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See upcoming and past educational webinars featuring women involved in advocating for women's sex-based rights. Visit the WSV YouTube Channel to see all recorded events Educational Events June 20, 2026 at 11 AM (PST) - A conversation with the LGB Courage Coalition featuring Jamie Reed & Lauren Leggieri Registration in advance is required. After registration approval, you will receive a confirmation email with a link for the webinar. The LGB Courage Coalition is an organization of lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults concerned with the current state of gender medicine for children & adolescents in the United States and Canada. At its inception, the Coalition articulated a mission: to end the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries for minors. They envision a world where cultural and medical approaches embrace and support gender non-conformity without resorting to irreversible medical interventions, believing many contemporary “gender-affirming” practices are rooted in regressive stereotypes. Jamie Reed is Founder and Co-Executive Director of LGB Courage Coalition and is a public whistleblower from a U.S. pediatric gender clinic. Her explosive first-person account, “I thought I was saving trans kids, now I am blowing the whistle,” published in February 2023, rapidly gained global recognition for shedding light on critical issues in youth gender medicine in the United States. A highly sought-after speaker, Jamie co-hosts Informed Dissent, a weekly podcast bringing dispatches from the gender culture wars and has been interviewed and profiled in The New York Times. As a lesbian, a mother of five and a passionate advocate for LGB issues, her work is personal and impactful. Lauren Leggieri is Co-Executive Director of LGB Courage Coalition. She is pivotal in mobilizing volunteers and orchestrating direct actions. Much of her work occurs behind the scenes, ensuring the safety and effectiveness of volunteer efforts for maximum impact. Her strategic actions have made a significant impact, notably directing protests at the 2024 Endocrine Society Conference in Boston and the 2024 American Academy of Pediatrics Conference in Orlando. She also led a crucial action at the U.S. Supreme Court during the US v Skrmetti hearing in 2024. As a lesbian woman, Lauren brings her personal identity and intellectual rigour to her unwavering advocacy. May 24, 2026 - WHERE WE ARE, WHAT WE HAVE & WHAT WE COULD BE: Prostitution Laws in Canada Trisha Baptie is a survivor of prostitution from the ages of 13 to 28. She wants to change the conversation surrounding the sex industry by directly challenging the demand for paid sex as well as addressing the intersecting and systemic issues that drive women’s and girls' vulnerability to be trafficked into prostitution, and the sex industry as a whole. In 2008, she founded EVE (formerly Exploited Voices now Educating), a group that gives survivors a voice to help create societal, legal and policy change. Recognized nationally and internationally, her work includes a TEDx talk and the National Film Board of Canada documentary Buying Sex. She was a part of the process when Canada succeeded in gaining its new prostitution laws in 2014 called the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA). She has made multiple written and oral submissions to the Senate and Justice subcommittees on PCEPA and is an articulate, informative and sought-after writer and presenter. Janine Benedet, K.C. is Professor of Law at the Allard School of Law, UBC. Her research focuses on legal responses to men’s sexual violence against women and girls, including sexual assault, prostitution and pornography. She is a frequent presenter at judicial education conferences and an Associate Editor of the Criminal Reports. Professor Benedet is a member of the bar of British Columbia and has appeared before trial and appellate courts as intervener counsel pro bono in a number of cases involving prostitution and sexual violence against women. She has testified regularly before the House of Commons and Senate Committees on laws relating to human trafficking and the commercial sex trade. In 2024, she received a Governor General’s Medal in Commemoration of the Person’s Case for her work promoting the equality of women and girls. Cherry Smiley (https://www.cherrysmiley.com/) is a decolonizing feminist from the Nlaka’pamux (Thompson) and Diné (Navajo) Nations. She is an irreverent yet award-winning artist, researcher, troublemaker, cat lover, and #1 theme park fan. She holds a PhD in Communication Studies from Concordia University and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from Simon Fraser University. She works with others in the Women's Liberation Movement to end male violence against women and girls. In 2023, Spinifex Press published her first book, Not Sacred, Not Squaws: Indigenous Feminism Redefined. She is the founder and executive director of Women’s Studies Online. She really likes to laugh at her own jokes. March 7, 2026 - Political Courage: Women’s Rights & Democracy in Europe with Faika El-Nagashi Faika El-Nagashi is a political scientist and former Member of Parliament with Austria’s Green party, with 30 years of experience in human rights advocacy. She has worked on women’s rights, migration and LGBT issues. Her work now centres on addressing ideological shifts that, in the name of inclusion, constrain women’s rights and democratic debate across Europe. She is the founder and director of the Athena Forum, a new European initiative for sex-based rights, democratic values and political courage. About Athena Forum Athena Forum is a European initiative for sex-based rights, democratic values and political courage. We work to safeguard and advance women‘s rights, children’s rights and the rights of lesbians and gay men across law, policy and civil society. We recognise sex-based rights as foundational to legal and societal protections. We insist that public policy reflect material reality and be guided by robust evidence and transparency. We affirm the right of minors to bodily integrity and protection from premature or ideologically driven medical interventions. We defend open debate and the freedom to discuss complex issues, even when uncomfortable or controversial. We interact with European institutions and advocate for clarity, accountability and respect for sex-based rights