Canada to Introduce Legislation to Protect Transgender People from 'Discrimination'

By Reuters 17 May, 2016 10:22 EDT

Bathroom — A gender-neutral bathroom is seen at the University of California, Irvine in Irvine, California September 30, 2014. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

Canada will introduce legislation to protect transgender people from discrimination, the prime minister said on Monday, as the political debate around such rights heats up in the United States.

Recently elected Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said legislation ensuring "the full protection" of transgender Canadians would be tabled on Tuesday morning.

"We must continue to demand true equality," Trudeau said in Montreal, where he was receiving an award for his commitment to fighting homophobia and transphobia.

"We must carry on the legacy of those who fought for justice by being bold and ambitious in our actions, and we must work diligently to close the gap between our principals and our reality."

With the Liberals holding a majority in the House of Commons, the legislation is guaranteed to pass. Past attempts to pass similar legislation in Canada have failed.

The mandate letter Trudeau gave to Canada's justice minister stated that she would introduce legislation to add gender identity as a prohibited ground for discrimination under Canada's Human Rights Act, and to the list of distinguishing characteristics protected from hate speech under the Criminal Code.

Transgender rights have become part of a heated debate in the United States recently, though it is a less-controversial issue in Canada.

North Carolina earlier this year passed a law that prohibits people from using public washrooms that do not correspond to their gender assigned at birth.

Since then, the Obama administration has told U.S. public schools that transgender students must be allowed to use the bathroom of their choice, a non-binding guidance that has been met with pushback from conservatives.

Survey: Hong Kong teens generally identify with traditional Chinese cultural values

In order an effort to promote traditional Chinese culture, the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong, in collaboration with Macao YMCA, Guangzhou Suigang'ao Teenagers Institute, and the Teacher Chang Foundation of Taiwan, has conducted a survey on teens measuring their cultural awareness. They found that Hong Kong youths generally identify with and support the values of traditional Chinese culture.
Global Lutherans celebrate Reformation Day, ‘trusting in the power of grace in a merciless time’.
Yesterday, October 31, was Reformation Day, and Lutherans around the world held various events in commemoration. In Singapore, the Lutheran Church advocated for Christian communion, while the German Lutheran Church encouraged believers to face the challenge of “trusting in the power of grace in a merciless time.”
Many American churchgoers expect their pastors’ sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues
American churchgoers are looking for more than biblical explanation from their pastor each week. Many expect the sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues.
2.1M Korean Christians estimated at joint worship service to affirm family, oppose gay marriage, pray for nation
In the afternoon of Reformation Sunday, Oct. 27, some 2.1 million Christians gathered for a joint worship service from 2pm to 5pm in Seoul, Korea to “unite for repentance, revival, and restoration of holiness in our society.” According to organizers, an estimated 1.1 million joined onsite despite the bad weather with another 1 million joining online. The unprecedented joint worship service brought together Korean churches across denominations as they affirmed traditional marriage and family and
Willow Creek Community Church invites believers to write prayer cards for the next president
This past Sunday, Willow Creek Community Church based in Illinois invited believers to “pray for the next president” during the service. The church not only expressed its concern for the upcoming election but also emphasized the role believers should play in the process and the importance of offering prayers for the nation's leaders.

Canada to Introduce Legislation to Protect Transgender People from 'Discrimination'

Survey: Hong Kong teens generally identify with traditional Chinese cultural values

Many American churchgoers expect their pastors’ sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues American churchgoers are looking for more than biblical explanation from their pastor each week. Many expect the sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues.

Survey: Hong Kong teens generally identify with traditional Chinese cultural values

Global Lutherans celebrate Reformation Day, ‘trusting in the power of grace in a merciless time’.

Many American churchgoers expect their pastors’ sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues

2.1M Korean Christians estimated at joint worship service to affirm family, oppose gay marriage, pray for nation

Many American churchgoers expect their pastors’ sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues
American churchgoers are looking for more than biblical explanation from their pastor each week. Many expect the sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues.