VANCOUVER - The B.C. Human Rights Tribunal has ruled Vancouver police must find better ways to deal with transgender people after officers called a trans woman by male pronouns and failed to provide post-surgery care in jail. <\/p>\n
A decision released Tuesday ordered the Vancouver Police Board to pay Angela Dawson $15,000 for injuries to her dignity, feelings and self-respect. <\/p>\n
Tribunal member Catherine McCreary also said the force committed \"systemic discrimination\" over how it identified transgender people and must now adopt new policies within a year. <\/p>\n
\"Ms. Dawson testified that, when the police refer to her as (her legal name) Jeffrey or use male gender pronouns, it makes her feel embarrassed and humiliated,\" wrote McCreary. <\/p>\n
\"She thinks that, when the police treat her as a male, it gives other people the right to treat her as a male, to pick on her, and to humiliate her.\" <\/p>\n
Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, who is chair of the police board, said in a statement that he will be reviewing the decision with the department. <\/p>\n
\"The City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Police Department have the highest level of respect and appreciation for our city's remarkable diversity, and a firm commitment to protect the rights and freedoms of the LGBTTQ community and all Vancouver residents,\" he said. <\/p>\n
Dawson filed the complaint after several run-ins with police in Vancouver, where she is known as \"Rollergirl,\" as she likes to direct traffic while wearing rollerblades. <\/p>\n
While McCreary dismissed several of her complaints, she found that police engaged in discrimination twice in 2010. <\/p>\n
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Excerpt from: VANCOUVER - The B.C. Human Rights Tribunal has ruled Vancouver police must find better ways to deal with transgender people after officers called a trans woman by male pronouns and failed to provide post-surgery care in jail. A decision released Tuesday ordered the Vancouver Police Board to pay Angela Dawson $15,000 for injuries to her dignity, feelings and self-respect Continue reading
\nVancouver Police Discriminated Against Transgender People: Human Rights Tribunal<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"