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July-August 2019

Deciding Factors

The decision of whether or not to bring children into the world is always complex. Here, identity, ancestry, age, capitalism and climate change are all part of the considerations.

Thirza Cuthand

Being a Plains Cree non-binary lesbian with a non- functioning uterus makes baby-making hard. And the looming pressure of total environmental and climate collapse has made a lot of my friends choose not to have children at all. Is it selfish to bring a child into the world as it stands now? And can I […] More »
January-February 2019

We’re here. We’re queer. Now what?

For LGBTQ refugees, Canada is no land of unicorns and rainbows

Amy van den Berg@vandenba

Driving back and forth along Wellesley Street in Toronto, Iris looks for a sign that she belongs. It’s late at night and raining, and she’s been blown off by a date. The woman she met on the dating website Plenty of Fish lives in Niagara Falls, and Iris rented a car for the weekend to […] More »
September-October 2018

Why reporters need to be more responsible in their coverage of trans communities

Journalism about detransition is creating overblown moral panic among North American readers

Alex V. Green

Over the summer, I worked on two articles about non-traditional gender transitions, and interviewed 11 people about their experiences. Through email, over the phone, and at their kitchen tables, I talked with transgender people across Canada and the U.S. about navigating their transitions through the medical system—using hormones irregularly, ordering medications online, lying to doctors, […] More »
July-August 2018

Drag-inspired storytelling teaches diversity and kindness to Toronto kids

Inside John Paul Kane and Kaleb Robertson's queer spin on storytime

Celie Deagle

In a ballroom in Toronto’s LGBTQ Village, long-time drag queen Fay Slift smiles down at a young child dressed just like her. Both wear ice-blue wigs, bright patterned dresses, and long pink evening gloves. Around Fay’s look-alike sit more children, listening as she and Fluffy Soufflé, dressed in a navy muumuu and bracelets made out […] More »
May-June 2018

When it comes to queer parenthood, it’s complicated

Ashleigh-Rae Thomas knew she wanted to be a mother, but she wasn't sure how to do it. So, she turned to the LGBTQ community for answers

Ashleigh-Rae Thomas

I’ve always seen myself as a mother. As a child, I had dolls that I fed and bathed. I was one of the oldest of a dozen cousins, and often, there was a baby for me to hold and play with. I read parenting guides and magazines cover to cover—not required reading for a kid, […] More »
May-June 2018

“Each death is a preventable tragedy”

Transgender women have long been subjected to violence in major cities. In Toronto, the reality is no different—and police have done little to stop it. These are their stories

Alex V. Green

I: Cassandra Do On August 25, 2003, a transgender woman named Cassandra Do was found dead in her apartment on Gloucester Street in Toronto’s LGBTQ Village. I don’t know much about Cassandra aside from some essential facts: She was 32, she did sex work, she was once in nursing school, she was Vietnamese. In one of […] More »
May-June 2018

Nine Canadian LGBTQ artists you need to know this Pride Month

Writers, poets, singers, and more!

Madi Haslam

In honour of Pride Month, we’ve compiled a brief list of LGBTQ artists from across the country who are changing Canada’s arts landscape. Know someone who should be on the list? Tweet us @thismagazine! DAYNA DANGER is a queer, Two-Spirit, Métis/Saulteaux/Polish visual artist based in Montreal. Danger’s medium shifts to capture her ideas, whether that […] More »
May-June 2018

Toronto’s Queer Songbook Orchestra gives modern hits an LGBTQ spin

The group is queering everything from Top 40 songs to your favourite Disney movie soundtrack

Jeff Miller

On stage, a group of classical musicians dressed in formal evening wear hold their string, brass, and woodwind instruments. Making their final preparations before playing, they check their tuning, adjust their seats, and arrange sheet music on the stands in front of them. A pianist sits to one side, and a drummer near the back. […] More »
May-June 2018

The United Church’s Cheri DiNovo is carving out space for Canada’s LGBTQ communities

After a career in politics, the minister wants equality for all

Hanna Lee

Former politician Cheri DiNovo was raised an agnostic atheist and, from an early age, thought religion was silly. “I didn’t understand why people were religious,” she says. “I always wanted to have that conversation, but was embarrassed to ask because I saw that some of the Christians I knew were very smart people who did […] More »

How this LGBTQ conference brings together tech and queerness

Toronto's Venture Out challenges the city's Silicon Valley lookalike, male, heterosexual bro-tech space while supporting LGBTQ techies

Sohini Bhattacharya

As a queer young woman fresh out of university entering the workforce, Jeanette Stock had several challenges to navigate. “The biggest barriers were my own about me being queer. I had never been schooled in workplace 101 on being queer,” says Stock. Challenges included coming out at work and getting comfortable with speaking about her […] More »
May-June 2018

Looking back at Calgary’s LGBTQ legacy

New project aims to explore the city's past with its queer and trans communities

Melanie Woods

In a city known for cowboys and conservatism, a new initiative aims to commemorate its lesser-known history with a physical monument. Launched in 2017, the YYC Legacy Project sprang from Calgary city councillor Evan Woolley’s interest in ongoing endeavours, like Kevin Allen’s Calgary Gay History project. “I’m a fourth-generation Calgarian, I’m very proud of my […] More »