LGBT
Friday FTW: Pakistan celebrates transgender candidates in election
Transgender candidates are running for office for the first time in the country’s history. In this country? God no (com’on—Canada just passed legislation allowing trans people to use the public washroom of their choice)—they’re running for office in Pakistan. Turns out the developing country has Canada beat when it comes to certain gender rights. Here—and… More »
WTF Wednesday: Straights-Only Law School, Patent Pending
The Federation of Canadian Law Societies is reviewing a controversial proposal. Trinity Western University, a Christian liberal arts school in Langley, B.C., applied to add a law school to their institution in June 2012—one that imposes their Bible-based views. But now they’ve hit a snag. It’s a snag that is thousands strong. Law students and… More »
Friday FTW: Human rights museum asks gay couples to share their stories for exhibit
The Canadian Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg is asking for marriage photos from same-sex couples couples for the museum’s opening exhibit in 2015. The exhibit pays tribute to the struggle for gay rights, but it is also intended to “normalize” LGBT relationships for people who are perhaps a little homophobic. For the most part, the… More »
WTF Wednesday: Alaska caucus shares laugh over gay rights
A public opinion survey released earlier this month shows that 67 per cent of Alaskans think gay couples deserve some form of legal recognition. So, in a meeting of the Alaska House Majority Caucus February 15, Mark Miller, a reporter for the Juneau Empire newspaper, asked, “would the caucus support the idea of having domestic… More »
In memory of Kyle Scanlon
Yesterday, I learned that Kyle Scanlon, a well-loved and respected member of the trans* activist scene in Toronto, had died. Kyle committed suicide last week in his Toronto home. He’s not someone I knew well, but I’d reported on a couple events featuring Kyle’s presence in the past. It was a shock to think that… More »
The long road of LGBTQ rights in Canada
Toronto’s LGBTQ community is gearing up for what is set to be another successful Pride Week in the city. The event has taken place in various forms since the late 1970s and has run annually since 1981. It continues to grow increasingly popular within the LGBTQ community, but also with all members of society. Last… More »
Messy Monday, June 18: Birthers, bullets, and buzz
GOP convention features bullet-pocked Obama outhouse In case you’ve been living under a rock this year, a presidential election in the U.S. is fast approaching. That means all decorum is lost and the shit hits the fan—or, in the case of some political “art,” the bathroom. A Republican Party convention in Montana this weekend featured… More »
Messy Monday June 11: Ex-gay therapy, tales from the Vatican, and one more reason to love Sweden
Hello, This Kiddos. Today I woke up and read that ex-gay therapy is still being presented as the way to “help” kids who are dealing with homophobic harassment and thoughts of suicide. Oh man, guys, I’m so vexed about this I can’t even find something witty to write. Ex-gay therapy is promoted as solution to… More »
Catholic schools clash with LGBT rights — but "institution" isn't a synonym for faith
That Catholic schools do not always look positively upon homosexuality may not come as a great surprise, given their collective track record. But in the past week, two news stories have brought new and unique anti-gay measures taken at Catholic schools to light. First, officials at Missisauga’s St. Joseph’s Catholic Secondary School allegedly restricted students’ use of… More »
42 years on, the freedoms that Bill C-150 affirmed can't be taken for granted
Tomorrow, let’s take a moment to reflect on the 42nd anniversary of the passing of Bill C-150, the omnibus bill that decriminalized abortion, contraception and homosexuality. The rights that Canadians have because of this historic bill are crucial to remember as those same rights come under attack elsewhere: on Wednesday, Indiana became the first state… More »
