The Ontario Bar Association commends the Ontario Legislature for giving all-party support to the passing of Bill 77, Affirming Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Act, 2015, which supports human rights for Ontarians, and in particular, for young people. The bill bans medical conversion practices that seek to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of youth under 18 and delists OHIP funding of such practices for everyone.
Ontario is one of several jurisdictions in Canada that expressly includes gender identity and gender expression as protected grounds in its human rights legislation. The Ontario Bar Association applauds all three of Ontario’s political parties for supporting individuals’ self-identified gender. This important piece of legislation affirms that fundamental human rights are relevant regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.