Calls to emphasize education as Canadian military reviews transgender policy
OTTAWA — As the U.S. military prepares to open its doors to transgender people for the first time, the Canadian Armed Forces is looking at ways to improve its own transgender policy.
Canadian military officials reviewing the current policy, which came into effect in February 2012, are hoping to have a draft of the new policy finished by the end of the year.
The military officer in charge of the review says some of the expected changes will be technical in nature, but others will aim to give commanding officers and units more guidance in how to accommodate transgender military personnel when it comes to such basics as bathrooms and showering.
“The Canadian Forces is unique in that it houses and clothes people,” said Lt.-Col. Monique Goyette of the military’s directorate of human rights and diversity. “We’re intending on having an actual form in there that will kind of be a checklist to help COs (commanding officers) even better than before.”