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Response to positions from the BC Federation of Labour on gender identity and women’s rights. Our letter to the BC Federation of Labour Please use any part of this letter for your own use. February 11, 2021 Dear Member of the Women & Gender Rights Standing Committee, BC Federation of Labour Feminist organizations in BC are concerned to learn that the BC Federation of Labour has adopted a resolution calling for the recognition of prostitution as work, for the decriminalization of prostitution, and for protections for this work under the law. This resolution is contrary to the 2014 law called for by feminist organizations across Canada. Bill C-36, the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act, decriminalizes the sale of sex in most instances. It is the first law in Canada to govern prostitution in a manner consistent with Equality Rights, particularly those of women, as guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. As noted in the Preamble to the law it is “important to protect human dignity and the equality of all Canadians by discouraging prostitution, which has disproportionate impact on women and children”(1) and “it is important to denounce and prohibit the purchase of sexual services because it creates a demand for prostitution”. Versions of this law, often referred as the Nordic Model, have been called for by feminists around the world and have been adopted by progressive pro-women’s equality and pro-labour governments in Sweden, Norway, France, and Ireland. It is notable to us that these facts are absent in your Policy on Sex Work. As a result, we wonder whose criminalization you truly intend to repeal. While feminists are glad that women are no longer being criminalized for men’s pimping and purchasing of sexual access to women, we do not agree that these men should be equally decriminalized through repeal of our current law. Such a move would amount to de facto legalization of prostitution in Canada, a situation that in other countries has led to the proliferation of the prostitution industry, of the number of women who are prostituted, and of violence against women in prostitution. Many progressives are quick to claim that “sex work is work”. However, feminists, particularly those who have exited prostitution and who have worked on the frontlines in women’s anti-violence and legal advocacy organizations, know that prostitution is not a job. Most of the people in prostitution worldwide (approximately 40 million according to SPACE International) are women and girls. Women enter prostitution at young ages with approximately 50% entering prostitution before the age of majority in their countries, including in Canada. Most women who enter prostitution do so under conditions of poverty, incest, other forms of sexual assault, and racism. Women of colour and Indigenous women are vastly over-represented in prostitution. One third of the victims of serial killer Robert Pickton were Indigenous women. Vancouver Rape Relief found that among their callers in prostitution Indigenous women made up 27% and Black women made 14%. This is 9 times and 12 times more than their representation in the female population of Greater Vancouver respectively.(2) Once in prostitution, it is extremely difficult to leave, given few exiting services or financial supports available. Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter report that the most common requests from the women in prostitution who call them are for safe shelter and exiting support.(3) Canada’s depleted social safety net and increasingly precarious employment options, contexts that are now compounded by the global COVID-19 pandemic, are only making this problem worse for women, particularly for working class, poor, racialized, and Indigenous women. Women want to leave prostitution because it is an industry in which sexual harassment and assault are what pimps sell and johns purchase. A 2003 9-country study of violence in prostitution found that violence is the norm in prostitution globally, including in countries where it has been legalized.(4) A 2013 UN Study found that men who buy sex are also likely to commit rape. The study found that the correlation between prostitution and other forms of violence against women is that both entail men enacting their dominance over women.(5) Women do not make a living wage or experience the benefits of skill development and seniority in prostitution. Women in regimes where prostitution has been legalized, including in brothels, experience degraded work conditions and diminished autonomy over their own bodies as pimps and brothel owners compete for the business of johns, who seek to pay lower rates for more invasive and violent acts. Neither has indoor prostitution led to greater safety for women, as was noted by The Women’s Equality and Liberty Coalition in their intervention in the appeal of the acquittal of Bradley Barton for the murder of Cindy Gladue at the Supreme Court of Canada.(6) Finally, as women in prostitution age, become ill, or suffer addiction, they are pushed to the margins where they are subjected to yet more violence, more degraded conditions, and even deeper poverty. Unionization cannot fix these problems, because they are inherent in prostitution itself: when men buy and sell sexual access to women, they do so to enact their power over women. Our current law recognizes and responds to this inequality in the prostitution transaction. The more we tolerate such inequality, such as by promoting prostitution legalization, the more likely we are to see it manifest in our society. This has already been made apparent through news stories of Pornhub and its Canadian parent company, MindGeek. These companies post non-consensual and violent imagery of women for purchase. In these situations, women have little to no recourse to stop such exploitation. Legalizing prostitution will only deepen this problem. We therefore find it inappropriate that prostitution be defended as work by a union organization whose purpose is to defend the rights of workers. Protective and positive labour conditions, especially for women, include freedom from sexual harassment and assault, strong health and safety protections, above