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March-April 2022

A good ending

End-of-life doulas are destigmatizing death to help the dying end their lives well

Jacqueline Salomé

Piercing through the chaos of chance and unexpected plot twists that we encounter throughout our lives, there is one stark and certain truth: we’re all going to die. Yet, our death-phobic society has taught us to fear the only thing we know for sure. Even talking about death evokes superstitious reactions, as if speaking the […] More »
March-April 2022

Skin deep

Why we need more BIPOC dermatologists in Canada

Dorcas Marfo

Butterflies and flowers. Butterflies and flowers. Butterflies and flowers. I would repeat this phrase until I had forgotten that my skin was tingling for a scratch. My sister taught me this. She would tell me to think of lush green grass, with flowers too pretty to ignore and butterflies dancing with the wind. I stuck […] More »
March-April 2022

The right fit

Finding myself through fashion as a fat person

Samantha Nock

I was a certifiable emo kid in the early aughts, where scene queens ruled Nexopia, a low budget early form of MySpace, and I was their eager subject. I yearned for skin tight jeans and layered stud belts. I saved my money to buy off-brand checkered Vans slip-ons and generously overlined my bottom lashline. Every […] More »
March-April 2022

Body image

Michelle Kosak’s art explores insecurities

Russul Sahib

Michelle Kosak comes from a long line of artistic talent. Growing up, she remembers how her father inspired her and her brother to follow in his creative footsteps. Despite her artsy flair, she remembers kids at school bullying her about her appearance throughout her childhood. She eventually developed an eating disorder that stayed with her […] More »
January-February 2022

The right to leave

People experiencing pregnancy loss deserve employee protections

Vanshika Dhawan

When Julia Horel presented a report at an Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the non-profit where she worked, she had a secret. Less than 24 hours prior, she received gut-wrenching news. Sometime between the first ultrasound at eight weeks into her pregnancy and the follow-up two weeks later, she experienced a miscarriage. The embryo she […] More »
March-April 2021

How to survive a dystopia

Lessons from the disability justice movement

Mari “Dev” Ramsawakh

For some, we are entering a dystopian-like era, with pandemic and zombie movies feeling uncannily familiar. In May 2020, the BBC noted that the public has had an increased interest in dystopian fiction as a way to cope or understand the pandemic. But, if we really want to learn about how to survive this newfound […] More »
March-April 2021

A well rounded film

New documentary explores fat liberation

Amanda Scriver

Body positivity can be a harrowing but joyful process. Shana Myara made it a life goal. “I gave myself a project where I could fully explore fat liberation with other queers,” says Myara, director of the documentary, Well Rounded. “Particularly from the lens of racialized queers who might also have a critique of how bodies […] More »
January-February 2021

Writing through pain

Eli Tareq El Bechelany-Lynch’s epistolary poems confront chronic pain

Shazia Hafiz Ramji

In the opening letter of their debut poetry collection, knot body, Eli Tareq El Bechelany-Lynch writes: “The days get brighter but somehow I don’t. A dilemma, right? I thought I was swayed by the light, moods lifting as the clouds lift, yet this pain is fingers deep.” El Bechelany-Lynch’s writing is at once an intimate […] More »
January-February 2021

I can’t say her name

On Black mental health during the pandemic

Venus Noirre

Breonna Taylor. I’m tired of hearing her name, I’m tired of seeing her face everywhere. It seems like 2020 has been the year for everything and everyone to break down. The complete isolation that so many of us have been forced into has destroyed any semblance of the old selves that were left. With numerous […] More »
November-December 2020

Disability justice now

Youth-led Ontario organization looks to transform discussions around disability

K. J. Aiello

When it comes to disability, the majority of conversations centre around accessibility and inclusion. Ensuring workplaces are barrier-free, the ongoing fight for a living wage, and equal treatment are among the primary focus. And this makes sense—how can disabled people navigate a world that is structurally ableist? That’s exactly what the Disability Justice Network of […] More »
September-October 2020

Don’t tell me how to age

On aging, beauty, and expectations

Rose Cullis

Picture me sitting on a couch in chartreuse satin pajamas with turquoise embroidery stitched on the seams. The satin feels cool and slippery when I shift to move my computer onto my crossed legs to begin writing. I’ve pinned a big pink button over the place on the body we associate with the heart. The […] More »