Protected Characteristics

Protected Personal Characteristics/Grounds of Discrimination

According to the BC Human Rights Code, you are protected from being discriminated against on the grounds of any of these characteristics:

  • race
  • colour
  • ancestry
  • place of origin
  • religion
  • marital status
  • family status (ie. having children)
  • physical or mental disability (mental health problems are included)
  • sex (includes being a man or a woman, breastfeeding, sexual harassment)
  • sexual orientation (being LBGTQ+)
  • gender identity or expression (identifying as /transgender/intersex)
  • age (applies only to those older than 19 years old)
  • criminal conviction (applies only to employment)
  • political belief (applies only to employment)
  • lawful source of income (applies only to tenancy – includes income assistance, pension, rent subsidies)