Rights of LGBTQ -2 

Rights of LGBTQ -2 

Human Rights Canada, also known as HRC,  advocates for equality through culture change and legislation.  which would provide federal-level protection against discrimination against LGBTQ people. HRC provides education to the public on LGBTQ issues, including workplace equality issues, and is a resource for organizations wishing to create more equitable workplaces for LGBTQ employees.

Within the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, section 15 states that everyone should be considered equal regardless of religion, race, national or ethnic origin, color, sex, age, or physical or mental disability.

In Egan v. Canada, [1995] 2 S.C.R. 513, the Supreme Court of Canada held that although “sexual orientation” is not listed as a ground for discrimination in section 15(1) of the Charter, it constitutes an equivalent ground on which claims of discrimination may be based. In Vriend v. Alberta, [1998] 1 S.C.R. 493, the Court held that provincial human rights legislation that omitted sexual orientation violated section 15(1).

In 2000, Canadian Parliament passed Bill C-23, which gives same-sex couples the same social and tax benefits as heterosexuals in common-law relationships.

Provincial and territorial legislation 

Most provinces and territories have included sexual orientation in their human rights legislation as a prohibited ground of discrimination.

Learn more about provincial and territorial human rights legislation:

• Alberta – Alberta Human Rights Commission
• British Columbia – Ministry of Justice – Human Rights Protection
• Manitoba – Manitoba Human Rights Commission
• New Brunswick – New Brunswick Human Rights Commission
• Newfoundland and Labrador – Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Commission
• Northwest Territories – Justice
• Nova Scotia – Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission
• Nunavut – Government of Nunavut
• Ontario – Ontario Human Rights Commission
• Prince Edward Island – Prince Edward Island Human Rights Commission
• Quebec – Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse
• Saskatchewan – Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission
• Yukon – Yukon Human Rights Commission