poverty wages, recognition of seniority and skill, possibility for advancement, and freedom to refuse dangerous, unequal, and unfair work. Prostitution does not and cannot meet any of these conditions. We would like to meet with you to discuss a truly progressive position on prostitution among labour unions. The law that we have in Canada currently is protective of the wellbeing of women in prostitution because it prevents prostituted women (and men and trans-identified people) from being arrested and charged for crimes committed against them. The primary problem with this law is that it not enforced. Labour unions have an important role in bringing forward internal and public discussions on the failures of enforcement, of labour conditions generally, and of our social safety net. These failures embolden men and entrap women contrary to the wellbeing and equality of all women in Canada. Unions should never stand up for the idea that sexual harassment and sexual assault are normal work conditions for women. To do so is to abrogate your role in securing worker’s rights and, especially, in protecting the rights of women. For further information and discussion on this topic, we hope you will contact us to arrange a meeting between now and March 15, 2021. Additional information can be found through the following resources: The Sex Trade – NFB film by Eve Lamont (2015) Prostitution is not a job and never will be. Here’s why. - Dana Levy Nordic Model Now Consent, Coercion, and Culpability: Is Prostitution Stigmatized Work or an Exploitive and Violent Practice Rooted in Sex, Race, and Class Inequality? Rachel Moran and Melissa Farley PhD. SPACE International (Organization of women with lived experience of the sex trade ) Regardless of whether we hear from you, we intend to pursue this matter, using public channels if necessary. Sincerely, Aboriginal Women’s Action Network Asian Women for Equality EVE (Formerly Exploited Voices now Educating) Vancouver Lesbian Collective Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter Women’s Space Vancouver https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/41-2/bill/C-36/royal-assent https://www.rapereliefshelter.bc.ca/photos/vancouver-rape-relief-and- women%E2%80%99s-shelter-data-prostitution https://www.rapereliefshelter.bc.ca/photos/vancouver-rape-relief-and-women%E2%80%99s-shelter-data-prostitution Farley, M., et al. (2003). “Prostitution and Trafficking in Nine Countries: An Update on Violence and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder”. Journal of Trauma Practice Vol. 2(3/4), pp. 33-74 Fulu, E., Warner, X., Miedema, S., Jewkes, R., Roselli, T. and Lang, J. (2013). Why Do SomeMen Use Violence Against Women and How Can We Prevent It? Quantitative Findings from the United Nations Multi-Country Study on Men and Violence in Asia and the Pacific. Bangkok: UNDP, UNFPA, Un Women and UNV . https://scc-csc.lexum.com/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/17800/index.do

Exploring self-identification policies and their implications for women’s spaces, law, and public policy. Response to the BC Government change in law allowing anyone, by self-declaration, to change their sex designation on all BC identification On Friday January 14, 2022, the BC NDP Government announced a change in legislation that now allows any person to self-identify as the opposite sex by simply filling out a form to have their sex changed on all BC legal identification documents: BC Services Card Driver’s License BCID Card Birth Certificate Women’s Space Vancouver condemns this action as another nail in the coffin of women’s human rights. This change is driven by gender identity ideology with its ill-defined and subjective concepts of gender, in contrast to science and fact. This will further impede the lives of women and girls and make a mockery of our material reality, endangering services, programs, and all spaces designated for women only. Women and girls are human females with immutable characteristics, a protected class under provincial, federal, and international human rights law. The discrimination and oppression we face is based on the reality of our biology, not because we ‘think’ or ‘feel’ we are women. This move shows contempt for women and the public, as the Provincial NDP government has, once again, made major changes to law and policy by focusing on the demands of a small interest group without consulting all of those affected. We understand they have made no assessment on the impact of these legal changes, including no Gender Based Analysis (GBA) intended to safeguard equality rights, which would be critical to share with the public. The NDP government calls this support for the ability to be true to a person’s gender. However, the document conflates gender with sex. The Vital Statistics form reads, “my gender designation captured as "Sex” …”male” or ”female“ or “X” . Sex is a fact – observable and immutable. Gender has no one definition and has been described as a ‘feeling’, as socially constructed stereotypes for roles, relationships, behaviours, and other traits that society ascribes to women and men. “We are not a costume or a feeling”, said Kim Zander, Chair for WSV. “Our human sex-based rights took a long time to be recognized, and we continue to face sexism, systemic discrimination, and horrific misogyny in BC, Canada, and around the world, on the basis of our biology. Women and girls are being sentenced to further vulnerability at every level of our lives by allowing men to declare they are women and therefore access washrooms and showers, counselling and programs, sports, prisons, medical care, and other services, and facilities that are meant to address and protect our dignity and our rights.” The BC government said, “This announcement will make it easier for people to have their true genders reflected on their B.C. identification documents.” This raises a number of concerns, but most importantly, why does the government think it is important for individuals to express their personality traits on legal identification, in place of a factual piece of data often used for statistics. Zander added, “It is possible to respect gender identity while also acknowledging that all trans/non-binary people were born male or female. Allowing