gender non-conforming individuals were largely viewed with suspicion and prejudice [85] Indeed, transgender people occupy a unique position of disadvantage in our society, given the long history in psychiatry “of conflating [transgender and other 2SLGBTQ+] identities with mental illness” and even resorting to harmful “conversion therapy” to “resolve” gender dysphoria, and “recondition” the individual to reduce “cross-gender behavior” (A. Veltman and G. Chaimowitz, “Mental Health Care for People Who Identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and (or) Queer” (2014), 59:11 Can. J. Psychiatry 1, at pp. 1-2; American Psychological Association, Task Force on Gender Identity and Gender Variance, Report of the Task Force on Gender Identity and Gender Variance (2009), at p. 27). As the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal has recognized, “[u]nlike other groups . . ., transgender people often find their very existence the subject of public debate and condemnation” (Oger v. Whatcott (No. 7), 2019 BCHRT 58, 94 C.H.R.R. D/222, at para. 61). They are stereotyped as diseased or confused simply because they identify as transgender (Nixon v. Vancouver Rape Relief Society (No. 2), 2002 BCHRT 1, 42 C.H.R.R. D/20, at paras. 136-37). [86] Transgender people have faced discrimination in many facets of Canadian society. Statistics Canada has concluded that they are at increased risk of violence, and report higher rates of poor mental health, suicidal ideation, and substance abuse as a means to cope with abuse or violence they have experienced (see Experiences of violent victimization and unwanted sexual behaviours among gay, lesbian, bisexual and other 2023 SCC 14 (CanLII) until the latter half of the 20th century.