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Vancouver Lesbian Collective feminist legal campaign
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$1,650 raised of
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Vancouver Lesbian Collective is a group of lesbians committed to fighting against the oppression, erasure and silencing of lesbians.
Please support our 2026 feminist campaign to make the law work for women. We have applied for status to intervene with our expertise in a BC Supreme Court case (Amy Hamm v British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives). We need your financial support so our lawyer can argue in court that:
- Being female is a lifelong, biologically-integrated fact that impacts innumerable aspects of our physiology, life course, and social status.
- “Sex” is expressly protected by section 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and provincial Human Rights codes, and must be defined as biologically-based.
- A lesbian is someone who is biologically female and same-sex attracted. This definition is fundamental to lesbian identity, sexuality and experience.
- It must not be seen in law as discriminatory for lesbians to define or defend our sexuality (as same-sex attracted women).
Already our legal costs are over $15,000, with a total expected up to $60,000 if we are accepted.
Why this case?
The case is registered nurse Amy Hamm’s attempt to overturn a decision by the disciplinary panel of the BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM). The panel ruled that Ms Hamm, while off duty, committed “unprofessional conduct and made comments that were discriminatory and derogatory towards transgender people.”
The decision described statements like, “there are only two sexes” or “humans cannot change their sex” as discriminatory.
In the course of our everyday lives as lesbians and in our advocacy for lesbians, girls and women, Vancouver Lesbian Collective firmly states that sex is real and it matters.
While the BCCNW mandate technically extends only to its licensed members, this regulatory proceeding touches upon numerous aspects of public law: free speech rights under section s.2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, equality rights under s. 15 of the Charter, the right to freedom of association under s. 2(d) of the Charter, and the discretion of a regulatory body to sanction its members for speech and conduct outside of their profession.
The proceeding is clearly a matter of interest and public law, evident from the number of parties seeking to intervene. VLC is one of five parties who have applied for intervenor status: EGALE Canada, WestCoast LEAF, the BC College of Physicians and Surgeons (all of whom support the decision of the BCCNW panel), and the Association for Reformed Political Action (a Christian group).
While the Panel sanctioned Ms. Hamm for a few specific statements, it first examined many hundreds of her comments in detail and made broad findings as to what speech constitutes discriminatory and derogatory treatment of transgender people.
In doing so, the Panel created a very broad definition of what constitutes discriminatory and derogatory comments about transgender people.
Vancouver Lesbian Collective aims to prevent entrenching this decision in law. If the decision were to stand:
- Lesbians will be in the confounding position where stating, defining, or defending our sexuality may become “against the law” or at least potentially judged discriminatory.
- Lesbians will no longer be able to define how we see ourselves and define who is a member of our group, if anyone can be a lesbian based on how they see themselves and expect others to see them.
- Lesbians could become legally required to accommodate males who see themselves as lesbians and expect us to see them as lesbians.
- Even suggesting that a male cannot be a lesbian would be considered discriminatory and denigrating treatment.
- Lesbian rights are undermined when our ability to engage and advocate on issues of direct consequence to lesbians is stifled by threats to our employment and professional standing.
- Any professional could be disciplined for expressing the beliefs outlined here.
The BC Supreme Court case will be heard November 10,12,13, 2026.
Vancouver Lesbian Collective will find out in September if we will be granted intervenor status (click to learn about what intervenor means in a Canadian legal context).
Vancouver Lesbian Collective is particularly concerned with the following excerpts from the BCCNM disciplinary panel decision:
- “ ‘Gender’ is a deeply held belief which is critical to a person’s well-being which reflects how they see themselves and how they expect others to see them.” para.167
- “The statement that sex is distinct from gender as a material biological reality is true but other claims such as there are only two sexes, humans cannot change their sex, and sex chromosomes are immutable are either oversimplifications or not true given that sex is multidimensional.” para. 250
- “The suggestion that women cannot defend their legal rights or the definition of womanhood if anyone can self-identify as a woman is critical of the right of transgender persons to express their identity authentically and transition to a sex that reflects their sense of identity.” Append. p. 93
- “It is discriminatory and derogatory to suggest that transgender women should not be in the same spaces as cisgender [sic] women.” Append. p.100
- “Statements may be discriminatory and harmful in effect even if not intended to be so....” para. 237
The Panel’s reasoning is particularly troubling for lesbians.
Vancouver Lesbian Collective is English Canada’s sole lesbian-only group, entirely volunteer-run, and a registered non-profit society. We are based in Vancouver with members throughout BC. We organize successful lesbian pride and social events several times each year.
Contact us to attend our Lesbian Pride BBQ, or an upcoming film night or dance.
We have hosted several large community events, most recently a series entitled Feminists Speak Out, including a 2024 public panel featuring Kathleen Stock and Cherry Smiley about the problems for women and girls of gender identity ideology and in 2025, a panel on the importance of women-only organizing, featuring Julie Bindel and Vancouver Rape Relief. 200 people attended each of these self-funded events.
Over several years, we have led a coalition of women around the BC on a campaign #WomenDemand #GuaranteedLivableIncome, which saw the participation of women from 17 locations around the province in a well-covered campaign for a Guaranteed Livable Income.
Please visit our website at www.vancouverlesbiancollective.com to learn more about our feminist campaigns on behalf of lesbians!
Thank you for your support and your generous donations.
Remember—no amount is too small (or too large)!