TAS is an organization that was formed in the late 1990s. The intention was to become a clearinghouse of resources, and a mechanism for people to work together to address existing gaps in services provided to the trans-community.

From the origination of TAS, it began to devote to the following:

• providing varied forums and resources to assist in the personal development, growth, and contact of its members with the transgendered community



• promoting knowledge and understanding of trans culture in all its diversity



• building a sense of community through contact with other organizations or individuals sharing similar objectives



• working toward removing all forms of barriers that negatively impact the transgendered community

We encourage all those who self-identify as trans,those who are trans-allies, professionals, significant others, family members, and friends, to join and help build a broad-based organization that is representative of the diversity of transgendered communities.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 7, 2008

VANCOUVER – Today Trans Alliance Society Chair Raigen D’Angelo announced the launch of a Human Rights Petition Campaign to amend the British Columbia Human Rights Code to specify gender identity and gender expression as prohibited grounds for discrimination. “This is an important step for us to bring focus to the discrimination that happens daily to transsexual, transgender and gender variant people throughout BC. Members of our community have no legal recourse in matters related to their gender identity or expression,” D’Angelo explained.

Volunteers will be asking people to sign the petition throughout the Pride Festivals and at other community events into the fall. Supporters and allies can also download the petition from the Trans Alliance Society website. The petition will be introduced into the Legislature at the next sitting of the House.

The campaign is the latest chapter in a 20 year long battle by numerous trans community organizations to have their voices heard in BC. Past efforts have been spearheaded by High Risk Project Society, Zenith Foundation, The Cornbury Society, BC FTM Network, and F.A.T.E, among others.

The Trans Alliance Society is a British Columbia wide non-profit organization committed to removing all forms of barriers that negatively impact the transgender community.

To the Honourable the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia, in Legislature Assembled:

The petition of the undersigned, concerned citizens, of the Province of British Columbia, states that:

WHEREAS transsexual, transgender and gender variant persons in British Columbia regularly experience egregious harassment and discrimination in employment, in housing, in health care, in education and in accessing public services, all on the basis of gender identity and gender expression;

AND WHEREAS a clear, visible and explicit statutory prohibition against harassment and discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression will promote the dignity, equality and well-being of transsexual, transgender and gender variant persons in British Columbia;

Now, therefore, THE UNDERSIGNED, CITIZENS AND PEOPLES OF BRITISH COLUMBIA HEREBY PETITION THIS HONOURABLE HOUSE TO:

Amend the British Columbia Human Rights Code so as to include and to specify “gender identity and gender expression” as a prohibited ground of discrimination for all purposes of that legislation in British Columbia.

For further information please call Raigen D'Angelo at 604-255-0551

Download the petition by clicking here.

Trans refers to anyone who has a gender identity; may it be the medical or psychological model, that is different than their birth sex, and/or expresses their gender in ways that contravene societal expectations of the range of possibilities for men and women.

This may include people who self-identify as transgendered, intersex, Two Spirit, crossdressers, transsexuals, bi-gendered, pan-gendered, genderqueer, androgynous, third gender, female and male impersonators, and drag kings/queens, as well as people whose perceived gender or anatomic sex may conflict with their gender expression (such as masculine-appearing women and feminine-appearing men).

For more information on how TAS works, please check out our Constitution & Bylaws.