Transgender woman Avery Edison moved to women's jail after outcry online
Twitter users lobbied for U.K. comedian, who was being held at men's correctional facility
Avery Edison, a 25-year-old transgender woman who was being held in a men’s jail following issues with her travel status, has been moved to a women’s facility after a quick campaign and online outcry.
The general duties manager at the Maplehurst Correctional Facility confirmed to CBC News that Edison is in good health and was moved to the Vanier Centre for Women in Milton, Ont., Tuesday night.
Edison is a citizen of the United Kingdom who stayed in Canada last year beyond the limits of her student visa. She said she came to Toronto on Monday to visit her partner and speak with lawyers about the visa infraction, but was detained at Toronto's Pearson International Airport.
She was taken to Maplehurst Correctional Complex in Milton, Ont., a provincial detention facility for men.
Edison tweeted about her experience at the airport, where she said she was told she "needed to be assessed by a nurse before placed in male or female cell." Both Edison and her partner, who had been working to get Edison transferred, said authorities acknowledged there was a possibility of violence at the men's facility.
Edison's partner said she had been separated from the general population at Maplehurst, where she spent the night.
Edison, who works as a stand-up comedian, treated the ordeal with a good deal of humour.
Friends, family and a growing swarm of people on Twitter began demanding Edison be moved to a women's facility.
On Tuesday night her girlfriend also confirmed the transfer on Twitter.
Canadian law states that where a person is detained or imprisoned depends on his or her genitals.