a subjective expression of personality to replace a factual and protected characteristic is unnecessary and harmful to women and girls.” The Minister of Citizen’s Services said, “By removing the medical requirement for a change of gender designation, this is part of our continued commitment to making this government, its services and the province increasingly accessible for people of all genders.” This move does not support the acknowledgement of gender diverse people, but rather hides them under the incorrect or no sex category. This will compromise the integrity of important statistics upon which government and organizations base the development of programs and services for specific populations, including those who consider themselves “gender diverse”. The government did not provide information about services that are not currently available to gender diverse individuals or how this change to identification will address accessibility to services. “We believe the intent is to allow access to female-only services and spaces. This gender identity ideology driven change will only put human rights in conflict and women and girls at risk”, said Zander. The consequences of allowing men to self-declare they are women on legal documents is huge. Women and girls are already experiencing a violation of our human rights as government allows and facilitates access to our spaces to men who self-identify as women. Men will be able to enter spaces, services, and programs meant only for women, such as public and school washrooms and showers, transition houses, counselling services, training programs, equity programs, women’s committees and organizations, including those created to heal from and combat male violence, and those organizations, programs and services meant for Lesbian women. Women will have no space without male interference and influence. Male criminals will be allowed, without question, to be placed in women’s prisons, threatening the well-being of women prisoners. Already, with the few males claiming to be women that the government has allowed into women’s prisons, women prisoners have reported abusive behaviour, assault, rape, a diminishing of their mental well-being, and a fear of participation in prison counseling programs. Men will now be included as women in statistics and data collection, skewing the real-life experiences of women. They will be able to speak for women in surveys, focus groups, government working groups, and in every area data is gathered to understand and address women’s experiences, needs, and goals. Their crimes will be counted as women’s crimes. Their violence and rape will be counted as acts committed by women. Men claiming to be women, and their advocates, have already harassed and bullied women who have spoken up for women’s and girls’ human rights, calling them intolerant and hateful, transphobic, and fascists. They have targeted women who will not conform to the language of gender identity ideology but instead insist on scientific material reality. They have already tried to skew sexual orientation by saying that gay men and lesbian women are “same-gender” attracted, when sexual orientation is based on biology, not what someone thinks or feels. They have harassed Lesbians who will not accept men who claim to be women as intimate partners, calling them transphobic. They attempt to compel speech/language that is confusing, lacks fact, and distorts reality. And they demand this ideology be taught and enacted in our schools. Women speaking up for our human rights have been threatened with and experienced job loss, censorship, and violence. Men self-declaring they are women will misrepresent women’s experiences and the rights women are entitled to. Those claiming to be women, and their advocates, have put a lot of energy into doing as much harm as possible to women who won’t ‘behave’. Men who self-identify as female have been and will continue demanding that the medical and healthcare system conform to language that includes their male bodies as women. They demand that women as biological beings be referred to by body parts, that women-only bodily functions be renamed, and that the system assert that men who claim to be women can also carry out these functions. They have and will continue to demand they be medically treated as women and deny the distinct differences in male and female bodies. Healthcare for women will be dehumanizing, distorted and confused, particularly in the area of education about our unique bodies. There is no such thing as a ”girl penis”. Allowing men to self-identify as women will create huge difficulties for law enforcement when they need to describe suspects, to forewarn the public of dangerous criminals, or to keep accurate statistics. Already we see Stats Can and policing records conflating sex and gender, and therefore crimes committed by men are attributed to women. Men self-identifying as women will destroy women’s sports. The very basis of competition in sports is based on physical attributes. It is well documented that male bodies have distinct differences and advantages over female bodies. Sports will no longer be fair, safe, and inclusive for women. It has and will ruin opportunities for hardworking women athletes to find acknowledgement of their achievements. Already, several female sports records have been broken by men claiming to be a woman. Lastly, when government is complicit in the conflation of gender and sex, it has and will have an impact on our schools and education of children, resulting in the denial of basic biology. Children are becoming more confused about material reality. This creates an opening for harmful ideas that children who do not conform to the gender-based stereotypes expected from their sex need social and medical interventions to correct the ‘wrong sex’. The B.C. NDP government has been fully captured by this ideology, showing disregard for basic science, and the rights of parents. It boasts of the number of mastectomies done on youth and young adults for gender reassignment surgery (often called “chest masculinization”). Generations of children will pay for our government allowing society to be steeped in a political ideology. We demand the NDP government commit to the following: Uphold