World · North America · 4 hrs ago
B.C. tribunal orders LifeLabs to pay $32,000 over patient discrimination
British Columbia’s human rights tribunal ordered LifeLabs and its subsidiary to pay $32,000 for discriminating against transgender and non-binary patients.
The decision concerns three patients at clinics in Vancouver and Burnaby in 2019.
One non-binary patient was told to choose male or female to get lab services and had to discuss their identity in a public space.
Another patient could not update their gender marker, while a transgender patient was misgendered on lab reports and avoided needed cancer screening.
The tribunal heard that misgendering can cause significant distress and that gender-diverse people face barriers to health care.
It ordered LifeLabs to update its policies and staff training and provide private spaces for patients to discuss their identity.
The tribunal said sex information may be medically relevant, but found no evidence that the male-or-female standard was medically necessary or justified.
British Columbia’s human rights tribunal ordered LifeLabs and subsidiary Excelleris Technologies to pay $32,000 in damages for discriminating against transgender and non-binary patients.
The tribunal found that three patients were misgendered or outed at clinics in Vancouver and Burnaby in 2019.
The decision also requires LifeLabs to update its policies and staff training on gender identity and provide private spaces for patients to discuss their identity.
The tribunal said there was no evidence that requiring patients to choose male or female was medically necessary or justified.
- Who
- LifeLabs and its subsidiary Excelleris Technologies were ordered to pay damages to three transgender and non-binary patients.
- What
- British Columbia’s human rights tribunal found the companies discriminated against the patients and ordered $32,000 in damages, along with other costs.
- When
- The decision was issued on October 29, 2026. The incidents occurred in 2019.
- Where
- Clinics in Vancouver and Burnaby, British Columbia.
- Why
- The tribunal found patients were misgendered or outed, including through requirements and practices related to gender identity.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Three patients were misgendered or outed at LifeLabs clinics in Vancouver and Burnaby.
The tribunal heard from an expert who said gender-diverse people face barriers in accessing health care.
The tribunal issued its decision ordering LifeLabs and Excelleris Technologies to pay damages and change policies and practices.
Global News published its report on the tribunal decision.
- Damages
- $32,000, along with other costs
- Patients
- Three transgender and non-binary patients
- Incident locations
- Clinics in Vancouver and Burnaby
- Incident year
- 2019
- Decision date
- October 29, 2026
What people are saying
Information about a patient’s sex may be medically relevant in the provision of laboratory services. However, I wish to be clear that there is no evidence before me to support that the standard is medically necessary or justified.