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Ms. Maier is suing the city of Jacksonville, claiming she was denied needed hormone treatment while in jail. "I was placed into a solitary confinement cell," Maier said. "Not given any medication because I'm a post-op transgendered person."
Maier was arrested on charges of driving without a license and resisting arrest without violence. She said she had a valid driver license at the time and the State of Florida wrongly canceled it. Documents from the state show the Department of Motor Vehicles admitted Maier was not supposed to have lost her license.
Now, she's suing for what she said was improper medical care to deal with the transgender surgery that she underwent years ago. "They refused to even give me my hormone shots," Maier said. Maier said the hormone shots and other treatments are critical to sustain the surgical procedure and keep her a woman. "They basically let me languish there for five days where I went through pure hell," Maier said. "I was totally ignored. They wouldn't help me out at all."
Prior to the lawsuit, Maier asked for a settlement of $200,000. The city rejected that dollar amount writing, "This case has a value in the hundreds of dollars, not hundreds of thousands of dollars."
Maier was arrested on charges of driving without a license and resisting arrest without violence. She said she had a valid driver license at the time and the State of Florida wrongly canceled it. Documents from the state show the Department of Motor Vehicles admitted Maier was not supposed to have lost her license.
Now, she's suing for what she said was improper medical care to deal with the transgender surgery that she underwent years ago. "They refused to even give me my hormone shots," Maier said. Maier said the hormone shots and other treatments are critical to sustain the surgical procedure and keep her a woman. "They basically let me languish there for five days where I went through pure hell," Maier said. "I was totally ignored. They wouldn't help me out at all."
Prior to the lawsuit, Maier asked for a settlement of $200,000. The city rejected that dollar amount writing, "This case has a value in the hundreds of dollars, not hundreds of thousands of dollars."
Mr. Bill Siksay ( Burnaby —Douglas, NDP):
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to have the opportunity to conclude the second reading debate on my private member's bill, Bill C-389, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code (gender identity and gender expression).
This bill would add gender identity and gender expression to the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination in the Canadian Human Rights Act and to the hate crimes and sentencing provisions of the Criminal Code of Canada. This would ensure full human rights protection in areas of federal jurisdiction for transsexual and transgender Canadians.
( Read more... )
The second concern was that explicit coverage in the Canadian Human Rights Act and in the hate crimes and sentencing provisions of the Criminal Code was redundant, given the fact that decisions had already been made supporting the full human rights of transsexuals and transgender Canadians and the fact that the provisions of the Criminal Code were open-ended. This, too, is true, but a strong argument can be made for the importance of adding to the existing list.
Those who are subject to discrimination and prejudice in our society need to see themselves clearly in our laws. This confirms their place in our society. It confirms that they are valued members of our society. Without explicit recognition, the lives and struggles of transgender and transsexual people remain invisible and their issues remain unaddressed.
Accessing these protections through a convoluted process using other possibly related categories, usually the categories of sex and disability, diminishes the protection and limits our understanding of the causes and effects of the particular discrimination. A right that has to be explained is not a particularly effective right.
( Read more... )
A word to members of the transgender and transsexual community: no matter what ultimately happens with this bill, they should know that there are many in this place and thousands--no, millions--across Canada who love them and know them as they are, who recognize their experience, their gifts and their full humanity. We stand in solidarity with them until our goals of justice and equality are achieved.
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to have the opportunity to conclude the second reading debate on my private member's bill, Bill C-389, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code (gender identity and gender expression).
This bill would add gender identity and gender expression to the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination in the Canadian Human Rights Act and to the hate crimes and sentencing provisions of the Criminal Code of Canada. This would ensure full human rights protection in areas of federal jurisdiction for transsexual and transgender Canadians.
( Read more... )
The second concern was that explicit coverage in the Canadian Human Rights Act and in the hate crimes and sentencing provisions of the Criminal Code was redundant, given the fact that decisions had already been made supporting the full human rights of transsexuals and transgender Canadians and the fact that the provisions of the Criminal Code were open-ended. This, too, is true, but a strong argument can be made for the importance of adding to the existing list.
Those who are subject to discrimination and prejudice in our society need to see themselves clearly in our laws. This confirms their place in our society. It confirms that they are valued members of our society. Without explicit recognition, the lives and struggles of transgender and transsexual people remain invisible and their issues remain unaddressed.
Accessing these protections through a convoluted process using other possibly related categories, usually the categories of sex and disability, diminishes the protection and limits our understanding of the causes and effects of the particular discrimination. A right that has to be explained is not a particularly effective right.
( Read more... )
A word to members of the transgender and transsexual community: no matter what ultimately happens with this bill, they should know that there are many in this place and thousands--no, millions--across Canada who love them and know them as they are, who recognize their experience, their gifts and their full humanity. We stand in solidarity with them until our goals of justice and equality are achieved.
( en français )
If I look at my generation [2nd generation of transsexuel woman in Québec], well, most of my friends from my generation, they're all deceased. So, they just about all died because of aids, or they were killed, or they committed suicide. So, of my generation, and that there, it's really, there's not many of us left. Out of, dunno now, a number like that, fictious, let's said we were 20, well today, we're only 5. It was that grave.( en français )
One night, while watching television, there was something that said something like "Ah Coccinelle on TV!" In those years, it was at the beginning of, I think the 60s... I went "Ah! A man who transformed into a woman! That's it! That's what I have, a disease!" And after that "That's it, a disease!"And then they spoke of a soldier that became a woman, and there, it was a chain reaction in my head, I wasn't the only one in this world...
( three more )
Before this post goes any further, let me make the following perfecly clear: while I usually allow for a great deal of room for people to hold opinions different than mine in comments to my posts, anyone wishing to express an anti-choice sentiment would do well to prepare themselves to be removed from my flist. I do more than my fair share of educating both IRL and in communities (notably ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
feminist) but this isn't an entry in which I'm prepared to do so with regards to reproductive rights. Debates with other points in this post are encouraged.
I now expect to be called an asshole for being so hard on Thomas. I probably am being unfair to him. I will continue to judge him until someone gives me really good anti-oppression based reasons not to.
feminist) but this isn't an entry in which I'm prepared to do so with regards to reproductive rights. Debates with other points in this post are encouraged.I now expect to be called an asshole for being so hard on Thomas. I probably am being unfair to him. I will continue to judge him until someone gives me really good anti-oppression based reasons not to.
