Jessica Yaniv, a transgender woman from Canada, claimed she was shocked and hurt after saying a gynecology clinic refused to examine her because she is transgender. In a post on Twitter, Yaniv said the office allegedly told her, “We don’t serve transgender patients,” and questioned whether such a refusal was legal under British Columbia’s human rights rules.

Yaniv said she contacted the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (CPSBC), arguing that gynecologists play an important role in caring for transgender and non-binary patients, including before and after gender-affirming procedures. She later said she planned to file a complaint, emphasizing that transgender people should receive appropriate medical care without discrimination. However, the CPSBC said it does not provide opinions on specific situations discussed with patients by phone and directed her to its standards addressing discrimination.

The controversy came shortly after Yaniv had filed complaints against several Vancouver beauticians who refused to wax her genital area. She sought thousands of dollars in damages, arguing that the refusals were discriminatory. The cases ultimately received significant attention and sparked debate over whether service providers should be required to perform intimate services they are not trained or willing to provide.

The British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal eventually dismissed Yaniv’s waxing complaints, stating that human rights legislation does not require a provider to wax a type of genitalia they are not trained or willing to wax. Adjudicator Devin Cousineau also concluded that Yaniv’s primary motive was not to remedy discrimination but to target small businesses for financial gain. She was subsequently ordered to pay $6,000.