Online hate speech against gender variance: a Canadian perspective

Hate crime in Canada has recently been on the rise, most notably regarding race, religion, and sexual orientation. The fourth most common hate crime in Canada is hate against sex and gender. While there is extensive research on targeted hate crimes against race, religion, and women, only recently has there been research conducted on hate against gender variance. Internet hate crime has also become a pressing issue with the ever-increasing importance of modern technology. This research paper aims to look into internet hate crime from a Canadian perspective by summarizing current and potential legislation, key arguments made against such legislation, and the unique characteristics of online communication. It concluded that combating internet hate speech is best done through education, rehabilitating offenders, reforming the current internet and Canadian legislation, and creating more opportunities for victims to report their victimization.