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EDMONTON, ALTA
A transgendered woman and former territorial resident said she filed a human rights complaint alleging the Government of Nunavut did not pay for transgender dysphoria-related treatment.

Vanida Plamondon said she filed the complaint with the Nunavut Human Rights Tribunal on April 5, making the allegations against the Department of Health and Social Services. Transgender dysphoria is when a man or woman feels they were born as the wrong gender. Plamondon said she is seeking $125,000 in damages for withheld gender-changing related treatment.

"I don't think they should (pay for it) - I know they should," she said.

Plamondon, 38, speaking from Edmonton, said she lived three years in Kugluktuk, working for some time as a carpenter. She added she was seeking treatment for transgender dysphoria in December 2011 and alleges the GN told her about a week or two prior to her next set of appointments that the government would not pay for it. Plamondon alleges she filed an appeal, which was later denied. She said she moved to Edmonton when she came down for medical treatment in January.

Plamondon said she will base her arguments on case law established by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal and the Federal Court of Canada.

Marion Love, the executive director of the Nunavut Human Rights Tribunal, stated via e-mail: "Our process is confidential therefore I will not confirm nor deny the filing of any such notification."

The Department of Health and Social Services did not respond by press time to comment on its policy on transgender-related health care coverage.

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