in policy and decision-making. We provide cross-sector analysis and engage the media and the public. We convene public forums across Europe, supporting democratic processes. February 27, 2026 - LESBIANS IN AUSTRALIA DENIED: A conversation with Australia’s Lesbian Action Group An Australian human rights tribunal says that lesbians in Australia cannot host events that exclude men. The Lesbian Action Group has appealed the decision. February 7, 2026 - Hague Mothers: An Exposé of the Betrayal of Mothers by The Hague Convention on Child Abduction FiLiA Hague Mothers is a global campaign to end the injustices created by The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, specifically for mothers and children who are victims of domestic abuse. October 26, 2025 - Why Sex is Crucial in Data Collection with Alice Sullivan In February 2024, Prof. Sullivan was commissioned by the UK government to conduct an independent review of data, statistics and research on sex and gender. She spoke with Women's Space Vancouver about her research, as well as about having a scheduled talk cancelled by the Canadian government. May 10, 2025 - A Conversation with Susan Smith of For Women Scotland Women's Space Vancouver interviews Susan Smith of For Women Scotland discussing the landmark ruling by UK's Supreme Court interpreting the terms "woman" and "sex" under the Equality Act 2010 to refer strictly to biological sex. The court ruled that "woman" and "sex" in the Act refer to biological sex, meaning a person's sex, and not to gender identity. April 13, 2025 - A Conversation with Helen Joyce Irish journalist Helen Joyce writes a monthly column for the Critic, and between 2005 and 2022 was a staff writer for The Economist. Prior to 2017, Joyce was blissfully unaware of the fact that some people thought the words “man” and “woman” weren’t simple descriptors of biological sex in our mammalian species. After 2017, Joyce became best known as an author. Her first book, Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality, was an immediate bestseller, named by the Times, Spectator and Observer as one of their books of 2021. It was reissued in 2023 under the title: Trans: Gender Identity and the New Battle for Women’s Rights. Many have described the book as the most powerful and readable book on this topic. Trans is a compelling, overdue argument for viewing self-ID more critically. Even those outraged by Joyce's positions would benefit from understanding them….’ (New York Times) ‘A tour de force…simply a must-read’ (Evening Standard) As well as freelance work in journalism and consultancy, Joyce works part-time with human-rights charity Sex Matters, which campaigns for clarity about the two sexes in law and in life. For those who haven’t heard Helen Joyce speak, you’re in for a treat. Helen Joyce’s talk at Genspect Conference, 2024 Richard Dawkins interviews Helen Joyce Oct 20, 2024 - A Conversation with Julie Bindel Julie Bindel is a feminist campaigner, writer, and investigative journalist. She grew up in a working-class family in a north-east England council estate and has lived in London since 1987. She is a keen broadcaster and has travelled far and wide to investigate stories which relate to misogyny. For her book The Pimping of Prostitution: Abolishing the Sex Work Myth (2017), Bindel interviewed 250 people in nearly 40 countries, visited brothels, and spoke to prostitutes, pimps and the police. Her book Feminism for Women: The Real Route to Liberation (Little Brown, 2021), explores the tsunami of misogynistic backlash that feminists have encountered this past decade and more. Her new book, Lesbians: Where Are We Now? will be released in the spring of 2025. Bindel's views have resulted in personal backlash and attacks, both online and in person. In June 2022, her talk at Aspley Library, in Nottingham, was cancelled by Nottingham City Council following protests and complaints. The talk took place outside the library instead and after Bindel took legal action, the council later apologised for their unlawful action and paid for losses incurred. Bindel is the co-founder of the law reform group Justice for Women (justiceforwomen.org.uk), a feminist organization that supports and advocates on behalf of women who have fought back against or killed violent men. She is also the founder and co-director of the Lesbian Project (thelesbianproject.co.uk). Her wit and sense of humour are intact and sharp - to be enjoyed weekly on the Lesbian Project Podcast (thelesbianprojectpod.com), co-hosted with Kathleen Stock. Bindel's new podcast series is Julie in Genderland (juliebindel.substack.com). Bindel writes for Unherd, Observer, Sunday Times, The Critic, Spectator, Telegraph, Mail on Sunday, Tortoise, Prospect, among other news outlets. To relax, she imagines a world free of male violence towards women and girls. If that doesn't work, a negroni and a browse of Netflix usually do the trick. June 9, 2024 - A Conversation with Kathleen Stock: Why feminists must protect lesbian rights Kathleen Stock is a contributing writer at Unherd, a co-director of The Lesbian Project, and the author of Material Girls: Why Reality Matters for Feminism (Little Brown 2021). Until 2021 she was a Professor of Philosophy at Sussex University. Stock has written for UK national newspapers on a range of issues, and especially on sex, gender and women's rights. In 2023, she was shortlisted for Columnist of the Year by the British Society of Magazine Editors; in 2024 for Tabloid Columnist of the Year at the Press Awards; and in 2022, she was voted World’s Top Thinker in Prospect Magazine. Stock was awarded an OBE for services to higher education in 2020. Since being hounded out of her job at Sussex University (for her belief in biology and sex), Kathleen Stock has become an internationally renowned writer and speaker. With a focus on the UK’s Lesbian Project, she will be joining Women’s Space Vancouver for a webinar on June 9th, 2024. About The Lesbian Project Led by Julie Bindel and Kathleen Stock, the Lesbian Project gives voice and influence to women whose stories are too often overlooked. The Lesbian Project works to build knowledge about lesbian lives, promote sensible and evidence-based policy and contribute to building lesbian community in the UK and internationally. A not-for-profit organization (with Martina Navratilova as founding patron), the Lesbian Project is non-partisan. June 22, 2023 - Freedom of Expression: