B.C. nurse committed unprofessional conduct for transgender comments, committee finds

A disciplinary panel of the B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives says a nurse committed unprofessional conduct for making “discriminatory and derogatory statements” about transgender people. 

The panel’s decision released Thursday says Amy Hamm’s statements made across “various online platforms” between July 2018 and March 2021 were partly designed “to elicit fear, contempt and outrage against members of the transgender community.” 

The decision says Hamm publicly identified herself as a nurse or nurse educator while making statements that were mostly “untruthful and unfair,” challenging the “existence of transgender women” and advocating for less “constitutional protection” for them. 

The panel found Hamm’s statements were targeted toward “vulnerable and marginalized” people and her comments may deter transgender people from accessing the health-care system. 

The decision says the statements included an online article identifying Hamm as a nurse educator where she claimed that transgender activists wanted to “infiltrate or destroy” spaces designed for women only.

A hearing still has to be set to determine the penalty for Hamm, and the decision says Hamm can appeal the ruling in B.C. Supreme Court. 

“By identifying herself as a nurse or nurse educator while posting discriminatory and/or derogatory opinions regarding a vulnerable and historically disadvantaged group on various online platforms, [Hamm] undermined the reputation and integrity of the nursing profession,” the decision says. 

“The respondent is free to disseminate her views to the public without identifying herself as a nurse or nurse educator or her affiliation with the college.” 

‘Fight isn’t over,’ Hamm says

On social media platform X, Hamm said, in part: “The fight isn’t over. I will always fight for free speech and women’s sex-based rights.”

She received supportive statements from several followers, including author J.K. Rowling. Hamm helped pay for a billboard in Vancouver supporting Rowling after she shared her views on gender identity online, leading to backlash.

Throughout the hearing, Hamm testified that her advocacy was meant to protect women and children in sex-segregated spaces.

“I’m not transphobic. I don’t have any issue with trans people — it’s the infringement on women and children’s rights,” Hamm told the college disciplinary panel.

She said she completely rejects the concept of gender identity, calling it “anti-scientific, metaphysical nonsense,” and on social media posts has referred to transgender women as men.

Nonetheless, Hamm told the panel that she always uses people’s preferred pronouns at work, because that is her employer’s policy.

“Whether or not I agree with certain policies, I limit my advocacy for changing policies to outside of work,” she said.

In the time since the hearing began, Hamm has written several columns for a variety of media outlets on multiple issues, including politics, crime, and sex and gender. She was also a speaker at the recent B.C. Conservative Party’s annual general meeting.