Prime Minister Justin Trudeau receives the 2016 Laurent McCutcheon Award for his commitment to fighting homophobia and transphobia from the hands of founder, Laurent McCutcheon during a ceremony in Montreal, Monday, May 16, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson
Republished May 16, 2016 - 3:40 PM
Original Publication Date May 16, 2016 - 2:50 PM
MONTREAL - Legislation to extend human-rights protections to transgender Canadians will be tabled in the Commons on Tuesday, says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Trudeau confirmed the news in Montreal on Monday as he received an award named after Laurent McCutcheon, a longtime gay-rights activist.
Tuesday happens to be International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.
"We must continue to demand true equality," Trudeau said. "We must carry on the legacy of those who fought for justice by being bold and ambitious in our actions and we must work diligently to close the gap between our principles and our reality."
The Montreal MP said Canada must do more to fight homophobia and transphobia, mentioning that gay men still cannot donate blood in Canada.
Trudeau said he will also attend Montreal Pride this summer, "which is just a regular part of my summer schedule but a very first for a prime minister."
He also took the time to mention his father, former prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, who received the same award posthumously in 2005 and who was responsible for decriminalizing homosexuality in Canada.
Previous attempts at passing a transgender rights bill at the federal level have been unsuccessful.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2016