women’s sex-based human rights and Canada’s commitment to the standards the United Nations have developed through CEDAW. The collection and registry of objective data and statistics based on science and clear and meaningful language. Stop using the tenets and language of gender identity ideology. Remove provisions for self-declared identification using selected gender stereotypes. Removal of the word ‘gender’ as a synonym for ‘sex’ and retrospectively update all official documents that conflate the two terms. The government can always collect additional data rather than replacing data with inaccurate terms. Democratic processes that involve the public and affected populations in the development of law and policy. This is a key element to ensuring an engaged, respectful, and respected civil society and that no stakeholder groups are disenfranchised in the law and policy making process. Prevent a conflict of human rights. Women and girls and those who are gender diverse have human rights that are equally important. No one group’s human right need be sacrificed for another. Women won’t sit idly by while our rights are destroyed by a government that has submitted to ‘woke’ politics. These letter has been written by an ally in support of our actions. They have allowed us to share them here. Please feel free to use the content of these letters for your own submissions. Self-declared gender on all BC legal identification documents Dear Adam Walker, Jinny Sims, Ellis Ross, and Nathan Cullen, I wish you all good health and courage in the debates this term. I am writing to you because of the January 14th announcement by the NDP government that anyone can now self-declare that they are the opposite sex (or no sex) on all government identification, including a birth certificate. The change can be made by simply filling out a form. I ask that you consider this proposition very carefully before proceeding. This is a shocking move and done with no analysis of the consequences. I am very concerned about the consequences of this action and lack of public consultation. I oppose this move. Why was such an important issue kept quiet. This is a serious misuse of power that will have harmful consequences to women. You may ask why I’m writing to you in particular. Adam Walker, you are my MLA, and I want you to represent this area well. Jinny Sims, I’ve worked with you for many years, we’ve shared concerns and worked hard on issues relating to the Status of Women. Ellis Ross, you would be my MLA if I were still living in Kitimat and I know that you share concerns about women’s issues, along with Nathan Cullen, as we all know the shattered lives of women that have occurred in the north and along Highway 16. We must do better. I thank you all for reading my concerns and the attached letter. This is a universal issue. Women’s rights must still be attended to. If you have daughters, sisters, mothers, granddaughters and nieces, think about how safe they’d feel if this law passes. Without any notice to or consultation with the people of BC, the NDP government went ahead with this action that will drastically alter the lives of women and girls. If anyone can self-identify as a woman (“female”), any man will be able to enter any and all women’s spaces, from changerooms and showers, transition houses for those who’ve experienced male violence, counselling programs, to sports, women’s prisons, and organizations meant for women to discuss our experiences and defend our rights. Youth can make this change with permission from parents – boys will have access to all spaces meant for girls. Women’s human rights will become meaningless. I would direct you to Women’s Space Vancouver, an organization that is presently working on this issue and will provide more information as you need to reconsider the steps you have started. For a first step, the government must initiate public hearings, consultations and listen to the women of British Columbia. Please read and consider the following statement which was published by Women’s Space Vancouver in response to the Jan 14th announcement by the NDP government before rash decisions are made by the government. Download our brochure on Gender Self-Declaration

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

Critical perspectives on SOGI policies in schools and their impact on children, education, and parental rights. Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity The Issue: All schools in BC are required to follow the guidelines presented in SOGI 123. All schools in BC are required to follow the guidelines presented in SOGI 123. The SOGI guidance is imbued with the ideology that people can be born trans, just as people can be born homosexual. The Resources for Parents website states that everyone has both a gender identity, and a sexual orientation. The following statements can also be found on the website: “There aren’t two boxes – boy and girl”, and “Some people’s biology doesn’t fit neatly into two boxes”. Why does SOGI 123 matter? These statements either have no basis in science, or they are false. That people can be born trans (born in the wrong body) has no scientific backing. That people don’t come in two types – male and female – is false. Aside from a tiny percentage (about .2%) of people born with Disorders of Sexual Development, all humans (like all other mammals) are either male or female. The gender ideology of SOGI teaches children that their bodies have no relationship to their sex, that they might be the opposite sex from what their bodies indicate. Thus, teachers and students are expected to applaud a child who announces that they are not the same sex as their body. This is the promotion of an unscientific ideology that leads to children in distress wanting experimental medical procedures including powerful drugs, wrong sex hormones and surgery – all of which have negative effects on their long-term sexual function and health. Since children who “identify” as the opposite sex tend to exhibit mental/emotional distress, the possible causes of that distress are ignored when gender identity is named as the cause. Identifiable other causes include sexual/physical abuse, parental neglect, parental alienation, autism, and latent homosexuality. What can we do