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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tools and guidance to contact your MP or MLA about policies affecting women’s rights in Canada. Contact your BC MLA Abbotsford-South - Liberal bruce.banman.MLA@leg.bc.ca Abbotsford-Mission - NDP pam.alexis.MLA@leg.bc.ca Abbotsford-West - Liberal mike.dejong.mla@leg.bc.ca Boundary-Similkameen - NDP roly.russell.MLA@leg.bc.ca Burnaby-Deer Lake - NDP anne.kang.MLA@leg.bc.ca Burnaby-Edmonds - NDP raj.chouhan.MLA@leg.bc.ca Burnaby-Lougheed - NDP katrina.chen.MLA@leg.bc.ca Burnaby-North - NDP janet.routledge.MLA@leg.bc.ca Cariboo-Chilcotin - Liberal lorne.doerkson.MLA@leg.bc.ca Cariboo-North - Liberal coralee.oakes.MLA@leg.bc.ca Chilliwack - NDP dan.coulter.MLA@leg.bc.ca Chilliwack-Kent - NDP kelli.paddon.MLA@leg.bc.ca Columbia River-Revelstoke - Liberal doug.clovechok.MLA@leg.bc.ca Coquitlam-Burke Mountain - NDP fin.donnelly.MLA@leg.bc.ca Coquitlam-Maillardville - NDP selina.robinson.MLA@leg.bc.ca Courtenay-Comox - NDP ronna-rae.leonard.MLA@leg.bc.ca Cowichan Valley - Green sonia.furstenau.MLA@leg.bc.ca Delta-North - NDP ravi.kahlon.MLA@leg.bc.ca Delta-South - Liberal ian.paton.MLA@leg.bc.ca Esquimalt-Metchosin - NDP mitzi.dean.MLA@leg.bc.ca Fraser-Nicola - Liberal jackie.tegart.MLA@leg.bc.ca Kamloops-North Thompson - Liberal peter.milobar.MLA@leg.bc.ca Kamloops-South Thompson - Liberal todd.stone.MLA@leg.bc.ca Kelowna-Lake Country - Liberal norm.letnick.MLA@leg.bc.ca Kelowna-Mission - Liberal renee.merrifield.MLA@leg.bc.ca Kelowna-West - Liberal ben.stewart.MLA@leg.bc.ca Kootenay-East - Liberal tom.shypitka.MLA@leg.bc.ca Kootenay-West - NDP katrine.conroy.MLA@leg.bc.ca Langford-Juan de Fuca - NDP john.horgan.mla@leg.bc.ca Langley - NDP andrew.mercier.MLA@leg.bc.ca Langley-East - NDP megan.dykeman.MLA@leg.bc.ca Maple Ridge-Mission - NDP bob.deith.MLA@leg.bc.ca Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows - NDP lisa.beare.MLA@leg.bc.ca Mid Island-Pacific Rim - NDP josie.osborne.MLA@leg.bc.ca Nanaimo - NDP sheila.malcolmson.MLA@leg.bc.ca Nanaimo-North Cowichan - NDP douglas.routley.MLA@leg.bc.ca Nechako Lakes - Liberal john.rustad.MLA@leg.bc.ca Nelson-Creston - NDP brittny.anderson.MLA@leg.bc.ca New Westminster - NDP jennifer.whiteside.MLA@leg.bc.ca North Coast - NDP jennifer.rice.MLA@leg.bc.ca North Island - NDP michele.babchuk.MLA@leg.bc.ca North Vancouver-Lonsdale - NDP bowinn.ma.MLA@leg.bc.ca North Vancouver-Seymour - NDP susie.chant.MLA@leg.bc.ca Oak Bay-Gordon Head - NDP murray.rankin.MLA@leg.bc.ca Parksville-Qualicum - NDP adam.walker.MLA@leg.bc.ca Peace River-South - Liberal mike.bernier.MLA@leg.bc.ca Peace River-North - Liberal dan.davies.MLA@leg.bc.ca Penticton - Liberal dan.ashton.MLA@leg.bc.ca Port Coquitlam - NDP mike.farnworth.MLA@leg.bc.ca Port Moody-Coquitlam - NDP rick.glumac.MLA@leg.bc.ca Powell River-Sunshine Coast - NDP nicholas.simons.MLA@leg.bc.ca Prince George-Mackenzie - Liberal mike.morris.MLA@leg.bc.ca Prince George-Valemount - Liberal shirley.bond.MLA@leg.bc.ca Richmond-North Centre - Liberal teresa.wat.MLA@leg.bc.ca Richmond-Queensborough - NDP aman.singh.MLA@leg.bc.ca Richmond-South Centre - NDP henry.yao.MLA@leg.bc.ca Richmond-Steveston - NDP kelly.greene.MLA@leg.bc.ca Saanich-North and the Islands - Green adam.olsen.MLA@leg.bc.ca Saanich-South - NDP lana.popham.MLA@leg.bc.ca Shuswap - Liberal greg.kyllo.MLA@leg.bc.ca Skeena - Liberal ellis.ross.MLA@leg.bc.ca Stikine - NDP nathan.cullen.MLA@leg.bc.ca Surrey-Cloverdale - NDP mike.starchuk.MLA@leg.bc.ca Surrey-Fleetwood - NDP jagrup.brar.MLA@leg.bc.ca Surrey-Green Timbers - NDP rachna.singh.MLA@leg.bc.ca Surrey-Guildford - NDP garry.begg.MLA@leg.bc.ca