Unions want equality for trans-sexuals.

Quebec City -- The Canadian Labour Congress's third Solidarity and Pride Conference in Quebec City, November 13-15, chose as its theme "Beyond Legal Equality to Social Equality." The event listed "discrimination faced by trans-gender workers" as a challenge many unions have to deal with in the workplace. The Yukon is the only Canadian jurisdiction that recognizes "gender identity" in its human rights code, it said, adding that "education and action" are still required in this area. Other priorities for the conference were the situations facing lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and trans-gendered youths (LGBT) and "harassment" in schools and workplaces. An international LGBT conference, Workers Out!, is planned for Montreal in 2006.

Vancouver MP Bill Siksay, a "gay" activist who succeeded Svend Robinson as the MP for Burnaby-Douglas, introduced a private members' bill (C-392) in May 2005 to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act. He wants to include gender identity or expression as a prohibited ground of discrimination.

Kitchener, ON -- In what is being described as the result of "sex change lunacy" and judicial activism run amok, a 43-year-old trans-sexual murderer has trashed the medium/minimum security women's prison in which he was being held. With the help of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, "gender-identity experts" and a Canadian trans-sexual support organization, Synthia Kavanagh, then known as Richard Chaperon, convinced corrections officials in 1999 that he was really a woman, needed "gender reassignment surgery" and housing in a women's prison. Previous to his case, Corrections Canada did not acknowledge the purported necessity of sex-change treatments, nor did it provide them at taxpayers' expense. It is now also reportedly providing sex toys as necessary parts of a prisoner's medical treatment. Kavanagh has been moved to the maximum security Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener, Ont. (LifeSite News, Oct. 17, 2005).

Vancouver -- The role of Canadian unions in the legalization of sodo-matrimony was documented in Stephen Gray's article, "Trade unions and 'same-sex marriage' law" (C.I., Oct. 2005, pp. 24-25). The same pro-death trend continues.

The May 2005 Social Justice Newsletter of the British Columbia Teachers' Federation included a flattering review of Ann Thomson's book, Winning Choice on Abortion, about the controversy in the United States. Composed by Hilda L. Thomas, a retired University of British Columbia English professor, the review alluded to right-to-life and "anti-choice fanatics," as well as abortionists "killed or wounded in the struggle." Activist Randall Terry is described as a "prominent figure in the anti-abortion struggles of the 1970s and 1980s" who "condoned the killing of doctors who provided safe medical abortions." This, Terry never did. The BCTF is the union persecuting Chris Kempling for opposing pro-"gay" sex education.