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If Yaniv’s stunt weren’t screwing up other people’s lives, that might be a defensible approach. But it is screwing up other people’s lives, notably those of the recent immigrant women Yaniv targeted, who have neither the time nor the money to indulge this peculiarly Canadian ceremony. At least one woman claims to have abandoned her salon business as a result of Yaniv’s aggression. Some have reportedly already settled, which is outrageous whether or not money changed hands: The idea of compromising with someone who wants to force a woman to touch her male genitals — to touch any genitals at all, one might argue! — is repugnant. The idea of a state body facilitating such an agreement beggars belief.

Waxing can be critical gender-affirming care for transgender women

Among those who are grudgingly paying attention, many have resorted to a sort of “both sides are wrong” argument: Yes, Jessica Yaniv seems to be an awful person, but so are the people taking such transphobic delight in the ongoing proceedings. That may be true, but it misses the point. Far too little attention is being paid to the real villain of this black farce, which is obviously the tribunal itself. There are a lot of creeps out there who would wreck your life and take your money without a moment’s thought. The government is supposed to make life more difficult for them, not easier. The real story here is that the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal did anything with Yaniv’s endless complaints except crumple them up and throw them in the garbage.