Transgender woman can apply for refugee status in Canada.
 

This is awesome to know....

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

Except here - The Land of the Free (sic)

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.

Interesting...

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

:crap:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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.