Add Gender Identity/Expression to Canadian Human Rights Act

The Canadian parliament will deliberate on bill C-389 which would amend the Human Rights Act to include protections based on gender identity/expression. The bill would essentially offer employment and housing protections as well include transgender people in hate crimes protections.

Please contact your member of Parliament and urge them to schedule a vote and pass this historic piece of legislation.

H/T to Dented Blue Mercedes.

Word of the Gay: "Fruit Machine"

The "fruit machine" was a device developed in Canada that was supposed to detect homosexuals. It was used in the 50's and 60's by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the military to root out gay men.

Demand Algoma District Implement Anti-LGBT Protection Policy

Members of the LGBT community are putting pressure on the Algoma District School Board in Ontario Canada to implement an anti-LGBT discrimination policy. The school has been resistent to changing policies to make the life of LGBT students easier in the past and activists are hoping to change that this time around.

Please join the campaign by calling and email the school and let them know a non-discrimination policy inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity is necessary.

Algoma District School Board
Education Centre

644 Albert St. E.
Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 2K7
Phone: 705-945-7111
Toll Free: 1-888-393-3639
General Information: Susan Vandermolen

Fast Food Chain Tim Hortons Pulls Sponsorship of Anti-Gay National Org for Marriage

8/10/09: Under pressure from LGBT activists like yourself, the company has pulled their sponsorship from the anti-gay National Organization for Marriage citing "It has come to our attention that the Rhode Island event organizer and purpose of the event fall outside of our sponsorship guidelines. As such, Tim Hortons can not provide support at the event.

Tim Hortons and its store owners have always welcomed all families and communities to its restaurants and will continue to do so. We apologize for any misunderstanding or inconvenience this may have caused." (Tim Hortons).

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8/9/09: Canadian coffee and doughnut chain Tim Hortons is sponsoring the National Organization for Marriage’s antigay cookout and worship service on Aug. 16 at Aldrich Mansion in suburban Providence, Rhode Island.

Tim Hortons is Canada’s largest food service operation — by some measures, larger than McDonald’s in that country. It is also the largest Canadian coffeehouse chain — Starbucks is No. 2. It has expanded into the eastern United States in recent years, acquiring local chains and amassing a network of 500 U.S. restaurants as it seeks to push aside Starbucks and New England-based Dunkin’ Donuts.

Tim Hortons’ sponsorship of the National Organization for Marriage appears to be in violation of corporate policy against support for religious and political causes.

Contact Tim Hortons and give them your thoughts about the value of corporate policies that apparently were made to be broken.

Crossposted via Truth Wins Out.

Blog Spotlight: My So Called Gay Life

My So Called Gay Life is a different portal for the GLBT community and friends that covers national, Canadian and European GLBT news in English.

Web Spotlight: Queer History Project

The Queer History Project is an interactive website as a place where the Vancouver queer community can create, explore and share their history. This is an opportunity to showcase what was funny, brave, caring, painful, motivating, subversive, routine, ignored, gorgeous and arousing. What happened and what was it like? They invite the community to define its ongoing history.

Transwoman Faces Danger in Canadian Prison System

Jeanniegrrl has alerted me to the case of a Quebec, Canada trans woman who is a prisoner and in possible danger due to her gender identity/expression.

"Tania Veilleux, 43, is legally a woman under Quebec law but is being held in Ste-Anne-des-Plaines federal facility because she's a male under Correctional Service of Canada rules.

Veilleux, formerly Sylvain, is awaiting surgery to change gender, but until that happens, she is treated as a man. Nevertheless, she wants to be sent to a woman's jail.

Her safety may be at risk, said transgendered lawyer Micheline Montreuil: "I'm sure she will be harassed," and perhaps even raped by other inmates" (CBCNews).

Ste-Anne-des-Plaines Institution
244 Montée Gagnon
Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Quebec
J0N 1H0
(450) 478-5933
Fax: (450) 478-7077

Act Now: Nigerian Bisexual Faces Imminent Deportation From Canada

"Jane Okojie, a woman of Nigerian nationality, arrived in Canada in 2003 after being beaten by her neighbours when her bisexuality was discovered.

The Nigerian refugee, who says she is bisexual, is facing deportation and currently awaits judgement from the federal courts.

Okojie said yesterday if she returns home, she will face persecution.

"I don't know if there's going to be life for me there. Sending me back to Nigeria is a suicide mission for me," said Okojie, 39.

