If you live in North America, June is Pride Month in many places. If you live in Toronto, this week is Pride Week – culminating in three parades on the weekend: the trans march, the dyke march and the Pride parade. Depending on your social location, this could mean a great deal to you, nothing …
Pride
Now that Pride is over…
If you live in Toronto, Pride week is over, and Pride month will end in a few days. But no matter where you live, if Pride is celebrated, here is some food for thought for after the parade is done. What happens now? Where do all the rainbows go? The stickers, the flags, the sentiment? What …
What Happens When Black Lives Matter
This past Tuesday, at the Pride Toronto AGM, members voted to uphold the demands of Black Lives Matter made last summer at the Pride parade. One of those demands was the removal of police floats from the Parade. Police spokesperson Mark Pugash expressed disappointment, and is quoted in the …
Black Lives Matter = Opportunity for Growth
Black Lives Matter Toronto halted to Pride Parade on Sunday to make some demands of Pride Toronto. It’s not the first and won’t be the last of their bold activism. And, as Naila Keleta-Mae writes in her Globe and Mail article, the point is that they make people uncomfortable. Here’s my perspective …
[Continue reading] Black Lives Matter = Opportunity for Growth
Food for Thought about Orlando
It’s been just over 2 weeks since the mass shooting at PULSE nightclub in Orlando, Florida where 49 people were killed. As a member of the LGBTQ communities, and as a Diversity and Inclusion speaker, facilitator, and consultant (specializing in LGBT Inclusion) it has given me pause on many fronts. …
Happy Pride Week!
If you live in the Toronto area, Happy Pride Week! The rainbow flag is everywhere - a great opening to talk about LGBTQ issues. Even sweeter this week is the US Supreme Court's ruling on same sex marriage - making it legal in 13 US states and DC. There are 30+ states in which it is still illegal, …
Gender Neutral – huh?
First of all, "Happy Pride" if you live in Toronto! One of the most common questions I get as a pregnant woman is "do you know the gender of your baby?" This is a problematic question for a couple of reasons (at least): 1. The term is not correct: Sex and gender are not the same thing (although …