Transgender woman can apply for refugee status in Canada.

[suebee]

A transgendered Irish woman living in Nova Scotia has been deemed eligible to apply for refugee status, her lawyer says.

Tanya Bloomfield is originally from Ireland and has been in Canada since 2006. She said being transgendered will make her a target for hate if she is sent back to live in Europe.



Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2010/08/19/ns-transgender-refugee-eligible.html#socialcomments#ixzz0x7CcC3Dj

[Abigail Crabby]

This is awesome to know....

How odd tho - it seems to be accepted everywhere.....

Except here - The Land of the Free (sic)

[betenoire]

I hope it works out for her, although I do find it difficult to believe that she would be subjected to more hate in Ireland than here.

[AtLast]

Interesting...

[suebee]

I hope it works out for her, although I do find it difficult to believe that she would be subjected to more hate in Ireland than here.

By some of the comments on the news site I don't think you're the only one who questions this. I think we are often complacent in the privileges we enjoy here. I was talking to my neighbour just yesterday about the five years she and her husband spent in Scotland, and the common-place use of racial slurs she would hear in public (just as an example) - something we would pale at here. Maybe we just don't know how good we have it here in North America.

[suebee]

Bumpity bump. :)

[Sabine Gallais]

I wonder if she simply wanted to stay in Canada and found a way to do it more easily.

:crap:

[EnderD_503]

I find her story unlikely, personally, and I sincerely hope she is not just using her position as a transgender woman to skip the standard immigration process.

[T D]

We are spoiled beyond belief in this country. However we are also being herded into some sort of political/religous corral as well. While this is the land of the free, it also is NOT. Because if it were, we wouldn't be fighting for rights that are clearly being violated!!

Just sayin is all.

Have a good weekend and all that raz ma taz ;)

[firie]

I think it's great. Thanks for posting, Sue. And I hope she does take full advantage of immigration law and political asylum to stay in a place SHE considers safe and beneficial, since she 's admired in NS. I feel fortunate to have her on this side of the globe considering already what she's doing for this north american community.

If you are part of an oppressed group, and one that is so hatefully targeted, that you statistically face hate crime at a higher rate than other groups--1 out of 3 chance to be murdered just here in the US--well, then I think "using" one's trans status to immigrate is a perfectly valid reason to ask for political asylum.

But I don't fear immigrants and I'm all for open borders because I have no issue sharing, and I certainly have no issue with this woman determining where it is she wants to live to feel safe and then using the law-something that's put in place to protect her-to do just that.

[firie]

I find her story unlikely, personally, and I sincerely hope she is not just using her position as a transgender woman to skip the standard immigration process.

Why? Given that Ireland is one the most conservative countries in th EU? Have you read anything about the country and how they basically afford no right to transgender people? Further, why do you care to take a stance of disbelief? I don't get it? Especially when she's benefiting your economy with a business, with diversity, and a heroine of the glbt community in your own country?

I just don't get your response to this at all.

[Soon]

This is awesome to know....

How odd tho - it seems to be accepted everywhere.....

Except here - The Land of the Free (sic)


Abigail, I think only a minority of countries have protections for those who are trans and even those countries have a lot more to do when it comes to actual knowledge and acceptance of such issues.

------

I don't blame her for wanting to stay. She has been here since 2006 and was sponsored by her ex-partner. She has a business and is the director of Halifax Pride. If she can find a way to remain in a country where she feels comfortable and is her home, I don't begrudge her one bit for using whatever means available.

The immigration board has protocols to determine refugee status and they will be the ones to eventually decide if she meets the requirements. She'll either make the grade or not.

I wish her well; she seems like a valuable and contributing member of Canadian society.

[suebee]

I don't think we should hide in the comfortable thought that only "third world" countries discriminate against transgender people. Many countries that we think are like us are dangerous places for a TG person. The story doesn't say what stage this woman was when she came to Canada. She may have been living as a man in Ireland, or under Lord-knows what kind of precarious conditions.

Canada deals with immigrant applications every day. If Immigration has decided to look at her case they must have SOME indication that it's valid.

Let's not forget the threat our TG brothers and sisters live under every day - yes, even in Canada and the U.S.