about SOGI 123? Refuse to accept the conflation of gender and sex. Demand a definition of gender that does not include stereotypes. Protest in person or through letter campaigns at schools, boards of education, Ministries of Education. Lobby the BC Federation of Teachers to stop its support for SOGI. Demand that parents be informed of all signs of child distress, including a wish to be known as the opposite sex or by wrong sex pronouns. Resources These two videos provide a critical analysis of what is taught about gender identity throughout the elementary, middle, and high school grades in Seattle's schools. The videos highlight the harmful messages inherent in the approaches taken to teach children about gender identity; e.g. you might be born into the wrong body. Ideology is presented as fact, biology is erased or misrepresented and children are presented with information that may be confused, misleading or incorrect. The same ideology is being taught to children in BC schools. If you have children in your family in K-12, ask their teachers if these lesson plans and resources are used. Gender Identity Ideology in Our Schools, Part 1 Gender Identity Ideology in Our Schools, Part 2

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

Submission to the UN Special Rapporteur outlining concerns about women’s rights and policy impacts. Submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls to the Human Rights Council on prostitution and violence against women and girls. January 2024 Submission by Women’s Space Vancouver, BC, Canada 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 Canada, after a large feminist lobby, adopted a version of the Nordic Model in 2014. Women’s Space Vancouver supports this model and is opposed to the legalization or decriminalization of prostitution. The Canadian Parliament recognizes prostitution as an inherently harmful activity that harms women and girls, negatively impacts marginalized groups (especially racialized and Indigenous women and girls) and harms the communities in which it takes place. The Act, The Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA) received Royal Assent in 2014. Canada’s intent in adopting the Nordic Model was to reduce the demand for sex work. The Government stated through its Technical Paper, at the time: The majority of those who sell their own sexual services are women and girls. Marginalized groups, such as Aboriginal women and girls, are disproportionately represented. Prostitution reinforces gender inequalities in society at large by normalizing the treatment of primarily women’s bodies as commodities to be bought and sold. In this regard, prostitution harms everyone in society by sending the message that sexual acts can be bought by those with money and power. Prostitution allows men, who are primarily the purchasers of sexual services, paid access to female bodies, thereby demeaning and degrading the human dignity of all women and girls by entrenching a clearly gendered practice in Canadian society. Prostitution is an extremely dangerous activity that poses a risk of violence and psychological harm to those subjected to it, regardless of the venue or legal framework in which it takes place, both from purchasers of sexual services and from third parties.” The legal status of sex work is no longer ambiguous in Canada. The purchase of sex is prohibited. Sex work is no longer legal, but sellers of their own sexual services are immune from prosecution. Other prohibited activities, procuring, advertising, stopping traffic, and communicated for the purposes of sex work near a school, daycare centre, or playground. Also, an offence is receiving a material benefit from sex work. Sex workers are immune from prosecution for advertising their own sexual services. There is a growing call in Canada, to decriminalize or legalize prostitution, to recognize selling sexual services as work. This change would make legal, both the selling and buying of sexual services and make legal all transactions in support of the sex trade. A recent court case heard by the Ontario Supreme Court was brought by a coalition of sex workers challenging aspects of the PCPCA as unconstitutional. Justice Robert Goldstein, found that, in his view,” many of the harms complained of are simply the collateral consequence of prohibiting the purchase of sex by customers, or the collateral consequences of the other challenged offenses.” In the Judgment, he asks the question: Is The Purpose of PCEPA Pressing and Substantial? Judge Goldstein in the Findings of Fact regarding prostitution in Canada, is convinced that the purpose of PCEPA is indeed “pressing and substantial.” Below is taken directly from Judge Goldstein’s judgment: [482] Moreover, some of the key findings of fact in these reasons support that the objective is pressing and substantial (I repeat and condense some of my earlier findings of fact): Significant numbers of sex workers come from marginalized and racialized groups.Indigenous women and girls make up a disproportionate number of those involved in the sex trade.Large numbers of sex workers are coerced or trafficked into the sex trade. Many, of those who are coerced and trafficked are themselves women and girls from marginalized groups. There is a very strong link between sex work and human trafficking.Violence and the threat of violence are present in the everyday lives of many sex workers. Sex workers have not been displaced to more isolated and dangerous areas as a result of the communications and stopping traffic offences. The Special Rapporteur asks in Question 9, How effective have legislative frameworks and policies been in preventing and responding to violence against women and girls in prostitution? Judge Goldstein in the Ontario Supreme Court Judgment notes several salutary effects of PCEPA since 2014: “With respect, I have found in my analysis of the evidence that the Attorneys General have established at least some salutary effects since the enactment of PCEPA. The number of women charged with communications or stopping traffic offences since the enactment of PCEPA has declined sharply. The number was already declining significantly prior to PCEPA, but the number has continued to fall. Prior to PCEPA, the number of women