A Canadian transgender woman has been accused of using human rights law for financial gain as she lost a landmark discrimination case over the refusal of several beauticians to provide her with waxing services.

The British Columbia human rights tribunal also said Jessica Yaniv – who identifies as a woman but has male genitalia – has used the law to punish minorities she deemed hostile to LGBT rights.

The court ordered Ms Yaniv to pay $2,000 in damages to each of the three respondents who testified at the hearings. All three are from minority backgrounds and work out of their own homes or in clients’ homes.

Two were forced to shutter their businesses due to the complaints, according to their lawyers. Most of the respondents do not speak English as their first language.

The court heard that in five cases, Ms Yaniv used Facebook messages to contact salons requesting a Brazilian wax, which are supposed to remove all pubic hair.