe it to the young people of this country to do no harm to them. In reviewing this bill, please call in medical professionals on all sides of this issue and create a safe space for dialogue to inform your decision. In your zeal to protect the human rights and dignity of all people, please don’t shy away from examining unintended consequences. Additional recommended reading: Submission on Bill C-6 from homosexual and bisexual Canadians Some excerpts: "With Bill C-6, gender therapy will become the primary form of gay conversion therapy in Canada. The Bill as currently drafted prevents therapists from making good-faith inquiries about whether gender dysphoria could actually be rooted in a negative reaction to same-sex attraction. Someone struggling with internalized homophobia won’t be aware of, or will deny, this fact. But the threat of criminal prosecution at the hands of homophobic parents or distressed clients will have a chilling effect on therapists’ ability to provide appropriate, culturally competent, gay-positive therapy to help clients struggling with their sexuality.” “Personal testimonials from our members demonstrate the profound consequences of not treating some of the mental health issues that commonly accompany gender dysphoria, including sexual abuse, bullying, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and more. Therapists need to be able to assess and apply the appropriate treatment intervention for their clients without risking criminal prosecution.” "The definition of conversion therapy in this Bill is clear in allowing invasive transition-related medical interventions to continue with no limits on how young the child might be." Also: Letter to Justice Minister re Bill C6 (Conversion Therapy)

Discussion on gender nonconforming children, safeguarding, and evidence-based approaches to care. Gender Nonconforming Children Transgender Trend Stephanie Davies-Arai's UK based organization Transgender Trend is an excellent source of information for families of gender nonconforming children. She has graciously allowed us to share her information here: School resources for parents and teachers Resources for parents of trans-identified children Detransition Useful links Terminology Social Transition Puberty blockers Detrans Canada Another useful site for support and information is Detrans Canada: "Detrans Canada is an independent and non-partisan advocacy organization that supports detransitioning, desisting, and re-identifying Canadians. We seek to fill the gap in research, resources, and platforms available to those detransitioning, desisting, and re-identifying. We believe those who are in the process of questioning, ending or reversing a gender identify or gender transition process should be offered support, access to high-quality research, access to informed medical professionals, and the ability to advocate for themselves." You can also find them on X (formerly Twitter) @DetransCanada and on Instagram at detranscanada. Abigail Shrier and Posie Parker There is a very good interview between Posie Parker (Kellie-Jay Keen) founder of Let Women Speak (formerly Standing for Women) and Abigail Shrier author of Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing our Daughters wherein they have a deep conversation about the dangers girls are in from institutional trans ideology. It is available on YouTube. Erica Anderson Erica Anderson is a trans psychologist and former president of the United States Professional Association for Transgender Health and former board member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). Anderson is speaking out against the affirmation model of treating gender non-conforming children. The health establishment is failing young adults who question their gender When it comes to trans youth, we're in danger of losing our way A Trans Pioneer Explains Her Resignation from the US Professional Association for Transgender Health Top Trans Doctors Blow the Whistle on ‘Sloppy’ Care More Information The Swedish U-Turn on Gender Transitioning for Children Reconsidering Informed Consent for Trans-Identified Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults Sweden’s Karolinska Ends All Use of Puberty Blockers and Cross-Sex Hormones for Minors Outside of Clinical Studies

Analysis of Statistics Canada’s gender definitions and implications for data, policy, and women’s rights. Submission Letter to Statistics Canada on the Definition of Gender of a Person Public Consultation Please use any part of this letter for your own use. March 12, 2021 To whom it may concern: Please accept the following submission in response to proposed updates to the standard on gender of a person. This letter is submitted on behalf of the undersigned. As this submission also speaks to the Government of Canada’s government-wide directive to default to the collection of information on gender rather than sex [1] we copy the Prime Minister’s office on this correspondence. We recognize the challenges facing Statistics Canada regarding the task of collecting data on the expanding number of individual identities related to gender and we believe that is important to do so. For example, in the upcoming census, questions related to the number and demographic characteristics of those who self-identify as trans or non-binary or something else are important in understanding the scope of this social and cultural change. We appreciate the larger context of the