TORONTO

A British comedian and transgender woman who was being held in a men’s prison in Milton for an immigration infraction has been transferred to a neighbouring jail for women.

Avery Edison, who has legally been a woman since 2009, was detained Monday at Pearson International Airport when she tried to enter the country to see her girlfriend, Romy Sugden, of Toronto.

After holding her for nearly 12 hours, Canada Border Services officers transferred Edison to Maplehurst Correctional Facility for men, Sugden said earlier Tuesday.

“Speaking with the officials at the prison was a very upsetting and fruitless experience,” she said. “They refused to refer to Avery as anything but ‘he’ or ‘him.’ They told me because ‘his’ genitals were male, ‘he’ would be in a men’s prison. That was Ontario law.”

Sugden said Edison overstayed her student visa on her last visit. She decided to go back to the U.K., where she lives, in September but wanted to return Monday for a visit. She was then detained by border guards.

But word came late Tuesday that Edison had been transferred to Vanier Centre for Women Milton, which sits next to the Maplehurst. Earl Essery, shift supervisor at the men’s facility, confirmed the move to Vanier when contacted by the Toronto Sun.

He could not comment on why the transfer had been made, referring questions to the Ministry of Correctional Services.

Sugden said she had been in touch with Edison Tuesday night and the two shared a two-minute phone call where she learned of the transfer. Edison is scheduled for an immigration hearing at 9 a.m. Wednesday in either Vanier or Maplehurst, Sugden said.

“My goal for the day was to get Avery out of Maplehurst and into a women’s facility,” Sugden said. “I’m happy we accomplished that.”

Sugden said that Avery was jailed away from the rest of the inmate population at Maplehurst for her safety.

“For Avery, this has been both extremely scary at times and extremely boring at times,” she said. “She spent 18 hours in solitary confinement.”

Sugden said that during the hearing on Wednesday they will press for Edison’s release into the custody of someone in Toronto or her release and return home to England. The worst outcome could be that Edison is barred from returning to Canada for years, she said.

“We’ll work on a way to bring Avery back legally, the way she has always wanted,” Sugden said.

Calls to Canada Border Services Agency and Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney requesting comment were not returned by press time.

Greg Flood, spokesman for Ontario’s Ministry of Correctional Services, said he could not speak directly about Edison’s case, citing privacy concerns.

“The ministry is currently reviewing the situation and having discussions with the Canadian Border Services Agency regarding the status of the individual,” he said in an e-mail statement to the Toronto Sun.

Sugden visited Edison at the Milton jail Tuesday afternoon and described the short visit as “very emotional.”

NDP MP Randall Garrison has called on Canada’s Conservative government to ensure Edison is transferred immediately to a women’s correctional facility.

“It’s not just her,” Sugden said. “I imagine a lot of trans people have similar experiences. Canada is just better than that.”