The Impact of Gender Ideology & Woke Politics in Suppressing Open Dialogue with Meghan Murphy & Jonathan Kay RECORDING NOT AVAILABLE Meghan Murphy is a Canadian writer who founded Feminist Current in 2012, the first feminist outlet in Canada articulating a feminist critique of gender identity ideology. She has since hosted the Feminist Current podcast and launched a second podcast, The Same Drugs. You can find her writing on Substack at meghanmurphy.ca. Meghan published the first op-ed against Bill C-16 in a Canadian mainstream news outlet in 2016, criticizing Bill C-16 from a feminist stance, and testified against this legislation at the Senate in 2017. She was the first in Canada to give a talk about women's rights and trans activism in October 2018 in Kitchener, ON and the first to debate this topic with a trans activist in Canada at Mount Royal University in Calgary in 2019. According to the police, there were 700 protesters outside her speaking engagement in Toronto in 2019, where she was there to address the conflict between women's rights and gender identity legislation. She was permanently banned from Twitter in 2018 for referring to a man as 'he' and for saying that 'men are not women', and her account was restored in November 2022 after Elon Musk took the reign. She’s spoken on this issue in New Zealand, Scotland, London, Vancouver, Calgary, Ontario, Seattle, New York, and beyond. She’s been one of the most outspoken and brave women to address this issue in Canada. Jonathan Kay is a Toronto based journalist, author, editor, and speaker. He was the editor-in-chief of The Walrus, and is a senior editor of Quillette and a host of the Quillette podcast. He was previously comment pages editor, columnist, and blogger for the National Post, and continues to contribute to multiple publications in Canada and the US. His recent books include "Panics and Persecutions“ and "Magic in the Dark: One Family's Century of Adventures in the Movie Business“. In November of 2022, the court dismissed a defamation lawsuit launched against him by lawyer Richard Warman, a board member of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN) who sued journalists Jonathan and Barbara Kay for tweets that criticized CAHN’s links to the Antifa movement in the United States. May 13, 2023 - Youth Gender Dysphoria: First Do No Harm with Dr. Bradley and Dr. Sinai About the Speakers Dr. Susan Bradley Founder of Gender Identity Clinic for Children and Adolescents at Clarke Institute of Psychiatry 1975. Dr. Joanne Sinai A Canadian psychiatrist who became interested in gender dysphoria when she began to notice increasing numbers of young adults referred to her clinic with psychiatric issues and gender dysphoria. Sinai is now one of two psychiatrists in Canada speaking up publicly about concerns regarding the gender affirming model in youth medicine. About the Talk Dr. Bradley and Dr. Sinai share their research, practice and evidence-based approach to examining issues such as: What is gender dysphoria? Does gender dysphoria create a suicide risk? Why has there been such a dramatic increase recently in the numbers of children and youth with gender dysphoria -- especially girls? What harms are being done by gender affirming care? Why is the medical profession reluctant to research this issue or apply evidence-based practice? May 13, 2023 - Learning about the Gender Dysphoria Alliance with Aaron Kimberly and Aaron Terrell RECORDING NOT AVAILABLE Gender Dysphoria Alliance (GDA) was established in 2021 by people with personal experience of Gender Dysphoria (GD). It is volunteer run, non-partisan and not for profit. The way in which gender and GD are often discussed today assumes that there is just one way people experience gender dysphoria and only one way to manage it. Too often, people talk about related processes such as medical transition, in ways that make it sound as though everyone thinks, or should think, the same way about these issues. People don’t always feel comfortable asking questions, feeling doubt or disagreeing with the dominant activist framework. GDA's central aim is to help create a more evidence-based, less ideological conversation about GD. They work to broaden the way we all talk about this condition to help show the richness and reality of individual experiences. They believe that honesty and transparency about the full range of experiences of those with GD are in the best interest of all. Aaron Kimberly is a female to male transsexual who started to medically transition in 2006, having experienced a Gender Identity Disorder since age 3. He’s a Registered Nurse with a specialization in psychiatric nursing and has worked in a psychiatric stabilization unit at St Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, BC, was a nurse educator for the British Columbia Specialized Adult Tertiary Eating Disorders Program, and a counsellor and case manager within a network of community-based clinics for youth ages 12-25. From January-March 2023 he was a clinical instructor at Brandon University, Department of Psychiatric Nursing and currently works as a community mental Health nurse in rural Manitoba. Aaron Terrell is an American transman interested in the causes of gender dysphoria as well as the sociopolitical trends that facilitate medical transition. Aaron transitioned in 2011 at the age of 27. In 2017 he became concerned by the exponential rise in adolescent girls seeking gender transition and what he has come to view as institutional negligence on the part of the healthcare establishment's response to the phenomenon. Aaron has spent countless hours in FtM communities (both online and off) and offers valuable insight into the subculture influencing these young people. April 15, 2023 - Lesbian not Criminal with Tonje Gjevjon RECORDING NOT AVAILABLE In 2022, feminist Tonje Gjevjon was reported and investigated by the police in Norway for hate speech. She was charged initially then recently, without explanation, charges were dropped. Tonje is a Norwegian visual artist, composer, editor, filmmaker and activist who has participated in the Norwegian and international visual art, film, music and LGB scenes since she was 16 years old. Her main project, the lesbian performance group Hungry Hearts, participated in the Norwegian Eurovision Song Contest final in 2016. Tonje has published articles about issues related to women, the arts and the LGB community since 2005 and is editor