Government of Canada’s direction to prioritize collecting gender rather than sex data (in most instances). However, this presents a further political complication illustrated well by Statistics Canada’s text in the preamble to this consultation. We agree with Statistics Canada’s explanatory text that "Gender is a complex subject with various cultural and international conceptions. Furthermore, this concept is strongly affected by ongoing social change and, as a result, is constantly evolving.” We also agree that “Some people may not identify…. with the concept of gender as a whole.” While gender identity is protected in human rights law it is not a requirement that all Canadians perceive themselves to have a gender identity – this is particularly true given the concept is constantly evolving. In the same way, the right to be protected from discrimination based on religion does not require everyone to hold a religious belief. Demanding Canadians define themselves using the vocabulary of a particular belief system would be a violation of an individual’s right to hold their own beliefs. Sex, as in the sex of a person, defined by government is also a protected characteristic along with other immutable characteristics. Equality rights set out in section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms are clear: “Section 15 of the Charter makes it clear that every individual in Canada – regardless of race, religion, national or ethnic origin, colour, sex, age or physical or mental disability – is to be treated with the same respect, dignity and consideration. This means that governments must not discriminate on any of these grounds in its laws or programs.”[2] As Statistics Canada has noted, sex and gender are different concepts. Using government’s definitions of sex and gender, if a person identifies as simultaneously male and female, for example, then the concepts of sex and gender are surely not at all related. But it appears that Statistics Canada’s approach to calculating the number of trans/non-binary/other identifying individuals in the upcoming census is to contrast answers to gender to that of sex. Since the definition of gender is constantly evolving, it is unclear what the answer to sex is really being contrasted against. Simultaneously, gender identity-related terminology like "cisgender", “sex at birth” and "sex assigned at birth" have crept into questions about sex at Statistics Canada and throughout government. Using gender-identity related language in questions where sex is the central inquiry poses the real problem of obfuscating sex in data and subsequently in public policy. At best data will be inaccurate at worst it is a violation of women’s sex-based rights set out in the Charter. Additionally, we know many Canadians are not aware that the government defines "sex" and "gender" differently and so in answering questions related to "gender” will assume it is a synonym for "sex". Other Canadians likely hold conflicting definitions or simply do not find gender identity to be a relatable concept. Recommendations: Statistics Canada should ensure it is inclusive of all Canadians and use neutral, broadly understood terminology that is consistent with the way most people understand themselves – male or female. For the purposes of gathering data about social and cultural trends, greater clarity is needed in the definition of gender to make it clear that questions about gender are gathering responses about personal beliefs and not to be conflated with a person’s sex. Noting it is a characteristic protected from discrimination, sex should not be subordinate to or conflated with gender identity in data collection. With respect to the upcoming census, Statistics Canada should consider treating gender identity as a cultural or metaphysical belief and asked as a direct question independent from questions about sex. We appreciate that it may seem we have gone beyond the scope of this consultation but our concerns encompass and go beyond this year’s or next year’s definition of gender. We assert that as long as sex and the definition(s) of gender are understood by government as inter-related, the gathering of data, and provision of services in keeping with Charter protections will be fraught with complications. Thank you for your consideration. Signatories: Women's Human Rights Campaign (WHRC) Women’s Space Vancouver About Us: Women's Human Rights Campaign (WHRC) is a group of volunteer women from across the globe dedicated to protecting women's sex-based rights. Our volunteers include academics, writers, organizers, activists, and health practitioners, and aim to represent the total breadth of the human female experience. The Canadian Chapter of the Women’s Human Rights Campaign launched on October 24, 2020. Women’s Space Vancouver is a collective of Vancouver-based feminists formed to protect women’s sex-based rights GBA + Applying the concepts of sex and gender Government of Canada, Guide to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Examining concerns about sexual boundaries, education, and safeguarding children in school environments. We Are Failing Our Kids: A Wake-Up Call. From a retired public-school teacher with 35 years of experience. Photo: Duy Pham - Unsplash For several years I have been following the evidence of rape culture* in our public schools in British Columbia. The evidence is being mostly revealed by female secondary students and they