case to support the rights of transgender people. In 2007, responding to the suicide of an LGBT youth because of homophobic bullying, Egale created the Report Homophobic Violence, Period (RHVP) program in conjunction with the Toronto Police Service. RHVP is a reporting, public awareness and education program that focuses on youth ages 13 to 25 and addresses the issue of homophobic and transphobic bullying and violence. Community outreach and public education They developed fact sheets on current issues affecting the LGBT communities; established a Website and manages six e-mail discussion groups to help keep our communities informed across the country; hosted an historic national conference in Montreal (Rainbow Visions); testified before the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission in support of diversity in Canada's broadcasting policy and to oppose the limitation of access to lesbian and gay materials on the Internet through restrictive regulations; presented to the plenary session of the United Nations World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna and participated in the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. Controversies Immigration issue Egale blamed the Conservative government for allegedly failing to help gay immigrants from countries that have anti-gay laws, such as Iran, Iraq, Malaysia, Jordan, Mexico and Nicaragua. As of 2017, 72 countries still criminalize LGBTQ activity. Bill C-2 In 2005, the organization was criticized by some of Canada's gay press for failing to submit a brief, after indicating an intention to do so, to the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights regarding the potential impact on LGBT communities of Bill C-2, a controversial piece of legislation that revised the age of sexual consent. Xtra! asserted that Egale was devoting so much time and effort to advocacy around same-sex marriage that it was missing the boat on other important issues. Leadership Award In 2009, Egale Canada presented Jaime Watt, a political strategist in the government of former Premier of Ontario Mike Harris, with its inaugural Leadership Award in honour of his role in supporting the provincial law that granted common-law marriage rights to same-sex couples. The decision was denounced by some LGBT activists because of Watt's role in some other government policies that had been unpopular within the gay community. See also LGBT rights in Canada List of LGBT rights organisations References Further reading Archival holdings Égale Canada - Canadian Political Parties and Political Interest Groups - Web Archive created by the University