charged with communications or stopping traffic offences resulted in a majority being found guilty and many being sentenced to jail terms. In the five-year period after PCEPA only two women in Canada were found guilty and neither were sentenced to jail. Over the same period, the number of men charged with the purchasing offence has increased. While correlation is not causation, these results were an objective of the immunity provisions, as well as the narrow targeting of the new communications and stopping traffic offences. Another salutary effect is that the number of homicides of sex workers has also declined. Again, it is unclear if there is a causal effect with PCEPA, or with better policing, or commensurate with a drop in the homicide rate generally, but it is real. What is also striking is that in the five years prior to PCEPA the perpetrator of a homicide against a sex worker was identified as being in a criminal relationship with the victim in 43% of those cases (a client, drug dealer or client, or gang member); in the five years after PCEPA this number was 29%. The number of Indigenous homicide victims among sex workers also declined: from 20 of 54 sex workers in the five years prior to PCEPA, to 7 of 35 sex workers in the five years after. Of course, even one homicide is one homicide too many. As well the statistical significance has limits, given the small numbers. Nonetheless, the numbers are real. Certainly there is no evidence that homicides of sex workers have increased. Finally, as I have emphasized in these reasons, when the offences are properly interpreted, sex workers are able to take measures to enhance safety without fear of prosecution.” Ontario Superior Court Ruling https://rapereliefshelter.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/CAFSWLR-v.-Attorney-General-Reasons-for-Judgment-CV-21-659594-signed-2.pdf Women’s Space Vancouver believes that the salutary effects of Canada’s Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act. would increase with a serious and dedicated intention by all levels of government to end prostitution in Canada. The following are some of the measures that would contribute to achieving that goal: Ensure the funding and supports are in place across Canada to help women exit prostitution. Most women who enter prostitution do so under conditions of poverty, incest and other forms of sexual assault and racism. In Canada, women of colour and Indigenous women are vastly overrepresented in prostitution. (One third of the victims of serial killer of prostitutes, Robert Picton, were Indigenous women.) Government initiatives like, guaranteed livable income, affordable housing. universal daycare, are all initiatives currently being considered at the Federal and Provincial levels in Canada and would support prostituted women’s exit from a dangerous activity. Women have informed front line women’s shelters that given safe economic certainty and support, they would exit prostitution. To maximize the potential of the PCEPC there needs to be increased enforcement of the legislation to charge the pimps, johns, brothel owners, sex traffickers, and businesses that hide prostitution behind a façade of legitimacy. When laws against sex purchase are publicized and enforced, the demand for prostitution decreases. A program of public awareness regarding the extent of domestic sex trafficking in Canada would help to educate Canadians about this very serious problem. There is a misconception that sex trafficking is an international issue, outside of the control of Canadian authorities. However, national statistics of sex trafficking show that nine in 10 (91%) victims of police-reported human trafficking incidents between 2011 and 2021 knew their accused trafficker, while a relatively small proportion (9%) of victims were trafficked by a stranger (Government of Canada, 2022). A trafficker tends to be someone close to the victim (e.g., boyfriend, friend, relative, or peer) (Canadian Centre to End Human trafficking, 2020). Globally, and in Canada, it can be observed that trafficked victims often come from places of oppression, systemic discrimination, and poverty. Only by dealing with the systemic issues of women’s inequality and oppression and violence, will we be able to tackle the subsequent dangerous commodification of women’s bodies, Violence against women and girls is increasing everywhere in Canada, as reported by front line workers and health care officials in Canada. Prostitution and pornography contribute to a rape culture. Female students in high schools across Canada are sounding the alarm protesting inside and outside their schools about the sexual harassment and sexual abuse they endure at school. Recently, in Victoria, BC, a 12-year-old girl was sexually attacked by grade 8 boys in their school playground. Influenced by an unregulated porn industry, children are being influenced by internet porn that teaches them that females are sexual objects to be used. All levels of Government need to include and involve the front-line women’s organizations in recommending the changes necessary to protect women and girls from becoming victims. Some of the recurring themes identified by the Native Women’s Association of Canada, that contribute to the recruitment of Indigenous women into human trafficking include: • Precarious housing and poor living conditions • High rates of unemployment, unstable unemployment, and low working wages • Lack of access to social and economic resources and programs • Prior exposure to human trafficking and the sex trade from a young age (through family or friends) • Family violence and the impacts of colonization (such as the residential school experience and intergenerational trauma) In conclusion, Women’s Space Vancouver vehemently opposes the legalization or decriminalization of prostitution in Canada. The outcome of such a legal change would be to ignore the conditions that force women and girls into prostitution, and make legal a dangerous practice that harms our most vulnerable. Legalizing prostitution is no path to women’s equality. Canada must take steps to strengthen its commitment to ending prostitution in Canada. Resources The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women and Girls report on Prostitution