have gone public; holding protests outside their high schools and demanding meetings with school board officials. In 2022, several protests and at least one petition were reported in local media. Parents are also involved . The Parent Advisory Committee (PAC), in the Comox Valley school district drafted comprehensive resolutions to the 2022 British Columbia Parent Advisory Council (BCPAC) convention to address the ongoing sexual harassment and abuse experienced by female students in high schools. The Comox PAC realized that this serious issue needed to be addressed at all levels of the education system; the Ministry, districts, schools, and the British Columbia Teacher’s Federation (BCTF). Their resolutions at the BCCPAC carried almost unanimously – it appears that nothing has happened since. The sexual attack of a grade 7 girl by grade 8 boys on the playground of her Victoria school was reported in the Times Colonist . The article describes how at every level this child was betrayed. School employees, the police, the school district, all seemed to lack the knowledge or have the processes in place to deal with the sexual attack of a child at school. The girl’s parents were left to figure out what to do to support their child and to get her justice. They have confronted all who were involved and demanded answers and action – it’s unclear if there will be a satisfactory resolution. The attack left the girl traumatized. It should shock us all. Something is seriously wrong. It must be addressed. Children are being exposed to and influenced by pornography at younger and younger ages. Teachers in elementary schools are aware but aren't equipped to deal with the issue. One elementary teacher commented. One of my great concerns about the socialization of boys and girls today is the impact of pornography on their developing brains. I see evidence of porn culture in the classroom often, and it's really disturbing. I think many kids don't even know what they're joking and laughing about, but it's far more adult than what my peers and I were exposed to at the same age. Sex Ed, as we knew it, has taken second place to the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) curriculum. Notably -- there is no mandatory curriculum that deals with pornography, rape culture, healthy sexual behaviour, or responsible sexual relations. The issue of consent is not understood. The coercion in sexual power relations and lack of sexual knowledge, beyond what kids are watching on porn, makes it impossible for consent to be the determinant of whether sexual activity is freely given or coercively obtained. The behaviour described by the protesting female students reveal abuse and coercion is what they are experiencing. No one is stopping it. Pornography, social media, cell phone use, bullying, rape culture, and the confusion some students experience with the concept of identity as promoted in the SOGI curriculum , all contribute to an unhealthy and even dangerous sexual environment. It’s clear our public schools are not prepared to deal with what is an increasingly problematic rape culture developing across all age groups. We are failing our children by not equipping them with the information and emotional strength to protect themselves. We are failing by not providing the age-appropriate curriculum to address serious social issues regarding sexuality. And we fail them by not putting in place policies, procedures, and protocols to be used to address student concerns and reports of sexual harassment and abuse in our schools. The Ministry of Education, school districts, the BCTF, and teacher training institutions must provide teachers with the knowledge, training, tools, and confidence to tackle the hard issues that today’s kids are confronting. Share this article with your friends and family. Write a letter to your local paper, and post it on your social networks, if you use them. Mail this article to your local School Board, the Minister of Education, and your MLA with a cover letter of your own. Copy the Premier. Ask for a meeting with your MLA. If you are a teacher, or a parent, raise this issue and call to action with your staff and/or Parent Advisory Committee. Lobby the BCTF to develop an action plan to address rape culture in our schools. Links to media reporting about rape culture in our schools: Explainer: What is rape culture and what does it look like in B.C.? Debate erupts over sexual harassment, rape culture at NWSS Kelowna high school students launch coordinated protests against sex assault B.C. students protest school district’s sexual violence policy B.C. students, parents call for better public school education about consent and sexual violence New Westminster students rally against high school rape culture * Rape culture is a complex of beliefs that encourages male sexual aggression and supports violence against women. It is a society where violence is seen as sexy and sexuality as violent. In a rape culture, women perceive a continuum of threatened violence that ranges from sexual remarks to sexual touching to rape itself. A rape culture condones physical and emotional terrorism against women as the norm. In a rape culture both men and women assume that sexual violence is a fact of life and inevitable. This violence, however, is neither biologically nor divinely ordained. Much of what we accept as inevitable is in fact the expression of values and attitudes that can change.