and producer of the 2020 book We ate, slept, and drank feminism. As a blogger at the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet, she kicked off the debate in 2017 on how the legislation of gender identities has consequences for women’s sex-based rights, language, children, parenthood and society as a whole. About the talk In 2023, the LGB Alliance and Lesbian Labour in the UK organized a Lesbian Not Criminal Roadshow tour where Tonje spoke about her experience. Now on Saturday, April 15th, 2023, Women’s Space Vancouver will be hosting Tonje Gjevjon, who will tell us her story about how women in Norway are being criminalized and charged with hate speech for speaking out about the rights of women and lesbians. October 22, 2022 - Vancouver Lesbian Collective RECORDING NOT AVAILABLE A discussion with Jacqueline & Natalie from the Vancouver Lesbian Collective on the current threats to lesbians and to learn how to support their campaign at sexbasedrights.ca. The Vancouver Lesbian Collective is a group of mostly Vancouver-based lesbians founded in 2015. They advocate for the rights of lesbians to define themselves and their boundaries and to organize politically in pursuit of women’s liberation from patriarchy. Get in touch via the Contact page or through Facebook or Instagram. November 27, 2022 - Dr. Linda Blade – athlete, coach, author – Fighting to Save Women’s Sports RECORDING NOT AVAILABLE Dr. Linda Blade is a former NCAA All American and National Champion of Canada in track & field (heptathlon) with a PhD in Kinesiology. For the past 26 years, she has run a private consulting business as a Sport Performance Professional coach in Edmonton, Alberta working with athletes in over 15 sports (beginner to elite). Since 2014, Linda has also served as President of the Board for Athletics Alberta, where she has a duty to represent the province of Alberta at Canadian national sport policy meetings. Linda has been fearlessly speaking out against gender ideology and its impact on women’s sports. In order to increase public awareness of this threat, Linda has partnered with journalist Barbara Kay to author a book titled: UNSPORTING: How Trans Activism and Science Denial are Destroying Sport. About the talk Should we believe male leaders in sports when they say they consulted with women on including trans identified males in women’s sports? Who were the women consulted and why are those who disagree with “trans inclusion” seen as a fringe minority? Why are women who demand to be included treated as if none of them can lay claim to having legitimacy in representing the vast collective of female persons nationally or globally? The question surrounding FEMALE representation of women’s sports has proven to be far more difficult than anyone might have thought. Over the past year, an International Consortium on Female Sport has taken form and is on the cusp of making a charge at the drawbridge that shields the males who presume to impose their will upon women’s sports. Linda will share with us her journey fighting to save women’s sports. June 18, 2022 - Surrogacy with Ghislaine Gendron RECORDING NOT AVAILABLE Ghislaine Gendron has been active in feminist organizations since 2014 and sat on the Board of Directors of ‘Pour le droits des femmes du Québec’ until 2021. While with that organization, she was involved with two strategic committees focusing on gender identity and surrogacy. She has written numerous articles published in Québec newspapers, she has contributed to submissions to the provincial and federal governments and she has done interviews with media. Ghislaine has presented on surrogacy in French and English. Ghislaine recently co-wrote an article with Ghislaine Sirois that is being published in a book, “Ventres à louer” (Wombs For Rent), now available in France and in Canada; 26 authors from around the world contributed articles. Ghislaine is currently national co-coordinator for Women’s Declaration International (WDI) Canada, responsible for Québec and francophonie. We offer this link to an article co-written by Ghislaine on surrogacy: https://actualnewsmagazine.com/english/surrogate-mothers-quebec-must-say-no-to-the-regulation-of-the-commodification-of-women-and-children/ As well, you’ll find commentary from the Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children here: https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-sale-of-children/surrogacy This recent article from the Globe and Mail examines how the Russian invasion of the Ukraine has exposed the reality of the Surrogacy business there. May 7, 2022 - The Consequences of Allowing Men into Women's Prisons with Heather Mason and Alia Perini Heather Mason is an Advocate, Activist, Former Federal Prisoner, Survivor of Fentanyl Addiction, Founding Member of caWsbar, and on the Board of Directors for Strength in SISterhood. She submitted an insightful brief on this topic to The Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security in June of 2021. She has helped organize protests at prisons in 2021 and 2022 to create awareness for the public, who have no concept of what's happening to women in women’s prisons. Alia is also a former federal prisoner, advocate for women and member of Strength is SISterhood. The alarm has been sounded, who’s going to respond? is an excellent article on the subject written by Heather for the website Woman are Human. March 5, 2022 - How Did We Get Here: Examining the Rise of Gender Identity Ideology and Its Impact on Women and Girls with Renee Gerlich and Cherry Smiley RECORDING NOT AVAILABLE Renee Gerlich is a feminist writer from New Zealand whose work can be found on Feminist Current, Savage Minds, and her blog, reneejg.net. In 2021 she founded Dragon Cloud Press to publish her Brief Complete Herstory, an illustrated herstory of the world from the birth of life to neoliberalism that is available at dragoncloudpress.com. Cherry Smiley is a feminist, artist, and researcher from the Nlaka'pamux (Thompson) and Diné (Navajo) Nations. With other women, she works to end male violence against women. She is in the final stages of completing a PhD in communication studies at Concordia University where her thesis examines the prostitution of Indigenous women in Canada as a form of male violence and proposes a female-centered definition of colonization and decolonizing feminism. She is the founder and executive director of Women’s Studies Online, a platform for