Dear John,

Pride began as a protest for the right to be equal, not other.

Legal advocacy is a critical part of fighting back against rising anti-2SLGBTQI hate. Our recent success at the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) is just one example of how we will respond through impact litigation. Your continued action and support is needed now.  

On May 19th, 2023, the SCC handed down its decision in Hansman v. Neufeld (2023 SCC 14). The case concerned a defamation suit in which Barry Neufeld, at the time a school board trustee in Chilliwack, British Columbia, sued the then-president of the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation, Glen Hansman for publicly condemning Mr. Neufeld’s homophobic and transphobic comments. The SCC decision centered around the question of whether defamation lawsuits based on the forceful countering of hate – in this case, anti-2SLGBTQI and especially anti-trans hate – should be allowed to move forward.  

This major victory for trans people and for advocates for 2SLGBTQI rights is powerful for two reasons:  

1. This is the first time that the SCC has recognized that trans people are a systematically equity-denied group in Canada;  
2. The SCC’s ruling ensures that transphobic and homophobic speech can be called out as such.   

This important result keeps Egale’s SCC intervention success rate at 100%!

We look forward to sharing more information about Egale's legal responses to the rise in anti-2SLGBTQI hate and violence. 

Thank you for your support, 

Your Friends at Egale Canada