The Toronto youth worker fled to Canada in July 2003 with her 12-year-old son, Samuel. She said neighbours in her homeland beat her after they discovered she was bisexual -- a crime in Nigeria which carries a prison sentence of up to 14 years.

Canadian immigration and refugee officials have rejected her claim, saying Okojie failed to convince them that she's bisexual or lesbian.

NDP MP Olivia Chow, her party's immigration critic, said Canada's citizenship and immigration ministry should look at creating an appeal division for claimants" (Toronto Sun).

Demand that Jane Ojokie be granted asylum, letting the agency know that in Nigeria sexual minorities suffer heinous persecution.

Email the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada at info@irb-cisr.gc.ca

Contact Citizen and Immigration Canada.

Canadian Independent Federal Candidate - "Kill Gays"

David Popescu is running in the 2008 elections as an independent candidate as part of Canada's federal election. Popescu is well known for his radical christian point of view, and his strong opposition to homosexuality, abortion, and stem cell research.

In addressing high school students in Sudbury, Ontario Mr. Popescu has made some of the most radical comments ever suggesting gays deserve the death penalty

"A young man asked me what I think of homosexual marriages and I said I think homosexuals should be executed," he said. "My whole reason for running is the Bible and the Bible couldn't be more clear on that point." (Toronto Sun)

Police have begun an investigation and are alleging that this is a possible hate crime.

Mr. Popescu responded to the assertion that he will be under investigation by reiterating his point of view.

"I said I believe homosexuals should be executed . . . when I say homosexuals should be executed, I am speaking in terms of government actions. That is the way the Bible puts it."

I think it won't come as a surprise that gays and lesbians are not endorsing this candidate for office.

Montreal Asexual Meetup Group

Montreal area asexuals and allies will be meeting at 17:30 (5:30 pm) on Saturday, September 13th at Bardeco restaurant located at 1676 Lincoln (corner St-Mathieu). The closest metro station is Guy-Concordia.

What to expect at the meeting?
* Introductions
* Discussion of what we hope to get out of this meeting
* Thoughts on possible outreach to Montreal's asexual community. Should we try organizing future meetings/events? How would we publicize such meetings? What do we want to accomplish: increase awareness of asexuality? Facilitate social networking between asexuals? Other goals?

For more info or to RSVP please contact Jean at jproulx1973@yahoo.ca

Petition for Gender Identity/Expression Protections in British Columbia, Canada

Help the Trans Alliance Society collect signatures for a petition that asks the British Columbia government to add gender identity/expression into the BC human rights code.

"To the Honourable the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia, in Legislature Assembled:

The petition of the undersigned, concerned citizens, of the Province of British Columbia, states that:

WHEREAS transsexual, transgender and gender variant persons in British Columbia regularly experience egregious harassment and discrimination in employment, in housing, in health care, in education and in accessing public services, all on the basis of gender identity and gender expression;

AND WHEREAS a clear, visible and explicit statutory prohibition against harassment and discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression will promote the dignity, equality and well-being of transsexual, transgender and gender variant persons in British Columbia;

Now, therefore, THE UNDERSIGNED, CITIZENS AND PEOPLES OF BRITISH COLUMBIA HEREBY PETITION THIS HONOURABLE HOUSE TO:

Amend the British Columbia Human Rights Code so as to include and to specify “gender identity and gender expression” as a prohibited ground of discrimination for all purposes of that legislation in British Columbia."

For further information please call Raigen D'Angelo at 604-255-0551

Click here for a printable PDF form of the petition!

URGENT ALERT: Demand Asylum for Bisexual Nigerian Woman & Family

"“Time is running out for a bisexual woman who has been denied refugee status in Canada. Jane Okojie is scheduled to be deported to Nigeria on Thu, Jul 10 where she says she and her two children will face persecution because of her bisexuality.” (Queerty)

Click to Email the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada(IRB)info@irb-cisr.gc.ca and demand asylum for Ms. Jane Okojie.

Urge Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach to Add Sexuality to Human Rights Code

According to Slap Upside The Head:

"Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach has announced that he will not bring Alberta’s Human Rights code up to date with the rest of Canada this legislative session.

Alberta is currently the only Canadian province that doesn’t include protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation in its human rights code. While Stelmach told the Calgary SUN that adding these protections is “one of several issues under review” for future sessions, he offered no timeline or hints of priority, saying the changes would not be simple."

Please use the form below to contact Premier Ed Stelmach to move swiftly to bring about this important piece of legislation.
http://premier.alberta.ca/contact/