decolonizing feminist research, education, action, and community-building. We offer this link to an article that we think provides important information about one element of how we got here – the funding of the ideology. Renee and Cherry won’t be speaking specifically to this aspect of the question, but we thought you’d find this information of interest. It was published in an online media outlet that is known for being right wing. Don’t let that deter you. Before very recently, it was incredibly difficult for feminists and those who questioned Gender Identity Ideology to find venues for their research and analysis. https://thefederalist.com/2018/02/20/rich-white-men-institutionalizing-transgender-ideology/ January 23, 2022 - The Impact of Gender Identity Ideology on Children & Youth, School Curriculum, and the Rights of Parents with Pamela Buffone & Stella O'Malley RECORDING NOT AVAILABLE Stella O’Malley is a psychotherapist, best-selling author, public speaker and a parent. In addition to her B.A. in Counselling and Psychotherapy, and M.A. in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, she is currently studying for a PhD in gender dysphoria among children and adolescents. Much of Stella's counselling and teaching work is with parents and young people which culminated in the publication of her two bestselling books Cotton Wool Kids in 2015 and Bully-Proof Kids in 2017. Her latest book, Fragile, was released in 2019 (focusing on overcoming anxiety and stress). Stella is a regular contributor to local and national media, fast becoming one of the leading voices on what’s influencing people’s behaviour in Ireland today. She’s spoken extensively, locally and internationally, on the impact of gender ideology on the development of children and youth. Pamela Buffone created Canadian Gender Report after people started reaching out to her after her family’s human rights case went public. What she heard from parents and others echoed their experience dealing with our school – yet most people were afraid to speak out using their own names. She is a strong believer that activism and wishful thinking are no substitute for evidence and common sense. The activism on this topic has gone way too far and is poisoning our ability to come together as Canadians to understand and discuss critical issues on the sensitive topic of gender and identity. October 9, 2021 - The Right to Freedom of Expression: Stop the Silencing of Gender Critical Women with Shahdin Farsai and Lindsay Shepard RECORDING NOT AVAILABLE Shahdin Farsai is a lawyer that practices in Kelowna, British Columbia. She originally immigrated from Iran to Canada at the age of 8. She obtained a law degree from the University of Ottawa. She has recently come under fire by some members of her profession for speaking out about a court practice directive that strayed too close to compelled speech. She was not successful in getting an article published expressing her concerns until it was eventually published in the C2C online journal magazine. She has put a resolution on this issue before the Law Society, the outcome of which will be known on October 5, 2021. Lindsay Shepherd is the author of "Diversity and Exclusion: Confronting the Campus Free Speech Crisis." She holds fellowships with True North (www.tnc.news) and the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (www.jccf.ca). Lindsay has had personal experience being ‘cancelled’ in the academic environment. June 12, 2021 - The Impact of Gender Identity Ideology on Children and Youth, School Curriculum, and the Rights of Parents with Stephanie Davies-Arai RECORDING NOT AVAILABLE On June 12, 2021 Women's Space Vancouver hosted an event with Stephanie Davies-Arai the founder of the UK organization Transgender Trend. Her presentation included a summary of the Keira Bell case and the global impact the issues in that case raise for children's health. Stephanie is an accredited communication skills trainer, writer and author of the book Communicating with Kids. She has delivered courses and workshops for parents and teachers for over twenty years. From 2013 - 2015 Stephanie was a prominent member of the No More Page 3 campaign, speaking on female objectification at schools, universities and organizations including Girlguiding and the Institute of Public Policy Research. She founded the organization Transgender Trend in 2015 and produced a schools guide Supporting gender variant and trans-identified students in schools in 2018, for which she was shortlisted for the John Maddox Prize which “recognizes the work of individuals who promote sound science and evidence on a matter of public interest, facing difficulty or hostility in doing so.” Stephanie has delivered presentations on the subject of transgender children at events across the UK, including in the House of Commons and House of Lords, and has appeared numerous times on TV and radio, including Newsnight, Good Morning Britain, the Today Programme and Woman’s Hour. Stephanie contributed chapters to the best-selling books Transgender Children and Young People: Born in Your Own Body (2018) and Inventing Transgender Children and Young People (2019), both edited by Heather Brunskell-Evans and Michele Moore and published by Cambridge Scholars. She also contributed a chapter to Transgender Children: A Discussion published by Civitas (2019). You can find Stephanie on Twitter @cwknews and on email at hello@stephaniedaviesarai.com April 18, 2021 - Prostitution, Trafficking and Law Enforcement: Why Left Feminists are Abolitionists with Suzanne Jay, Trisha Baptie and Cherry Smiley RECORDING NOT AVAILABLE Suzanne Jay from Asian Women for Equality works to advance equality for women and to create opportunities for Asian women to have meaningful participation and to take leadership roles in civil society. They fight the sexualized Asian women stereotype. Trisha Baptie co-founded EVE, a volunteer, non-governmental, non-profit organization of former sex-industry women dedicated to naming prostitution violence against women and seeing its abolition through political action, advocacy, and public education. Cherry Smiley is an artist and feminist activist from the Nlaka'pamux (Thompson) and Diné (Navajo) Nations. Feminist sex trade researchers cite Indigenous women and girls as “Canada’s first prostituted women.” Cherry Smiley speaks nationally and internationally on the topic of prostituted Indigenous women and girls in Canada.

