Vancouver unanimously passes inclusive transgender policy

Date: July 14, 2016

Vancouver is now officially the first Canadian city to adopt an inclusive transgender policy.

City council voted unanimously Wednesday night to support the equality, diversity and inclusion of transgender people by implementing a series of recommendations made by a consulting group that specializes in trans issues.

The new plan includes gender-neutral bathrooms and sensitivity training for staff.

Council will also appoint a team that will oversee the plan, and report back annually on the progress. Changes will start over the next six to 18 months.

City of Vancouver Report: http://council.vancouver.ca/20160713/documents/cfsc6.pdf

Vancouver embraces new inclusive transgender policy

Vancouver has adopted a new policy to support transgender residents that includes the introduction of gender-neutral bathrooms, sensitivity training for staff and a new team in charge of overseeing the changes.

City council voted unanimously on Wednesday to adopt a series of recommendations contained in a report prepared by a pair of consulting groups that specialize in transgender issues, TransFocus Consulting and Equity Labs. The new policy comes a year after Mayor Gregor Robertson called for transgender residents to have equal rights under Canadian law and to have safe access to city space and events.

Vancouver takes steps to embrace trans equality

Example of the transgender washroom sign in the city of Vancouver that will be used as part of the Supporting Trans Equality and an Inclusive Vancouver action plan. Adopted by council Wednesday, July 13, 2016.

The City of Vancouver has a new action plan designed to make public facilities safe and inclusive for members of the trans, gender variant and two-spirit communities.

Adopted unanimously by council on Wednesday, the plan covers the city’s signs and communications, public spaces, human resource training and staff policies, programming and public and community partnerships.

It describes transgender/trans as someone whose gender identity differs from assigned sex at birth; gender variant as someone whose innate sense of gender identity does not conform to traditional binary expectations; and two spirit, which is an indigenous term to refer to someone’s gender variance and sexuality.

Details in the 172-page report build on policies developed by the city’s park and school boards.