Coverage of 2022 British Columbia's municipal elections and issues affecting women’s rights in local governance. Questions for MPs Regarding Sex-based Rights in 2022 These are the questions our group has put together for you to ask your municipal candidates before voting in the 2022 elections. We will be sending them out to all candidates in Vancouver. Please use and distribute as you like. If you are a candidate and would like to answer these questions and /or meet and discuss with us, please email womenspacevyr@gmail.com . Preamble: The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is an international bill of rights for women. Article 1 of CEDAW, explains discrimination is understood as "any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex.” The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms sets out equality rights. “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.” Questions for Municipal Election Candidates – Council 1. Do you support women’s sex-based rights as outlined in CEDAW and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms? 2. In order to accurately include and represent all citizens in decision-making, it is critical to gather data that reflects material reality such as biological sex and sexual orientation. 3. Women’s (adult human female’s) sex-based representations in the civic processes must be preserved. 4. Political organizations should strive to have equal representation of women (adult human females) in leadership positions and as candidates. Questions for Municipal Election Candidates – Parks 1. In order to protect the dignity and safety of women and girls, washrooms and changerooms in all public venues must offer sex-segregated facilities. 2. Public venues should offer women-only programs such as women-only time in the gyms, girls-only sports, or teen girls-only activities. 3. Further, women have the right to request that some activities remain sex-segregated, when renting Park Board facilities for cultural, social, or sporting events. Questions for Municipal Election Candidates – School Board 1. Girls (female children and youth) have sex-based rights to safety and privacy, guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom must be supported. 2. What would you do to protect students from being lured into online sexual extortion and online luring for the purposes of prostitution, sex trafficking and pornography? 3. Some parents are concerned about whether materials and beliefs presented in the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity curriculum (SOGI) for students are age and developmentally appropriate. What would you do to protect the rights of parents and educators to bring concerns to the School Board, regarding curriculum, policy and/or practice? 4. Female students are reporting rape culture in BC’s elementary and secondary schools and a lack of protections or safety mechanisms in place at the municipal and school board levels. This is an urgent issue to address. The 2020 Convention of BCCPAC overwhelmingly passed the following resolutions to address peer to peer sexual harassment and sexual assaults in schools. See pages 45 to 49 . 2022.09 Action Against Peer-to-Peer Sexual Misconduct 2022.10 Action to Address Peer-to-Peer Sexual Harassment 2022.11 Action to Address Peer-to-Peer Sexual Assault/Exploitation - Data Collection & Analysis 2022.12 Action to Address Peer-to-Peer Sexual Assault - Response Protocol What will you do to support and implement these recommendations? Printable PDFs Council School Board Park Board

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]

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

Analysis of prostitution and pornography and their impact on women, exploitation, and society. Prostitution and Pornography The issue: Prostitution and Pornography exploits women and children Prostitution is a part of the extremely profitable commercial sex trade that exploits primarily vulnerable women and girls. Prostitution is inseparable from sex trafficking, which involves coercion and control of the trafficked victims. Under Canada’s current prostitution legislation, the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA), purchasing sexual services and pimping are illegal. However, the Act is unevenly enforced and in Vancouver and British Columbia, almost completely ignored by law enforcement. Pornography is another form of sexual exploitation that is steeped in racism, dehumanization and the commodification of, and violence against, women. The porn industry is one of the largest and most profitable in the world. It includes selling images of rape and abuse of women and children for men to watch for their own sexual pleasure. Why does the exploitation of women and children matter? Most feminists echo PCEPA in understanding the sale and purchase of women’s bodies for sexual purposes to be inherently violent acts. Prostitution is maintained by the existence of class and racial inequalities as well as male sense of entitlement to women’s bodies. The promotion and normalization of prostitution and pornography undermine women’s equality and fail to protect the human rights of women and girls by subjecting them to emotional, physical, and spiritual violence from the men who purchase sex and those who traffic them. The women and girls exploited in prostitution in Canada are disproportionately Indigenous, racialized, poor and/or survivors of childhood sexual abuse or other trauma. These factors, plus the sexualization of young women and girls within a culture of pornography, increase the risks of women and girls being lured and trapped within the exploitative sex trade. What can we do about the exploitation of women and children? Advocate for the retention and enforcement of Canada’s prostitution law, PCEPA, by charging sex buyers, pimps and traffickers. This will help reduce the demand that drives the industry. Advocate for significant investments in support and recovery services to help women exit prostitution, not just for harm reduction, which frequently ends up perpetuating prostitution. Significantly increase education for young people about the harms of prostitution and pornography. Teach them how to recognize the signs of luring and grooming tactics used by traffickers and pimps and how to protect themselves from being ensnared into the trap. Increase efforts to help children recognize when they are being sexually abused and how to reach out for help. Resources Our letter to the BC Federation of Labour Vancouver Collective Against Sexual Exploitation Prostitution Research & Education End Demand, End Exploitation Domestic sex trafficking - a survivor's perspective | Karly Church | TEDxOshawaED Culture Reframed: resources for parents on porn The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women and Girls report on Prostitution

