British Columbia’s human rights tribunal has ordered LifeLabs to pay $32,000 in damages, along with other costs, after finding discrimination against transgender and non-binary patients at clinics in Vancouver and Burnaby.

According to reporting by Aaron Sousa of The Canadian Press, published by CityNews, the tribunal found LifeLabs and its subsidiary Excelleris Technologies misgendered and outed three patients in 2019. The decision was issued Oct. 29, 2026.

One non-binary patient was told they had to select either male or female to receive laboratory services. The tribunal found the patient was also outed to others by being required to discuss their gender identity in a public space.

A transgender patient could not update their gender marker on medical records. Another was misgendered on laboratory reports and subsequently opted out of necessary cancer screening to avoid being misgendered again.

Tribunal member Theressa Etmanski ordered LifeLabs to update its policies and staff training on gender identity and provide private spaces where transgender and non-binary patients can discuss their identity.

The tribunal also heard expert evidence last year that gender-diverse people face barriers to accessing health care and that misgendering can be a “significant source of distress.”

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