More than eight in ten Canadians support expanding non-discrimination laws to include gender identity.
That’s the message from a recent Angus Reid Poll.
When it comes to washrooms, almost six in ten say transgender people should be able to use whichever one is most comfortable rather than having a law or policy make the decision for them.
77-percent of Canadians tend to view increasing acceptance of transgender people as a good sign of social progress.
Overall, eight in ten of those polled said they would be fine with a transgender person moving in next door, with the remainder stating they’d be uncomfortable.
Meanwhile,
Samson Learn is a filmmaker who has just crossed the country speaking with transgendered people for a project called “Trans-Canada”.
While he is glad the acceptance of the trans-community is high across Canada he questions the need for the poll.
“I appreciate that that number is high and that bodes well for Canada. – Good job Canada, 84% of you believe that I deserve the same rights as everyone else. Thank you for that, but why isn’t that just standard?”
He says for some, gender reassignment surgery can be just as much a life-saving surgery as a heart transplant and should be treated as a basic human right.
“I think that it should just be basic understanding that people should be supported both mentally but also physically achieving happiness as well.”
For Learn, this is a human rights issue.
“I am always surprised when [there’s] something so trivial as a poll about the well-being of a certain marginalized group in the community – I think that’s insensitive.”
To see the full results of the poll click here. To follow Learn’s “Trans-Canada” project, follow this link.