Surrey-Newton - NDP harry.bains.MLA@leg.bc.ca Surrey-Panorama - NDP jinny.sims.MLA@leg.bc.ca Surrey-South - Liberal stephanie.cadieux.MLA@leg.bc.ca Surrey-Whalley - NDP bruce.ralston.MLA@leg.bc.ca Surrey-White Rock - Liberal trevor.halford.MLA@leg.bc.ca Vancouver-Fairview - NDP george.heyman.MLA@leg.bc.ca Vancouver-False Creek - NDP brenda.bailey.MLA@leg.bc.ca Vancouver-Fraserview - NDP george.chow.MLA@leg.bc.ca Vancouver-Hastings - NDP niki.sharma.MLA@leg.bc.ca Vancouver-Kensington - NDP mable.elmore.MLA@leg.bc.ca Vancouver-Kingsway - NDP adrian.dix.MLA@leg.bc.ca Vancouver-Langara - Liberal michael.lee.MLA@leg.bc.ca Vancouver-Mount Pleasant - NDP melanie.mark.mla@leg.bc.ca Vancouver-Point Grey - NDP david.eby.MLA@leg.bc.ca Vancouver-Quilchena - Liberal andrew.wilkinson.MLA@leg.bc.ca Vancouver-West End - NDP s.chandraherbert.MLA@leg.bc.ca Vernon-Monashee - NDP harwinder.sandhu.MLA@leg.bc.ca Victoria-Beacon Hill - NDP grace.lore.MLA@leg.bc.ca Victoria-Swan Lake - NDP rob.fleming.MLA@leg.bc.ca West Vancouver-Capilano - Liberal karin.kirkpatrick.MLA@leg.bc.ca West Vancouver-Sea to Sky - Liberal jordan.sturdy.MLA@leg.bc.ca Contact your BC MP Abbotsford - Conservative ed.fast@parl.gc.ca Burnaby-North Seymour - Liberal Terry.Beech@parl.gc.ca Burnaby-South - NDP Jagmeet.Singh@parl.gc.ca Cariboo-Prince George - Conservative Todd.Doherty@parl.gc.ca Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola - Conservative Dan.Albas@parl.gc.ca Chilliwack-Hope - Conservative Mark.Strahl@parl.gc.ca Cloverdale-Langley City - Conservative tamara.jansen@parl.gc.ca Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam - Liberal Ron.McKinnon@parl.gc.ca Courtenay-Alberni - NDP Gord.Johns@parl.gc.ca Cowichan-Malahat-Langford - NDP Alistair.MacGregor@parl.gc.ca Delta - Liberal Carla.Qualtrough@parl.gc.ca Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke - NDP Randall.Garrison@parl.gc.ca Fleetwood-Port Kells - Liberal Ken.Hardie@parl.gc.ca Kamloops-Thompson Caribo o - Conservative cathy.mcleod@parl.gc.ca Kelowna-Lake Country - Conservative Tracy.Gray@parl.gc.ca Kootenay-Columbia - Conservative Rob.Morrison@parl.gc.ca Langley-Aldergrove - Conservative Tako.VanPopta@parl.gc.ca Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon - Conservative Brad.Vis@parl.gc.ca Nanaimo-Ladysmith - Green Party Paul.Manly@parl.gc.ca New Westminster-Burnaby - NDP peter.julian@parl.gc.ca North Island-Powell River - NDP Rachel.Blaney@parl.gc.ca North Okanagan-Shuswap - Conservative Mel.Arnold@parl.gc.ca North Vancouver - Liberal Jonathan.Wilkinson@parl.gc.ca Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge - Conservative Marc.Dalton@parl.gc.ca Port Moody-Coquitlam - Conservative Nelly.Shin@parl.gc.ca Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies - Conservative Bob.Zimmer@parl.gc.ca Richmond-Centre - Conservative alice.wong@parl.gc.ca Saanich-Gulf Islands - Green Party Elizabeth.May@parl.gc.ca Skeena-Bulkley Valley - NDP Taylor.Bachrach@parl.gc.ca South Okanagan-West Kootenay - NDP Richard.Cannings@parl.gc.ca South Surrey-White Rock - Conservative kerry-lynne.findlay@parl.gc.ca Steveston-Richmond East - Conservative Kenny.Chiu@parl.gc.ca Surrey-Centre - Liberal Randeep.Sarai@parl.gc.ca Surrey-Newton - Liberal Sukh.Dhaliwal@parl.gc.ca Vancouver-Centre - Liberal hedy.fry@parl.gc.ca Vancouver-East - NDP Jenny.Kwan@parl.gc.ca Vancouver-Granville - Independent Jody.Wilson-Raybould@parl.gc.ca Vancouver-Kingsway - NDP don.davies@parl.gc.ca Vancouver-Quadra - Liberal joyce.murray@parl.gc.ca Vancouver-South - Liberal Harjit.Sajjan@parl.gc.ca Victoria - NDP Laurel.Collins@parl.gc.ca West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky - Liberal Patrick.Weiler@parl.gc.ca