Information and commentary on UN Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem and her work on violence against women. Reem Alsalem on the definition of woman The definition of woman is common sense and been used for hundreds of years without a concern or question as to its meaning, legally or otherwise. However, in the era of gender ideology and its effort to insert new definitions to our language, adding confusion and uncertainty to the rights of women and children, sadly, such an assertion had to be made by the UN Rapporteur, Reem Alsalem. In fact, she went back into the history of the development of women’s rights at the UN level to find multiple sources to support the biological definition of women. Women worldwide are grateful for her vigilant work. Here’s her statement: April 4, 2024, Position paper on the definition of “woman” in international human rights treaties, in particular the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

Analysis related to the Office of the Correctional Investigator and policies affecting female inmates. Our Letter to the Office of the Correctional Investigator Please use any part of this letter for your own use. December 12, 2020 Dr. Ivan Zinger Office of the Correctional Investigator P.O. Box 3421, Station "D" Ottawa ON K1P 6L4 Dear Mr. Zinger, Re: Issues Affecting the Safety of Federally Sentenced Women We would like to make a complaint on behalf of all federally sentenced women in Canada. We have seen documentation that shows that there have been numerous allegations of sexual assaults by trans-identifying males in women’s prisons since the implementation of Interim Policy Bulletin 584 in 2017. We know the sexual assault of women in prison by trans identifying males has been a concern in other countries. This is not a new or uncommon problem. Many women in Canadian prisons are survivors of sexual assault, and many of them aboriginal women. The idea that they are being imprisoned with men, especially those known to be predators of women, seems like a form of torture. Women who have been caught in the justice system surely deserve safety and adherence to their human rights during their periods of incarceration. We request a national external review of the policies and practices allowing trans-identified male prisoners – who are often violent offenders -- to serve their sentences in women’s prisons. We request a moratorium on all transfers from men’s prisons to women’s prisons until it can be confirmed – if it can be – that female prisoners are not at increased risk. One of our members already wrote a letter to Deputy Commissioner Connidis but received only a formulaic response from her office. We are applying to you for justice for Canadian women prisoners. Attached are a number or links to references to help elaborate on our concerns. We look forward to hearing from you. Respectfully, Women’s Space Vancouver CC: Shawn Bayes, CEO - Shawn.Bayes@elizabethfry.com Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety - Bill.Blair@parl.gc.ca Honorable Jack Harris - Jack.Harris@parl.gc.ca Honorable Shannon Stubbs - Shannon.Stubbs@parl.gc.ca Honorable Erin O’Toole - Erin.OToole@parl.gc.ca Honorable Jagmeet Singh - Jagmeet.Singh@parl.gc.ca Honorable Don Davies - d on.davies@parl.gc.ca Honorable Justin Trudeau - justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca References: Women are Human: Violent Male Offenders are Being Transferred to Women’s Prisons in Canada Steve Mehlenbacher - Transgender Inmate Charged with Sexual Assault at a Women’s Prison Michael Williams convicted of first degree murder, kidnapping and sexual assault in relation to the 2005 murder and rape of 13 year old indigenous girl in Edmonton AB. As of January 2020 he is in segregation at Kent awaiting transfer to FVI (Fraser Valley Institute women’s prison) 33344 King Rd, Abbotsford, BC V2S 6J5. Child rapist ‘having the time of his life’ preparing for women’s prison after claiming to be trans HUNTER: 'Psychopathic' child sex killer uses trans card Appeal denied of Edmonton man convicted of murdering 13-year-old Nina Courtepatte Grisly video of slain teen draws tears in courtroom Matthew (Madylin Rebecca) Harks (multiple convictions, including three convictions of sexual assault against girls under eight years of age). Imprisoned at Grand Valley Institution for Women (GVI) 1575 Homer Watson Blvd, Kitchener, ON N2P 2C5, Canada Violent male convicts claiming to be ‘trans’ are terrorizing women in all-female Canadian jails Patrick (Tara) Pearsall (17 counts of sexual assault and 17 counts of sexual exploitation of a person with a disability, also been charged with failure to comply with probation) imprisoned at Vanier Centre for Women, 655 Martin St., Box 1040, Milton, ON L9T 5E6. Patrick “Tara” Pearsall (Canada) Man facing 34 charges after disabled woman lured online Patrick Pearsall. Tara Pearsall. Pathological liar either way Jean Paul (Fallon) Aubee (charged with first degree murder) imprisoned at Fraser Valley Institute women’s prison, 33344 King Rd, Abbotsford, BC V2S 6J5. Transgender inmate in B.C. wins right to move to a federal prison for women Inmate wins Transfer to Women's Prison In historic 1st, transgender inmate wins transfer to women's prison Adam Laboucan (Tara Desousa) (Dangerous offender, dangerous sexual offender, murdered (drowned) and raped a baby, confessed to murdering a three-year old child) imprisoned at Fraser Valley Institute