It’s Day of Pink tomorrow, April 11, 2019. I have seen the rows of pink shirts on display at my daughter’s school, with words of encouragement and advice on how to be more caring. I hope that these are words that go beyond the assignment and the t-shirt slogan, and show up out loud on the … [Continue reading] Day of Pink 2019
homophobia
“No Homo”…?!
I recently participated in a city tour of Toronto run by Peter Odle – a friend and colleague of mine (check out UrbanExpeditions.com). It was fabulous and I saw parts of the city I have never seen before, in addition to learning a lot about the city’s history. (By the way, Peter and I are running an … [Continue reading] “No Homo”…?!
How Can We Say Such Things To Each Other?
Last week in the Toronto Star there was an article about claims of homophobia, Islamophobia, and racism at The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). You can read more about the emails employees allegedly received from their superiors in the article The first thing that comes to mind, … [Continue reading] How Can We Say Such Things To Each Other?
Bias and Power
There are many things I could write about under this title, but today, I'm going to highlight a decision by a judge in Utah to remove a foster child from a home just because the couple caring for her are lesbians. This is a perfect example of bias - one person's perspective, based on how they see … [Continue reading] Bias and Power
Sexual Harassment and Intersectionality
Thanks to Jian Ghomeshi, there has been a lot of talk over the past two weeks about sexual violence and sexual harassment. It’s good that we are talking about it. Yesterday I caught the tail end of an interview on CBC radio about sexual harassment in the workplace, and why women don’t come … [Continue reading] Sexual Harassment and Intersectionality
Recognizing Discrimination in a Multicultural Society
I just saw the news about the Blue Jays player Yunel Escobar who had a homophobic slur written in his eye-black during a game this weekend. It reminded me of the challenges of recognizing discrimination in a multicultural society. If Escobar played the whole game with these words on his face, a … [Continue reading] Recognizing Discrimination in a Multicultural Society
The Power of a Name
This week in Ontario, Bill 13 (the Accepting Schools Act) passed. This Bill addresses bullying and includes clear reference to homophobia, biphobia and transphobia as types of bullying. Hooray! Naming is powerful in fighting oppression. One of the aspects of the Bill that has received much … [Continue reading] The Power of a Name
Making things better for LGBTQ youth
Every once in a while I'm touched by the commitment and compassion of an organization to make the world a better place and create spaces where people are and feel valued for who they are. TD has been on my list of exemplary companies around LGBTQ issues, and the launch of their new "It Gets Better" … [Continue reading] Making things better for LGBTQ youth
International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia – tomorrow May 17th!
Tomorrow is the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia. If you're in the Toronto area, and want to get involved, here are a few things to consider: Egale Canada is hosting a FREE breakfast at the Sutton Place Hotel (8:00 - 9:30am). Come and start your day with some food and … [Continue reading] International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia – tomorrow May 17th!
LGBT-Inclusive Workplaces
This week’s article in the Toronto Star about the changes in Canadian workplaces for LGBT employees is encouraging. It is good to hear from large corporations who are making a difference in the daily lives of their LGBT employees. In our quest to further inclusion, invisible diversity is often … [Continue reading] LGBT-Inclusive Workplaces