Every year Statistics Canada releases updated data on police-reported hate crimes in Canada, and every year we see an increase in anti-gay and anti-lesbian hate crime. This year is no different, as once again hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation increased by 10% in 2011, while crimes motivated by all other factors declined.

"When is Canada going to wake up to the fact that there is still work to do post-marriage, and the place to start is in our schools?" declared Helen Kennedy, Executive Director of Egale Canada Human Rights Trust. "When hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation are consistently increasing, consistently the most violent in nature, and consistently focused among our youth, it is ludicrous to say that we don’t need to address homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in our schools."

In 2011, hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation had the highest proportion of accused who were male (92%) as well as the highest proportion of accused who were under age 25 (70%). Similarly, victims of sexual-orientation-motivated hate crime tended to be younger, with 50% under age 25, and had the highest proportion of male victims at 85%.

"Every single Minister of Education in this country needs to take these number very seriously," continued Kennedy. "Until we implement explicit policies and programs to address homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in every region of this country, we cannot begin to hope to end the violence, harassment and hate crime that our LGBTQ youth have come to see as a fact of life."

While Statistics Canada reports on hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation, it does not provide information on hate crimes against trans and gender variant people because ‘gender identity’ has not yet been included within the hate crime provisions of the Criminal Code. A private member’s bill currently before the Senate, Bill C-279, would address this omission. "This report says nothing about the violence and hatred faced by trans and gender variant people in Canada," said Kennedy. "Yet we know that they represent one of the most targeted communities in this country. It’s time for the Senate to take a stand and bring the Gender Identity Bill to a vote as soon as they return from summer recess. Bill C-279 must become law."

Egale Canada Human Rights Trust (ECHRT) is Canada’s only national charity promoting LGBT human rights through research, education and community engagement.