women’s prison, 33344 King Rd, Abbotsford, BC V2S 6J5. Country's youngest dangerous offender to remain behind bars, says parole board A dangerous offender? Supreme Court of Canada R. v. Laboucan (A.F.), (1999) 23 B.C.T.C. 41 (SC) Youngest dangerous offender gets DD breast implants John (Jamie) Boulachanis (First degree murder). January 2020, requesting transfer to either Joliette Institution for Women 400 Rue Marsolais, Joliette, QC J6E 8V4 or Grand Valley Institution for Women (GVI) 1575 Homer Watson Blvd, Kitchener, ON N2P 2C5, Canada Boulachanis found guilty of first-degree murder after two decades of escape attempts, hiding and intimidation Killer Boulachanis demands transfer to penitentiary for women Crown admits mistake in handing accused murderer a list of witnesses — including addresses John Boulachanis, accused of murder, appeared to have slept with victim's wife shortly after slaying

Response to Employment Equity Act review and its implications for women’s sex-based rights. Employment Equity Act Review The aim of the Employment Equity Act is to remove systemic barriers for individuals in the 4 designated groups under the Act in federally regulated workplaces: women Indigenous peoples persons with disabilities, and members of visible minorities The Employment Equity Act Review Task Force , among other topics, seeks to redefine equity groups, as they say "How to modernize and define EEA designated groups". This is our group's submission to the Employment Equity Act Review Task Force - you are free to use this in whole or part for your own communication. Via email: EDSC.LEE-EEA.ESDC@labour-travail.gc.ca April 27, 2022 Regarding: Submission to the Employment Equity Act Review Dear Task Force members: Please accept this letter as our submission in response to your Employment Equity Act Review. As this submission also speaks to the Government of Canada’s government-wide directive to default to the collection of gender rather than sex, we copy the Prime Minister’s office on this as well. We confine our response to the first question in the consultation guide: defining equity groups. In general, we urge the task force to define the category of ‘women’ as adult female persons. This is consistent with the way Canadians understood the definition of women in 1986, based on science and medicine, and it is the way the vast majority of Canadians understand it today. It is also the reality of why women experience sex discrimination at various levels of society, in addition to assault and violence. As your consultation guide notes, “the names and definitions of equity groups have not changed since the EEA was passed in 1986. There have been changes in the language that the Government of Canada and key stakeholders use to describe designated groups.” We agree that the Government of Canada has recently introduced new language and concepts, specifically the addition of gender identity into human rights law and the administration of programs and data collection. Significantly however, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms has not changed. Sex, as in the sex of a person, defined by government is a protected characteristic. Equality rights set out in section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms are clear: “Section 15 of the Charter makes it clear that every individual in Canada – regardless of race, religion, national or ethnic origin, colour, sex, age or physical or mental disability – is to be treated with the same respect, dignity, and consideration. This means that governments must not discriminate on any of these grounds in its laws or programs.” While government has noted that sex and gender are different concepts, government has yet to define gender, gender identity, and gender expression in law, and there are multiple definitions in use. In fact, government often conflates sex and gender in data collection by defaulting to gender identity as a way to include the small minority for whom this is a meaningful category and as a proxy for sex. This creates myriad problems, not least of which is the (perhaps unintended) erasure of women and lesbians. We do not “identify” into our sex. This conflation of the two terms also means that those who are not women may end up speaking for or representing women when they should not. While some Canadians understand themselves to have a gender identity, the vast majority, as evidenced by the recent 2021 census report, do not. In addition, many people think the term ‘gender’ is a polite euphemism for ‘sex.’ While a small minority of Canadians use the new term “cisgender” to identify women and men, we believe this term is inappropriate, unscientific, and is not used as a self descriptor by those it supposedly represents. Using gender-identity related language in questions where sex is the central inquiry poses the real problem of obscuring a person’s sex in data collection and subsequently in accurately measuring employment equity as it relates to women and the specific barriers to employment they face. At best, data conflating sex and gender is inaccurate, at worst it is a violation of women’s sex-based rights set out in the Charter. As you consider modernizing definitions, we encourage you to ensure the Act maintains the category of women for female people to: ensure integrity in data collection and analysis for women; meaningfully measure progress towards eliminating discrimination and other barriers experienced by women; design programs and initiatives that will address employment barriers experienced by women; and respect the right of Canadians who want the government to collect accurate information that reflects the composition of our society as it relates to sex in particular the right for women to be counted as female. Thank you for your consideration. Below are letters written by our members and allies - you are free to use them in whole or part for your own communication. To Whom It May Concern With regard to your recent EDSC post on an active federal consultation regarding Canada’s Employment Equity Act, I am writing with extreme concern about the possible redefinition of an identified group within your policy framework: that of the category of ‘women.’ There must be NO tinkering with the science and definition of the word ‘woman’: that of an ‘Adult Human Female.’ No ‘update’ or ‘modernization’ required, thanks. People born as males and who wish to self-identify as ‘women’ should not act as qualifiers within the category of women or as a definition changer, either as part of the category, or a sub-category of the word ‘woman.’ And women, as a sex group, should not be considered a ‘gender identity’ or a sub-group within our own category. If you wish to create a new ‘gender’ listing for those who self-identify, fill your boots. You cannot change sex biology markers, however. It is dishonest, anti-science and goes against our sex-based rights, still protected under the Canadian Human Rights Act. It is illiberal in every sense of the word. In other words, any movement to replace the category of ‘sex’ for employment equity purposes, or place it in another category such as ‘gender.’ is invalidating us, and unlawful. Women as a sex class—regardless of ethnicity, race and class--are already at a disadvantage with lack of substantial affirmative actions ,when it comes to employment, equity and diversity. You must not muddy the waters by including natal males in our ‘category.’ Further, changing definitions and designations in this way will have immediate deleterious effect in other areas: in spaces like the pay equity act, in sports, in the correction system, and wherever women have struggled to gain equity, security, safety and privacy. To Whom It May Concern, We are writing regarding the federal government's consultation regarding Canada's Employment Equity Act (EEA). "Defining equity groups" is our main concern, specifically, defining who women are. Section 15 of Canada's Charter ensures the equal protection and benefit of the law “without discrimination […] based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.” Section 28 guarantees that all rights covered in the Charter apply equally to men and women. The Canadian Human Rights Act of 1977 states that all Canadians have the right to equality, equal opportunity, fair treatment, and an environment free of discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, marital status and family status. In recent years, unfortunately, many organizations, institutions, and levels of government have muddled the difference between "gender" (which describes societal stereotypes) and "sex" (which is an immutable characteristic). And at least one federal government website references "The Yogyakarta Principles", which undermine the sex-based rights of women and girls and the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women. This document also provides a rationale for some governments to adopt "self-ID", which I believe is already seriously undermining the rights of Canadian women and girls, e.g. in prisons. Yet Professor Robert Wintemute, one of the original Yogyakarta authors, now says that "women’s rights were not considered during the meeting where the principles were written and the authors “failed to consider” that fully intact males would seek to access female-only spaces." (https://sex-matters.org/posts/updates/yogyakarta-principles/ ) Mixing sex with gender leads to many confusions, contradictions and even outright absurdities, e.g. the document at https://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p3Var.pl?Function=DEC&Id=410445 states, "The concept of gender is also different from that of sexual orientation, which is an umbrella term that includes a person's sexual identity, sexual attraction and sexual behaviour." Then it contradicts this statement by mixing sex, gender, and sexual orientation: "The variable 'sex at birth of person' can be used where information on sex at birth is needed, for example, for measuring some demographic and health indicators. It can be used in conjunction with the variable 'gender of person' to estimate the transgender population. These two variables can also be used, together with the variable 'sexual orientation of person', to estimate the gender and sexual diversity populations, which are often represented by the LGBTQ2+ acronym (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, Two-Spirit or another identity of gender or sexual diversity)." This document also uses the absurd phrase, "sex assigned at birth", as does this one: https://www.justice.gc.ca/socjs-esjp/en/women-femmes/Definitions Activists have appropriated the term "sex assigned at birth" from literature concerning the extremely rare number of intersex people who now prefer the term Disorders of sexual development (DSD). Everyone knows that sex is observed, not assigned at birth, and in recent decades