Susan Gupka knows first-hand what it’s like to be discriminated against.

The transgendered Torontonian has had difficulty applying for credit cards, student loans, identification cards, and accessing health care, employment and housing.

So Wednesday’s vote by MPPs to enshrine “gender identity” and “gender expression” in the Ontario Human Rights Code was a landmark moment.

“I feel like we’ve pushed an elephant up a mountain and we’ve been successful,” Gupka said, moments after the legislature passed the bill on a voice vote.

“I’m thrilled that all parties came. What we’ve learned in the last month or so is that together we can deliver on trans-human rights.”

The human rights code, which marks its 50th anniversary Friday, is now expanded beyond just prohibiting prejudice based on “race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family status or disability.”

It took New Democrat MPP Cheri DiNovo (Parkdal—High Park) six years and four attempts to get the amendment passed.

“I’m proud, so proud, to be an Ontarian and so proud to be a Canadian and so proud to be part of an assembly where we’re all on the same page about this,” said DiNovo, praising Progressive Conservative MPP Christine Elliott (Whitby—Oshawa) and Liberal MPP Yasir Naqvi (Ottawa Centre) for co-sponsoring her bill.

The legislation is known as Toby’s Act in memory of the late musician Toby Dancer, who led the gospel choir at Emmanuel Howard Park United Church, where DiNovo was a minister.

“Jurisdictionally, this will be the first major jurisdiction in all of North America, not just Canada, to pass this gender identity and gender expression into its human rights code. That is significant,” said the NDP MPP.

“I’ve had calls from New York state, from North Carolina — this will have an impact beyond the borders of Canada,” she said.

“We will be at the threshold of a new Ontario, a new Canada, because they’re all following suit after us, and actually a new North America, because I know it’s going to change south of the border as well, state by state by state.”

As more than a dozen transgendered Ontarians watched from the visitor’s gallery, Elliott told the legislature that the time had come to extend human rights code protection to everyone.

“This is one of those rare occasions when we can come together and actually do something for the people who we serve,” the Tory MPP said.

“We have been educated in this process, and we have a much deeper understanding of some of the things that people in the trans community go through,” she said.

Naqvi said it was especially fulfilling to work with political rivals for the greater good.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

“By enshrining, codifying, the rights of trans Ontarians into the Ontario Human Rights Code, I believe, I hope, that we’re sending a very strong message out in the broader community,” he said.

“Discrimination of any form against anyone, trans or not, is not allowed. It’s unacceptable — and after today it’s against the law.”