Community Protocol and Anti-racism Tools

To assist in the reading of the Protocol and the understanding of the issues surrounding discrimination and hate crime, a list of key terms is provided.

Please note: The list of terms is not comprehensive and in some cases definitions vary according to the source. For more information or education opportunities and materials, contact the Tri-Cities Together Manager.

Ableism is discrimination on grounds of physical or intellectual ability.

Ageism is discrimination on grounds of age.

Bias is an inclination, opinion or preference formed without any reasonable justification. Bias is reflected in a person’s prejudices or attitudes towards a different race, class, gender, ability, cultural background etc. and can often result in unfair treatment of individuals or groups.

Bigotry refers to the character or conduct of intolerance towards another’s beliefs, religion, race, sex, mental health, intellectual/physical ability or sexual orientation.

Cisgender describes a person whose gender identity matches the sex assigned at birth. (Example: An individual who is born biologically female and also has the gender identity of woman).

Cissexism is discrimination on grounds of gender identity and gender expression. (E.g. denying rights to a person because their appearance, clothing or mannerisms, such as the right to use a public washroom or the right to receive service.)

Classism is discrimination on grounds of socio-economic status or class.

Discrimination is when prejudice and bias move from a state of opinion or mind to action. It can be direct (treating someone inequitably) or indirect (a policy, practice or process puts someone at an unfair disadvantage). This can take on many different forms such as harassment, unequal pay or benefits, unequal conditions or service provisions, to hate propaganda.

Gender is the range of physical, mental and behavioral characteristics pertaining to, and differentiating between masculinity and femininity (ex. woman, man, transgender or other).

Gender Expression is any and all mannerisms and personal traits, which serve to communicate a person’s identity and personality as they relate to gender identity and gender roles.  It is how a person expresses their gender to others.

Gender Identity is a person’s private sense, and subjective experience, of their own gender. It is a person’s self-identification of their gender.

Harassment can take the form of physical, visual or verbal conduct that is unwelcome, discriminatory, involves intimidation or an abuse of power and denies the respect and dignity of an individual.

Hate/Bias Crime It is a criminal offence committed against a person or property which is motivated by the suspect’s hate, prejudice or bias against an identifiable group. Includes verbal abuse/threats, physical assault or damage to property (as defined in Section 718.2 of the Criminal Code of Canada).

Hate/Bias Incidents are those that are not criminal in nature but may be covered by the Human Rights of Canada.

Heterosexism is discrimination by heterosexuals against homosexuals.

Homophobia is a fear or hatred of homosexuals or homosexuality.

Intolerance is not allowing, or enduring differences in opinions, teaching, worship, lifestyle etc.

Prejudice (Bias) means to ‘pre-judge’ and is an attitude towards a person or group. When applied to racism, prejudice refers to beliefs or attitudes about an individual or group based on negative or positive stereotyping. Internalizing prejudice leads to bias, which is a predisposition to build on stereotypes. Together prejudice and bias form the motivation for discrimination. Prejudice and bias are a state of mind and there are no laws to prohibit them.

Privilege is a special advantage, immunity, permission, right, or benefit granted to or enjoyed by an individual, class, or caste that belongs to a certain group.

Propaganda is the systematic propagation of a doctrine or cause or information reflecting the views and interests of those advocating such a doctrine or cause.

Racism refers to a set of beliefs that asserts the superiority of one ‘racial’ group over another (at the individual as well as institutional level), and through which individuals or groups of people exercise power that abuse or disadvantage others on the basis of skin colour, racial or ethnic heritage, religion, or legal status.

• Individual Racism is any action or practice which denies equity to any person because of their race, religion, ethnicity or culture.
• Systemic Racism refers to the social and organizational structures, including policy and practices, which whether intentionally or unintentionally exclude, limit and discriminate against individuals not part of the traditional dominant group. Systemic Racism is most often an unconscious by-product of ethnocentrism and unexamined privilege.

Racialization is to differentiate or categorize according to race and to impose a racial character or context on something or someone.

Relevant Service Providers are service providers that offer services and resources that are directly related or useful in the event of a hate crime or critical incident involving discrimination.

Sex is the biological distinction between male and female.

Sexism is discrimination on the grounds of sex.

Stakeholders in the context of the Tri-Cities Together Community Protocol refer to the service providers, organizations and institutions within the Tri-Cities Abbotsford who have invested interest in the health, safety and vitality of the community.

Stereotype is a false or generalized conception of a group of people which results in the unconscious or conscious categorization of each member of the group, without regard for individual differences. Stereotyping may relate to race, age; ethnicity, linguistics, religious, geographical or national groups; social, marital or family status; physical, developmental or intellectual attributes; and or gender.

Xenophobia is the fear of other people, groups, or cultures that are different from one’s own. The term is usually used to describe the phenomena where the dominant group of a country feels fear of ‘foreigners’, their customs and culture.