13-14 Human Rights - Definitions

Question 1

Complainant in reference to human rights complaints means

Answer 1

the person initiating a Human Rights Code complaint.

Question 2

Discrimination means

Answer 2

any distinction, conduct or action, either by intention or not, on the basis of any prohibited ground under the Human Rights Code, which has the impact of excluding persons, denying benefits or imposing burdens on an individual or group, which are not imposed on others or which withholds or limits access to benefits available to others.

Question 3

Gender:

Answer 3

the set of socially classified behaviours, attitudes and norms associated with and roles of men, women, trans people, non-binary people and more. Encompasses gender identity, a person’s internal sense of being a man, woman, both or neither.

Question 4

Gender Expression:

Answer 4

how a person publicly presents their gender. This can include behaviour and outward appearance such as dress, hair, make-up, body language and voice. A person’s chosen name and pronoun are also common and important ways of expressing gender.

Question 5

Gender identity:

Answer 5

each person’s internal and individual experience of gender. It is their sense of being a woman, a man, both, neither, or anywhere along or beyond the gender spectrum. A person’s gender identity may be the same as or different from the typical pairing with their birth-assigned sex. Gender identity is fundamentally different from a person’s sexual orientation.

Question 6

Harassment means:

Answer 6

engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome.
[Source: ss. 10(1), Human Rights Code]

Question 7

Human Rights Complaint means:

Answer 7

an alleged violation of a prohibited ground under the Human Rights Code.

Question 8

Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) means:

Answer 8

the independent provincial government agency who receives Human Rights Code complaint applications and assists parties to resolve complaints through mediation and/or a hearing.

Question 9

Internal Complaint means:

Answer 9

an allegation from internal sources concerning the conduct of a police officer, or the policies or the services provided by the Toronto Police Service.

Question 10

Internal Complaint – Civilian in reference to the civilian complaint and discipline process means:

Answer 10

an allegation from internal sources concerning the conduct of a civilian member, or the policies or the services provided by the Toronto Police Service.

Question 11

Offensive Material means:

Answer 11

the possession, reproduction, circulation, dissemination, publication or posting of any material that may be considered offensive or insensitive under the Human Rights Code in any area of a Toronto Police Service facility.

Question 12

Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) means:

Answer 12

an independent government agency that provides leadership for the promotion, protection and advancement of human rights and builds partnerships across the human rights system (but does not receive Human Rights Code complaints).

Question 13

Poisoned/Toxic Work Environment means:

Answer 13

harassing or discriminatory behaviours, that are sufficiently severe and/or pervasive, that causes significant and unreasonable interference to a member’s work environment. A poisoned/toxic work environment can interfere with and/or undermine work performance and can cause emotional and psychological stress not experienced by other members. As such, it results in unequal terms and conditions of employment and prevents or impairs full and equal enjoyment of employment, benefits, or opportunities.

Question 14

Prohibited Grounds means:

Answer 14

he protected grounds under the Ontario Human Rights Code for which a person cannot discriminate. These include: age, ancestry, citizenship, colour, creed, disability, ethnic origin, family status, gender expression, gender identity, marital status (including single status), place of origin, race, receipt of public assistance (in housing only), record of offences (in employment only), sex (including discrimination based on pregnancy and breastfeeding), and sexual orientation.

Question 15

Racially Biased Policing occurs when:

Answer 15

a member of a police service inappropriately considers race or ethnicity in deciding how and with whom to intervene in an enforcement capacity. Racial Biased Policing includes racial profiling.

Question 16

Respondent – Human Rights Complaint means:

Answer 16

the member who is the subject of a Human Rights Code complaint.

Question 17

Sex:

Answer 17

the classification of people as male, female or intersex based on a specific combination of reproductive organs, chromosomes and hormones and assigned at birth based on observation of a person’s genitals.

Question 18

Stereotyping means:

Answer 18

that particular roles and characteristics are attributed to people on the basis of a prohibited ground under the Human Rights Code.

Question 19

Systemic Discrimination means:

Answer 19

policies or practices in the workplace that create or perpetuate a position of relative disadvantage for some individuals/groups, on the basis of prohibited grounds.

Question 20

Trans:

Answer 20

is an umbrella term referring to people with diverse gender identities and expressions that differ from their assigned sex at birth. It includes but is not limited to people who identify as transgender, trans woman (someone assigned male at birth who knows themself to be a woman), trans man (someone assigned female at birth who knows themself to be a man), non-binary, gender non-conforming, gender variant or gender queer. Some people may consider two-spirit to be a trans identity. Trans persons may or may not make a social transition, have surgery, use prosthetic devices or take prescription medications (such as hormone therapies), to affirm their gender identity. They may or may not have identity documents that reflect their lived identity.