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

Exploring fairness, safety, and policy in women’s sports, with a focus on sex-based categories and female athletes. Women in Sports Women Space Vancouver stands in support of the sex-based rights of women and girls in sports. Women's sports have been sex-based for decades and must remain so to be fair and just to women and girl athletes. Below is an article by Linda Blade, co-author of UNSPORTING: How Trans Activism and Science Denial are Destroying Sport , offering insight into the monumental struggle for women's sex-based rights in sport and athletics that is currently playing out on the world stage and in Canada. Linda Blade: International body upholds fairness for women in sport. Will Canada follow suit? National Post World Athletics now understands that there is no way to mitigate the enormous advantage that male-born transgender athletes have in women's sports by Linda Blade, Mar 30, 2023 At its spring council meeting in Monaco on March 23, World Athletics (WA), the global governing body of athletics, announced that it would “exclude male-to-female transgender athletes who have been through male puberty from female World Rankings competition.” With this one announcement, WA sent ripples across the sports world. As many federations look to WA for guidance on eligibility policy in sports requiring speed, power and endurance, the ruling is bound to have an influence on other sports. American swimmer Riley Gaines, who was forced to compete against male-born Lia Thomas at the 2022 NCAA Championships, stated that, “As a woman of sport, I sincerely thank World Athletics and Seb Coe for prioritizing fairness and integrity in sports over so-called ‘inclusion’ … this decision is monumental and gives me hope for other (sports) organizations.” It is significant that Gaines contrasted “fairness and integrity” with “inclusion,” because at the heart of this debate is a question over what principle takes precedence: inclusion or safety? After an extensive review in 2021, the Sports Councils in the United Kingdom concluded that when it comes to males seeking to self-identify as women in gender-segregated sports, it is not possible to balance fairness and safety with inclusion. Including male-born competitors in a women’s event is unfair — and potentially unsafe, in the case of contact sports — to the female athletes involved. The physical manifestations of male physiology, especially post-puberty, offer extraordinary competitive advantages over female characteristics when it comes to performance in sports. After its review, World Athletics now understands that there is currently no known way to mitigate the enormous male advantage. Hormonal suppression doesn’t do it. Nor does reassignment surgery. So a decision had to be made and WA chose to prioritize fairness at the expense of including transgender athletes. The impact on Canadian sports will be significant, particularly for Athletics Canada. Eligibility rules for WA- and World Para Athletics-sanctioned competitions will have to be revised immediately to comply with the new framework. Otherwise, athletes from Canada will not qualify for elite international events. Neither would Canada be cleared to host international competitions without complying with WA rules. In domestic “grassroots” competitions, however, Athletics Canada is leaning towards inclusion. Its current policy states: “In registering for a domestic competition, an athlete may select the category that best reflects their gender identity and sense of self. “Coaches, officials, staff and volunteers must support an athlete’s right to select a competitive category that best matches their gender identity.” There are three problems, however, that arise from the misalignment of domestic and international policies: philosophical, legal and jurisdictional. If we are to accept the WA dichotomy of a choice between fairness and inclusion, Athletics Canada’s prioritization of “inclusion” means that it is choosing to be unfair to women and girls. Due to sex-based advantages, including male-bodied athletes in the female category is not only unfair but is bound to exclude women and girls from their rightful places on the podium, on national rankings and in domestic record books. Presumably, greater inclusivity on the domestic front is an attempt to avoid discrimination on the basis of “gender identity” and “gender expression,” as mandated by Bill C-16. On the other hand, doing so in sport is a form of sex discrimination against women and girls. Both the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Canadian Human Rights Act forbid discrimination against girls and women on the basis of their sex. Confusion and conflict at the provincial level is bound to ensue. What is to become of the Athletics Alberta policy, for example, that enforces sex-based boundaries that align more with international standards set by the WA and less with the Canadian recommendations? Why should a provincial sports organization be forced to choose unfairness for the sake of a certain kind of “inclusion” that, in fact, excludes women and girls from their rightful placings and results? These questions illustrate that even as the majority of people involved in track and field rejoice at the establishment of clarity and fairness for elite female athletes by World Athletics, we recognize that it opens an entirely new debate here at home. Linda Blade is president of Athletics Alberta and co-author (with Barbara Kay) of the book, UNSPORTING: How Trans Activism and Science Denial are Destroying Sport (2021). World governing body bans transgender women athletes, By Lori Ewing, March 23, 2023