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

Overview of the Cass Review and its findings on gender identity services for children and youth. The Cass Report Kamran Abbasi, Editor of the British Medical Journal provides an overview of the Report’s key findings. A key finding after a four year study is “the evidence base for interventions in gender medicine is threadbare, whichever research question you wish to consider — from social transition to hormone treatment.” In her report, Hilary Cass, sums up the major problem with affirmative care; "a too narrow focus on gender dysphoria, neglected other presenting features and failed to provide a holistic model of care." BMJ Review of the Cass Report The Full Cass Report Talk TV UK, April 10 2024 Bombshell Gender Report with NHS GP and CEO of LGB Alliance (UK) Talk TV UK, April 12 2024 with KJK (Kelly Jay Keen) on the Cass Report UK: Implementation of ‘Cass report’ key to protecting girls from serious harm, says UN expert

Media inquiries for Women’s Space Vancouver, including interviews, statements, and press contact details. Media Contact Please email: womenspaceyvr@gmail.com

Local advocacy work in Vancouver supporting women’s rights, public engagement, and policy awareness. Our Letter to the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation Please use any part of this letter for your own use. February 28, 2021 Donnie Rosa, General Manager Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation and the Vancouver Park Board Dear Parks Board: Re: Vancouver Park Board decision to open all washroom and change facilities to “Gender Diverse” people We are writing on behalf of Women’s Space Vancouver. We are an organization whose mission is to protect and enhance the sex-based rights of women, including their right to safe female-only public spaces. We note that such spaces are increasingly threatened and/or altered by governing boards seeking to include those who self identify as the opposite sex, be they transgender, gender fluid, or “gender diverse”. Many attempts at being inclusive have denied women’s participation, autonomy and safety in public life. Threatened spaces include bathrooms and change rooms, transition houses and women’s organizing centres. We are writing you to express our concerns about Vancouver Park Board’s plans to change single-sex (women and men) change rooms and bathrooms into mixed-sex spaces. We are concerned about the following: The process of “creating inclusive toilets and change rooms” in community centres was and is anti-democratic and anti-woman in violation of human rights and your goals for the parks board. (1) According to the Vancouver Parks Board 2014 TGVI report,(2) you conducted a community survey comprising 3 (of 33) community centres and fewer than 150 individual participants. This is hardly an adequate sample of community centre participants to take such a big decision to remove single-sex spaces for women. The Park Board has a legislated responsibility to provide adequate sex-segregated toilets and change rooms. A document produced in June of 2018, https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/goal-8-foster-safety-and-welcome.pdf ,declaring that Park Board facilities would become safer and more inclusive, did not mention women, females or sex as categories requiring extra protections. The designation of washrooms as mixed sex spaces (“gender diverse” or “gender neutral”) contravenes the BC Human Rights code prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex, ignoring women’s distinct needs, including privacy from men. Mixed sex toilets violate the principles of United Nations guidance. Sex segregation is presented as a priority in achieving equality for women, especially in developing countries: Paragraph 2.1.2 of the UNICEF document on applying the UN Sustainable Development Goals (especially SDG 6) to sanitation specifies that separate school toilets should always be provided for girls (UNICEF, 2016). The United Nations Report on The Human Right to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation states that sex-specific toilets should be provided, especially in schools, where privacy to deal with menstruation is a major factor in determining whether girls continue their education (Albuquerque and Roaf, 2012, pp 35, 153-4). Some Islamic, Hindu, and Orthodox Jewish women are forbidden to share intimate areas with male strangers, especially when menstruating. In the interests of the inclusion of ‘diverse genders’ the City of Vancouver has excluded the needs and human rights of women including those women whose religious beliefs and practices won’t be respected. Women have distinctly different needs than men. Women have well established distinctly different needs than men. Female needs include dealing with menstruation, menopause, pregnancy, breastfeeding and caring for babies, children and elderly female relatives, all of which require the need for privacy from male observation. Separate cubicles do not resolve the need to have private space to deal with these matters. The breadth of need for the above examples do not require just a toilet, or just a change space. They are often dealt with in safe open space in front of other women. Women require more time and space (booths take up more room than urinals) in washrooms and change facilities. We do not have access to toilets in the numbers proportionate to that need. The inevitable line up outside women’s washrooms, when there is little or no line up for the men’s, is evidence of the difference in needs. There are already about one third fewer facilities for women than for men. The answer to this deficit is to provide more room for women in sex-segregated facilities and provide separate facilities for those who do not want to use the facilities designated for their sex, be they “gender diverse” or uncomfortable for other reasons. The answer is not to sacrifice women’s needs and protected spaces to address the needs of other groups. Welcoming “gender diverse” people into women’s bathrooms and change facilities leaves women vulnerable to all males, whether they self-id as women or not. Women in distress can find privacy and safety in the women’s washroom. Women sometimes use the washroom to get away from predatory men or men pursuing a woman they wish to control. If a woman fleeing a man is able to go into the women’s washroom and be guaranteed to be away from men, she can have a moment’s reprieve, access a phone unmonitored, and ask for assistance from other women. If anyone can declare they identify as a woman to qualify as “gender diverse”, then any man can do so and enter women’s washrooms without being questioned. This safe space will no longer be available if men can access all facilities for women. According to many accounts on social media, the safe space of a women-only washroom is already no longer an option for women, as a result of this “gender diverse” inclusion. This not only puts women at risk, but keeps women on high alert. They can no longer feel at ease in the women’s facilities. They will not know the motivation of a male-bodied person entering the washroom or change room. Regardless of motive, many women have had experiences that justify their caution around men, especially in intimate spaces. This is the antithesis of protecting the dignity and safety of women. It puts them at risk of harassment and violence. In order to adhere to the goals of the 2014 Park Board report, significantly retrofitted public washrooms will cost millions. Such retrofitting will still leave women vulnerable and without privacy. It has already been shown in other jurisdictions that when males are invited into female facilities, the traditional knee-to-shoulder barriers are not sufficient for privacy, safety and dignity. They are an invitation to voyeurism, illicit filming and sexual harassment. Whether these stalls have floor to ceiling walls and doors with secure locks, the reality that they open to a shared, mixed-sex washing up area continues to violate women’s needs, as noted above. Women’s bodies and bodily