Canada enshrined trans rights in 2017, adding “gender identity or expression” to Federal hate crime and human rights law. Bill C-16 sparked controversy with people like Jordan Peterson and other queerphobics who disapprove of the idea that vulnerable minorities should be protected from their hateful speech. What I meant by “lagged” is: I wasn’t willing to to wait for my rights to be affirmed, and trans folx shouldn’t have to, either. So legislation is necessary. But unfortunately, you can’t legislate attitudes. You know far better than I do how entrenched these attitudes are, and how invested society is in the idea that gender=sex and that there’s only two ways to be.

A post-comment thought: I re-read your response and my original response and I'm more clear on your example of, e.g. Australia, where public attitudes are running ahead of the legislation. I don't know if Australia is an outlier here, or if the public has been "softened up" by thirty-plus years of increasing familiarity with LGBTQ2+ people, the struggle for equal marriage, etc. Canada trends pretty progressive generally, so we normally get the leadership reflecting our values. At least, so far...

DR