Census data released Wednesday offers an unprecedented snapshot of Canada鈥檚 transgender population, showing 0.33 per cent of residents identify as a gender that differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.
The data collected during last year鈥檚 national household survey shows about 100,815 people are transgender or non-binary, including 31,555 who are transgender women, 27,905 who are transgender men and 41,355 who are non-binary.
It鈥檚 the first time Statistics Canada has differentiated between 鈥渟ex at birth鈥� and 鈥済ender鈥� in the census, a change advocates say will offer crucial insight into a marginalized population and the systemic barriers it faces.
Fae Johnstone, a transgender advocate, said population-level data backing up trans people鈥檚 lived experience has thus far been slim, so this new information is important both symbolically and practically.
鈥淚t says something when our government is recognizing the existence of trans folks who have historically been kept out of these conversations and uncounted,鈥� Johnstone said. 鈥淏ut it also is useful to us to better understand how we can focus interventions and address health inequities experienced by trans folks across this country.鈥�
While previous censuses asked only about sex, the 2021 edition asked about both 鈥渟ex at birth,鈥� which it said is 鈥渄etermined by a person鈥檚 biological characteristics,鈥� and 鈥済ender,鈥� which it said could differ from what鈥檚 indicated on legal documents.
Under 鈥済ender,鈥� respondents were able to choose either male or female, or write in a third option.
Government demographers said they will use 鈥渟ex at birth鈥� to compare to historical data on sex.
In some cases, Statistics Canada said, it will be necessary to narrow gender down into two categories 鈥渢o protect the confidentiality of responses provided.鈥� Those categories will be 鈥渕en+鈥� and 鈥渨omen+鈥�, and each will encompass some people who are non-binary.
The inclusion of transgender people in the census is part of a broader move by the Liberal government to be more inclusive of the LGBTQ community.
In 2017, the government added gender identity and expression to the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act, and amended the Criminal Code to include those same groups in the list of 鈥渋dentifiable groups鈥� that could be targets of genocides and hate crimes.
The following year, the federal budget noted Statistics Canada鈥檚 efforts to reflect gender diversity in the census and allocated funds to the agency to create a new Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics.
Its mandate, Statistics Canada said, is to develop 鈥渁 Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) data hub to support evidence-based policy development and decision making, both within the federal government and beyond.鈥�
Johnstone said this government has been good in some ways on LGBTQ issues, but it hasn鈥檛 been perfect.
鈥淚 think my biggest critique of this government on LGBTQ issues is that they put all of their words in the right place, they say all of the right words. But it鈥檚 the delivery, the implementation that I really want to see happen,鈥� she said.
For example, the government鈥檚 recent announcement of $100 million toward its federal LGBTQ2 action plan was historic, Johnstone said, but it came late and the amount is still disproportionately low.
鈥淗olding all of that as true, I still think that this says something about our current government in the best of ways, that we鈥檙e recognizing trans people exist and that trans people need to be captured,鈥� she said.
Gemma Hickey, a transmasculine non-binary author and activist, said it鈥檚 鈥渁bout time.鈥�
鈥淎s an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights for over 20 years, I鈥檝e been a part of and witnessed many changes. But these types of changes, especially when it comes to the census, are long overdue.鈥�
Nearly five years ago, Hickey became one of the first Canadians to receive a gender-neutral birth certificate.
Hickey said they hope the census will spark a broader conversation by acknowledging that the sex a person was assigned at birth is not necessarily the same as gender.
鈥淭hat visibility 鈥� that recognition 鈥� is very important for people, because we are here. We have been here as long as you鈥檝e been here,鈥� they said.
鈥擭icole Thompson, The Canadian Press