functions, and those of children and aging female parents, are exposed in this area. Women and girls will not have dignified space for privacy or safety. Again, the answer is not to compromise safe, private space for women and girls in order to meet the needs of other populations. As noted above, separate facilities for those who are not comfortable using the facilities designated for their sex, or even for further privacy of any special need, is a far better answer and where Park Board money should be channeled. In conclusion, we urge the Vancouver Park Board to respectfully consider the safety and privacy of all those who use the parks and recreation facilities in Vancouver. Special attention must be paid to including women, who have historically been disadvantaged and under-served by our recreation and parks facilities. In 2014, the Park Board promised discrete space for men, women and transgender or ‘gender diverse’ people, and have yet to adequately provide anything more than signage which results in compromising, or at worst, dismissing and eliminating, the needs and rights of women and girls. Though this may have been an unintended consequence, we must demand that this sexist and dangerous situation be corrected. We ask that you carry out a more democratic and inclusive consultation by consulting with women’s organizations about any changes to washroom and change facilities. Thank you for your attention. A core value of the Park Board is the desire to create welcoming parks and recreation services for all. That’s why we are committed to improving the safety and inclusiveness of our spaces through programming, education, activities, events, and enhanced park design. April 17, 2014 Vancouver Parks Board, “trans and Gender Variant Working Group”

Analysis of Canada’s 2021 Census and issues related to sex, gender, and data accuracy. Census 2021 The issue: Changes to the 2021 Census Those who fill in the 2021 Canadian Census, and by law, we must do so, will notice some troubling changes. The changes to the 2021 Census are, according to the Government website, to be in keeping with Bill C 16. ”In 2017, Bill C16 was passed in Parliament, adding gender expression and identity as protected grounds under the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code”. The Government website goes on to explain, that when “funds were allocated to create the Centre for Gender Diversity and inclusion Statistics, “this was direction to Stats Canada to begin to gather statistics regarding gender identity. However, in the Stats Can Technical Report that gives background to the 2021 changes, Stats Canada was, from 2016 on, engaged in a proactive strategy to serve gender identity activists to fill “publicly identified” gaps. An online consultation was conducted to gather input from Canadians on the Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics Hub . Also, invitations were sent out to specific LGBTQ groups soliciting suggestions for changes to the next Census. In 2018, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat released a Summary Report, Modernizing the Government of Canada’s Sex and Gender Information Practices . There are some troubling descriptions and expectations as to how the Canadian Government will define and treat the categories of sex and gender that lead to conflating the two categories and/or privileging gender. Self-identification of gender leads to the erasure on Government documents of the category of biological sex . Why do the changes to the 2021 Census matter? The resulting changes in the next Census provide for an identification of female or male sex and an additional question on gender identity. A Citizen can identify with a gender different than the ’Sex Assigned at Birth”. Adding “gender identity” to the Census has not been publicly examined or debated in Canada. We could find no specific concerns raised by the Canadian academic community such as those raised by UK academics (the UK and Scottish 2021 Censuses will add a third option for gender identity). In an open letter published in the Sunday Times in December the UK academics said, “As social statisticians, quantitative social scientists and epidemiologists, we are concerned about the proposed online guidance to accompany the sex question which advises respondents that they may respond in terms of their self-identified gender. The guidelines “will effectively transform the sex question into one about gender identity.” The fear was that these changes would “undermine data reliability on a key demographic variable and affect the ability to measure sex-based discrimination and inequality. “The signators to the letter emphasized that “Sex and gender identity are distinct and should not be conflated.” The fears of the UK academics hold true for the upcoming Canadian Census. Feminists must become aware of the intentions of the Government to fulfill the goals of the gender identity activists to privilege gender over biological sex. Women, as a category, are being eliminated from political platforms, policy development, government action, and the justice system. The Census 2021 questions on gender identity deepen this dilemma.

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

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Response and analysis regarding Vancouver Public Library board decisions affecting women’s rights. Presentation to the Board of Directors, Vancouver Public Library Please use any part of this letter for your own use. Wednesday, July 24, 2019 Good Evening, We are pleased to present our position on your draft room rental policy. We have several concerns, and we hope you will hear them as we offer them – with good intention and a spirit of collaboration. One of our main concerns is with the vague wording of this draft. We, the women of the Vancouver Adhoc Committee of Women for Women, are concerned that a relentless drive to be “inclusive and diverse” actually achieves only exclusion and conformity. A robust and healthy democracy depends upon a variety of viewpoints and opinions; the broad understanding of citizens that disagreement is not disrespect. We are aware that, as feminist, labour, and/or anti-poverty activists, our actions have been, for many years, unsettling for a lot of people. That’s good! We want to be unsettling; discomfort is not necessarily dangerous! We learn best when we step outside of that which is comfortable, and a public library is a great place to do that. It is a place where we can gather in public to discuss issues of interest and import to all of us – with people who may not always agree with us. The room rental policy must be explicit that these are places of public discourse with people who have different, often conflicting ideas and beliefs. How thrilling that should be. But at this moment in history, feminists are experiencing increasing intimidation, silencing, punishment and censoring (de-platforming) of dissent. Including from public institutions such as libraries and universities. Several of the women in our committee have experienced such punishment, including myself and my colleague. My father was also a social justice activist, and someone who felt the ugly and vicious hand of McCarthyism that tore apart North American society and the lives of many friends and families. He lost 2 jobs as a young father, because someone whispered in the ear of the owner of the company. His union didn’t utter a word. Many unions participated in McCarthyism. This was one of the saddest lessons in our history. It showed us how damaging hate speech can be, giving in to campaigns of labels, fear mongering, misinformation, and a lack of critical thinking. And the most important result – silencing. No one supports the horrors of that era or would admit they did at the time. I became an activist at the age of 15. I grew up during the Vietnam War and the Cold War. My work started with the Stockholm Peace Appeal, Doctor Helen Caldicott and her famous phrase, “if you love this planet”, working to end to the very real threat of a nuclear war and annihilation. I received constant insults when I worked on that campaign. I worked for Tenants’ Rights at the age of 18, the Right to Choose on abortion at 19, anti-apartheid campaigns defending atrocious treatment of Black South Africans, solidarity with the peoples in the many war-torn Latin American countries, and against unemployment & poverty. My home required a security assessment when I was a spokesperson for the pro-choice movement. I know what hate speech is and it’s affects, I know what discrimination is. I also know, after all that, what it’s like to be recognized for being on the right side of history when the smoke has cleared. I have not suddenly come undone and turned into a hate monger. And neither have the many women I work with, or those who organized, and who attended the Gender Critical January event. We are women who want to discuss our very real concerns about our human rights. We are women who were seeking and gathering information about our mutual concerns from learned and thoughtful people. Women assert that we have the same rights afforded us by the UN Declaration on Human Rights as all human beings . The Declaration reads, in part: “Preamble Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world, Article 18. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance. Article 19. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. Article 20. (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. (2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.” Don’t succumb to political expedience and popularity by accepting unfounded accusations and agreeing to limit the rights of others, and specifically Gender Critical women. We have the right to freedom of thought, assembly, and speech. We certainly understand the harmful impacts of hate speech, having been subject to it for most of our lives. We will not debase ourselves to engage in hateful speech or any other hateful acts against anyone, even those whose ideas we find repugnant or dangerous. We will dissent, dialogue, debate – and we will do so in public. It would be great to have the option to use the library spaces, for you and for us. We challenge you to give us evidence of any hateful or harmful speech acts from any feminist gatherings at the library For example, there is no evidence that any hate speech occurred at the controversial January 10th event featuring a panel of women discussing feminist critiques of gender ideology. This meeting was recorded and broadcast. There have been no legal actions. Because there was no hate speech. The Chief Librarian said (about the January 10 event), that gender-critical feminists don’t fit in with the Libraries values. She did not then describe the library’s values, so there’s no way to tell what this statement meant. We don’t believe it’s the Library’s role to take sides on political issues. The speakers at the January 10 event included two Aboriginal women who are both life long feminist and Indigenous activists. The library acknowledges that we are on the un-ceded territories of the coast Salish people, yet, at this event, imposed limits to this opportunity for Indigenous, and other women to speak about how their experiences as members of the sex-class female is diminished by trans ideology. This seems counter to the library’s values. Now even the VPL has been on the receiving end of vengeance by the Pride Parade Society, because you wouldn’t immediately cave to the demands of the Trans community to stop the Jan event. So, we applaud you for that, at least. Even though you did your best to ensure we knew we were not welcome to gather, you stopped short of cancelling the event altogether. That’s shameful behaviour of the so-called “Pride Society” If the Library concedes to the demand to apologize, you’ll be apologizing for allowing women to express concerns about our human rights. A sad reality is that hate speech against Gender Critical women has been prevalent, and disconcerting. TERF (Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist), a slur used to describe Gender Critical women, is constantly used to dehumanize and demonize. We’ve found things such as a headline on a poster that says, “Tired of TERFS, SWERFS, and Other Fascists?”, and it was promoted on the Facebook page of the Pivot Legal Society. It’s shocking that a legal organization feels they can perpetuate that kind of extreme comparison and the hatred it will attract. You will regularly find tweets, comments on Facebook and other social media that threatens, mocks, demonizes, and even threatens physical harm to women labeled ‘TERFS’. We’ve provided a sample of those in our written presentation (you’ll find many examples on the website Terfisaslur). The Library itself recognized the level of threat to those of us at the January meeting, because you insisted on special security. That security concern was for a reason. It was not because those who organized, were presenting and attending the meeting were threatening violence. We provide you with two quotes that we think represent our perspective on how political discussion has been thwarted and distorted: Paul Willcocks, a journalist with the Tyee recently wrote in an article about the present political landscape, “We’re entering into a post-Trumpian political era in Canada, one where we are divided in ways that don’t allow rational discussion,” … “One where we no longer listen to one another, and where we see enemies, not people with different solutions to shared problems.” Pete Seeger, also denigrated by McCarthyism and at great personal cost, became an icon to North American society. He wrote a famous peace song called “Rainbow Race”. One of the lines in the song says, “You can’t kill all the unbelievers. There’s no shortcut to freedom.” That is, you can’t kill all the people that don’t think like you. There’d be no one left. Wise words. Don’t fall prey to prejudice, intolerance, and narrow mindedness. Ensure libraries welcome constructive and open discourse about tough issues that face our society, as all public spaces should. Critical thinking is key to our ability to evolve into better human beings. Dissent and debate are essential components of a healthy democracy, and Public Libraries are the ideal arena for such discourse. We will fight for the library to maintain accessible spaces for diverse views, heated debate, uncomfortable conflict, and the development and growth of knowledge and shared wisdom. Our society depends upon it. We ask that you ensure your policies reflect the role the library and other public institutions are meant to play – encouraging exploration of ideas and differing perspectives. Don’t shrink from that, embrace it. Respectfully submitted, Women's Space Vancouver

Coverage and context of the Deep Throat protest and its relevance to women’s rights advocacy. Vancouver feminists protest screening of misogynistic film at Rio Theatre A crowd of over 50 protestors, comprising mostly women, picketed the Rio Theatre on Wednesday, September 14, 2022 to protest the screening of the pornographic and misogynistic film; Deep Throat. "Women and allied men came to protest this screening and to send a message to the Rio Theatre that we will not put up with their promotion of rape culture in our community," commented Kim Zander, Women's Space Vancouver spokeswoman. "While it is sad that in 2022, years into the #metoo movement, we have to keep saying it, it's not acceptable for Pornhub or the Rio to profit from the rape and abuse of women." The Rio Theatre's ownership, along with the film director's family, here to speak on a panel, have tried to minimize the emotional and physical damage that Linda Boreman suffered at the hands of her abusive partner during the making of this film. While panelists said they appreciated diverse opinions and informed discussions, they had no one on the panel to speak to the other side of this issue - to the damage the pornography industry has inflicted on women, children, and men, backed up by decades of research and real life experiences.

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)

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