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“Medically inaccurate” charge dropped against a BC nurse facing discipline for gender identity critical statements

An charge against a nurse that made what was first claimed as “medically inaccurate” statements in support of sex-based rights has been dropped by British Columbia’s governing organization for nurses and midwives.

Following complaints from the public regarding Amy Hamm’s “gender critical” opinions and comments, the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) launched an investigation into the registered nurse in Vancouver in November 2020.

In a charge issued on April 1, The BCCNM Inquiry Committee had recommended Hamm to the BCCNM Disciplinary Committee and claimed that Hamm had been spreading “discriminatory” and “medically inaccurate” information on internet platforms such as podcasts, videos, published works, and social media. 

The charge, also known as a citation, said Hamm had “made discriminatory and derogatory statements regarding transgender people, some of which statements included medically inaccurate information, while identifying yourself as a nurse or nurse educator.”

The BCCNM amended the citation and made a public post on June 28 removing the claim that described Hamm’s statements as “medically inaccurate information.”

“The College is tasked with keeping patients safe and regulating the profession in the public interest,” said former JCCF lawyer Lisa Bildy in a Monday press release on Monday, July 4, 2022.

“Their job is not to give social justice activists a tool for cancelling people with whom they do not agree, or who have opinions outside of a narrow orthodoxy.” 

According to the press announcement, the BCCNM opened an inquiry into Hamm in 2020 as a result of complaints over her gender-critical views. It claimed that she was involved in organizing a “I Love JK Rowling” billboard display in Vancouver, promoting the author’s support for sex-based rights, which led to these complaints.

While transgender persons should be accepted, gender-critical feminists contend that self-identifying as a different gender is not the same as changing sex. Feminists assert that the rights of women based on sex are in danger when sex and self-identified gender are confused.

Bildy said the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms applies to regulatory colleges.

“This case will set an important precedent for regulated professionals who engage in the public square in policy debates which may be contentious, as it seems virtually everything is in these times,” she said. 

The decision to drop the charge was welcomed and seen as a win by Canadian Women’s Sex-Based Rights (CAWSBAR)

“Excellent news for @preta_6 and, indeed, everyone who values freedom of speech, thought, belief, opinion and expression in Canada!” said CAWSBAR.

The hearing will now take place by videoconference, starting at 10:00 a.m. on September 21 through 23, and October 24 through 27, 2022.

Anyone interested in attending the hearing will need to pre-register and send an email to inquiry@bccnm.ca by September 13, 2022. The hearing schedule is flexible and space is limited.

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