Wednesday, April 15, 2009

lberta government facing human rights complaint over sex change funding

The Canadian Press, Canada
[4/14/09]

Alberta government facing human rights complaint over sex change funding

EDMONTON — The Alberta government is facing a challenge over its
decision to stop paying for sex-change operations.

Several members of the transsexual community plan to file a complaint
Wednesday with the province's human rights commission. The government
announced in last week's budget that it would no longer pay for sex
changes, but now Health Minister Ron Liepert says roughly four dozen
of the operations will still be covered.

He told the legislature funding will be given to 26 people who were
already approved for the surgery, plus another 20 who were waiting for
approval.

Several sex-change candidates said outside the assembly that the
operation is unaffordable without government help.

The opposition parties say a similar funding cut in Ontario was
overturned by the province's human rights commission.

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