Toronto Police have posted a news release saying they are looking for a missing woman, Isobella Degrace, 27, attaching a picture of a person who for all intents and purposes resembles a man.
"She is described as 5’10", with a thin build, shaggy blonde hair, and a full goatee," the police said. "She was last seen wearing a black t-shirt and grey pants."
Degrace was last seen on June 25 in the Ryerson Avenue and Bathurst Street area. Police highlighted that they are concerned for the person's safety.
However, what appears to be an effort to respect someone's preferred gender identity turned out to be confusing and borderline misleading for many people. Many users were quick to blast the police department over its call for public assistance being less than helpful.
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© Photo : Twitter / @PatriotMike86
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© Photo : Twitter / @Sandervandam2
Instead of trying to help search for the missing person, many people ended up engaging in a heated debate on trans rights.
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© Photo : Twitter / @Serena_Partrick
Others simply mocked the way Toronto Police requested public assistance.
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© Photo : Twitter / @AF632
The confusing tips on the missing person come as many view the Canadian Human Rights Act as potentially envisaging penalties for those who fail to use someone's preferred pronouns. Among such penalties could be mandatory sensitivity training, a requirement to issue an apology or a publication ban.