Member’s Statement: Transgender Day of Visibility, 31 March 2016

Mr. Speaker, today is the Transgender Day of Visibility. On this day, people around the globe are celebrating the accomplishments of the transgendered community while still fighting the transphobia that exists in our society.
I’m sure many New Brunswickers would be shocked to learn that New Brunswick is the only province in Atlantic Canada that does not have direct recognition of gender identity as a protected class in our Human Rights Act. This is something that we must change in New Brunswick. To truly fight the transphobia that exists in our society, our Human Rights Act needs to be expanded to protect the expression of gender and gender identity, so the rights and dignity of all people in the province are protected.