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

Information and analysis on women’s health, including the importance of sex-based data, research, and care. Women's Health The Issue: The medical system has historically discriminated against women The medical system has historically discriminated against women leaving them, misunderstood, mistreated and misdiagnosed. Over time, the limitations of a biomedical view of health as well as the concepts of sex and gender became central to advance our knowledge of women’s health, improve how research is conducted and make health research more impactful on the quality of life of women. Definitions of Sex and Gender Sex is defined as “biological and physiological characteristics that distinguish females from males” CIHR, 2010. Gender , on the other hand, describes “socially constructed roles, relationships, behaviours, relative power, and other traits that society ascribe to women and men.” The current gender ideology denies the biological reality of women, human adult females, by using language that deliberately creates confusion between sex and gender, as if they were interchangeable. This is harmful to women and girls in an alarming and growing number of ways. Why does women's health matter? By replacing sex with gender, the biological reality of women disappears as well as the social reality of being born women in a patriarchy and living our lives in societies designed and organized by men for men. Erasing biological sex, erasing women: language identifying female anatomy and biology no longer reflects the specific experience of women. We are menstruators, chest-feeders, uterus-havers, people who get pregnant and people who give birth. More and more health care institutions are using this language to signal “inclusion” when in fact they are promoting the gender ideology agenda that dehumanizes women. Replacing sex with gender, a concept, not a measurable and observable element, means that gathering and analyzing data will become impossible. Medical research is already biased against women, and now that anyone can identify with any gender they feel males will be able to participate in medical research and surveys as women. Without scientific rigor, based on biological realities, the physical well-being of women can be compromised and many of the gains made in the last decades in women’s health may be lost. Funding for women’s health research has always been lagging and will probably suffer more with the current push by governments and pharmaceutical companies to fund “inclusive” research. As women are gradually punished and chastised for using language describing their biological reality and for expecting female-centered care, the health care system is determined to impose the new policies and protocols. Women are expected to accept to share spaces with males who identify as women, or to accept intimate care from them. What can we do about women's health? Refuse language that dehumanizes us and takes away our biological reality. We are women, not menstruators or uterus-havers. Refer to yourself as a woman – not a cis-woman or a cisgender woman. We are not a sub-category, we are one of the two sexes, women (adult female human) or men (adult male human). We were not “assigned a sex at birth” our sex is observed and recorded. Read up on the differences between sex and gender to feel comfortable with the terms and be attentive to the ways that they are being used in society. Speak up and let people know how you feel about these issue – you can do it through discussion or by writing on social media, writing to politicians, newspapers, etc. Resources Our Letter to BC Centre for Disease Control