can be observed before birth. Defining equity groups on the basis of contradictory, circular, confused and absurd terminology and concepts, and especially legalizing self-ID, will undermine the sex-based rights of women and girls. We already witness this in Canadian prisons, where male offenders can "identify" as female to be housed in women's prisons instead of in men's prisons. Indeed, the Department of Justice's own definition is facilitating this travesty: "Women: All people who identify as women, whether they are cisgender or transgender women." We urge you to reject the intrusion of "identities" into any legislation and policies, and to retain a definition of women based in material, immutable, biological reality, such as "adult female human being." (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/woman ) If you want a more detailed definition, here is one from Heather Heying, a biologist: "Females are individuals who do or did or will or would, but for developmental or genetic anomalies, produce eggs. Eggs are large, sessile gametes. Gametes are sex cells. In plants and animals, and most other sexually reproducing organisms, there are two sexes: female and male1. Like “adult,” the term female applies across many species. Female is used to distinguish such people from males, who produce small, mobile gametes (e.g. sperm, pollen)." (https://naturalselections.substack.com/p/iamawoman?s=r ) Employment Equity Act Review Task Force C/O Employment Equity Act Review Secretariat (mailstop # 911) ESDC, 140 Promenade du Portage, Phase IV Gatineau, QC, K1A 0J9 Email: EDSC.LEE-EEA.ESDC@labour-travail.gc.ca

Why sex-based spaces matter for women’s safety, dignity, and equality in law and public life. Women's Spaces The issue: Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation Bathroom Policy The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation is altering its bathroom policy in community centres, libraries and parks. Its goal is to have three types of bathrooms/change rooms – men’s, women’s and “gender diverse”. In addition, the doors on all the men’s and women’s rooms will say “gender diverse people welcome”. There is no definition of “gender diverse”. The existing bathrooms are not being retrofitted to provide greater privacy, so the old knee-to-shoulder partitions between stalls will remain. No risk assessment was done and women were not consulted. Why does bathroom policy matter? Without clear definitions, any man can claim to be “gender diverse” and enter the women’s bathrooms and change rooms. Aside from the fact that trans id males commit crimes against women at the same rate as other men, studies in Britain show that many more men (of any gender id) assault women in mixed sex/unisex washrooms than in single sex washrooms. Men also use cell phones to secretly film women in washrooms and post the footage online. What can we do about the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation bathroom policy? We need to let the Vancouver Board Parks know we object, that we need this policy rolled back so that women’s washrooms remain for women only. Resources Our Letter to the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation Our Letter to the Vancouver Public Library Board of Directors Unisex Changing Rooms put Women at Danger of Sexual Assault, Data Reveals Study suggests that transwomen exhibit a male pattern of criminality Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation: Trans* and Gender Variant Inclusion Working Group - Final Report

Overview of Canada’s prostitution laws and their impact on women, safety, and exploitation. Bill C-36 The Protection of Communities & Exploited Persons Act PCEPA Dear Ms. Kwan, There is a powerful lobby attacking Canada’s prostitution legislation, The Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act. This law recognizes the inherent risks of violence and exploitation to those who engage in prostitution. The legislation seeks to end the demand for prostitution. Countries who have enacted laws similar to Canada’s law on prostitution are often described as the Nordic Model or the Equality Model. These countries are Sweden, Norway, Iceland, N. Ireland, France, Ireland, Israel. Israel, in 2018, became the most recent country to adopt this Equality Model and has put in place an impressive action plan that includes funding and multiple resources to help women exit from prostitution, and stop human trafficking. Canada would do well to emulate this country’s efforts. Sadly, Canada has put in place no direct support to prostituted women to help them exit. As a result, trafficking, both domestic and international abounds in Canada, with brothels in every neighbourhood. Enforcement of our laws is negligible or none. Nanos Poll results Support for Current Legislation. Survivors speak out about why they support PSEPA. This video following shows the hearing of evidence regarding Bill C36 and is a reminder of why this legislation passed into law in 2014. I am asking you to continue to support Canada’s existing laws on prostitution and recommend real action to help women exit. We know that it is poverty, abuse, racialization, addiction and mental illness that drives prostitution. To legalize makes the State the pimp. Trafficking of women into Canada will become legal as they will be required temporary foreign workers for a legalized sex trade. Sincerely, A Women’s Space Vancouver member and a constituent