People in Quebec who wish to have their trans identity marked on their provincial government documents will have to wait until next year, after the province’s new committee on the issue files its first report.
Advocates who want the option of an “X” gender marker in place of the traditional M and F for males and females want the option to be available for all provincial identification documents like driver’s licenses and health cards.
The “X” marker has been available on documentation at the federal level for Canadian passports, citizenship certificates and permanent resident cards since 2017.
Driver’s licenses and birth certificates in Ontario also have the option.
The Quebec Superior Court demanded that the province reword sections of the Civil Code of Quebec in 2021 to include recognition of non-binary people on birth and death certificates.
However, the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec SAAQ and the RAMQ have said they don’t have the authority or the IT software necessary to add the “X” marker.
The province formed a new committee to deal with the issue, announcing its members last week.
However, the committee’s first report on the matter, which will include guidelines on how it can be resolved, won’t be available until 2025.
Trans activists fear that the committee won’t rule in favour of the “X” marker, despite Quebec’s Family Minister Suzanne Roy saying that the new committee would not backpedal on LGBT rights.
“What we’re hearing today is ‘Actually no, if the committee does recommend that we backpedal on those rights then we’re going to do so,'” Francesco MacAllister-Caruso told CBC News. “It’s a bit of a slap to the face to the community.”
Caruso is a PhD student at Concordia University who studies trans rights and political representation in Canada.
However, the spokesperson for the family minister Catherine Pelletier denies that the “X” marker will be an issue in the future.
“Gender-identity issues are sensitive and deserve thoughtful responses,” said Pelletier.
President of the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse Philippe-André Tessier said he’s unsure if the delayed response to activists is a Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms breach.
“We understand that work is underway, and we insist that this work be completed as quickly as possible to ensure that people with a different identity marker can be adequately reflected on their identity documents,” said Tesssier, who advised the Coalition Avenir Québec government to give a fast response.
