On October 20, 2014, the federal government passed Bill C-13, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Canada Evidence Act, the Competition Act and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act. The Bill was commonly referred to as the "Cyberbullying Bill".

Included with a host of other changes, Section 12 of the Bill amends the hate propaganda section of the Criminal Code as follows:

"Subsection 318(4) of the Act is replaced by the following: (4) In this section, “identifiable group” means any section of the public distinguished by colour, race, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, or mental or physical disability".

While the Bill attracted much debate and criticism, this section passed largely unnoticed. It is, however, historic, in that it grants women and girls protection under the Criminal Code hate propaganda law. People have lobbied for this change since 1985 as this section of my site illustrates. Now, we actually have something to celebrate!

Below is a copy of the Bill along with a brief submitted by LEAF to the House of Commons Standing Committee. The Bill received Royal Assent on December 9, 2020 and came into force March 9, 2015. Hooah, as a friend of mine would say.

Bill C-13: See Section 12

LEAF Submission to Standing Committee re Bill C-13 Section 12

Most of this section is devoted to lobbying efforts to get the law changed. I am leaving it intact as it reflects the state of affairs prior to the passage of Bill C-13.

Big Apple in Colborne, Ontario, sells hateful t-shirts (2008)

Jim Flaherty Asked Again to Honour His Promise (February 23, 2021)

Tories Asked to Amend Hate Law to Include Women (July 31, 2021)

Information on complaint filed with the Ontario Human Rights Commission against HMV Canada Inc. re their sale of hate rap (2007)

Articles on Donald Smith Case (2002 - 2005)

Why aren't we shocked by brutality against girls and women? (2006)

Foreign Entertainers Must Sign Anti-Hate Declaration (2005)

Homophobia Bad - Sexism Good in Music Biz - some examples (various dates)

TTC want police to lay hate-crime charges over misogynist grafitti (2000)

Articles on hate rock prosecutions in Canada (1997 - 2004)

Rap called hate propaganda in Quebec (2006)

Hate Rap Bands Receive Warning in France (2003)

Free Radical news release: Canadians Urged to File Human Rights Complaints re Pimp Products (2005)

Appeal to Ontario Attorney General Bryant to lobby for protection of women from hate propaganda (2004)

"She was asking for it" t-shirt on sale at St. Catharines store (2004)

Death Threat Not Art (2004)

MPs extend Criminal Code hate crime protection to include sexual orientation - Bill C-250 (2003)

Letter to Jack Layton, Leader of the NDP, re Bill C-250, January 1, 2021

Letter to Jack Layton, Leader of the NDP, re "Equality Victory" - September 28, 2021

Letter from NDP MP Svend Robinson re Bill C-250 explaining why he won't include women (2003)

Excuses from Liberal Justice Minister Anne McLellan for not changing the hate propaganda law (2001)

Excuses from Liberal Justice Minister Martin Cauchon for not changing the hate propaganda law (2003)

Canadian Criminal Code excerpt re hate propaganda law