http://pride.clients.apolitic.com/index.php en tracey@pridetoronto.com Copyright 2010 2010-03-12T18:30:44+00:00 http://www.pridetoronto.com/site/mississippi-prom-canceled-after-lesbian-date-request/ http://www.pridetoronto.com/site/mississippi-prom-canceled-after-lesbian-date-request/#When:19:30:44Z JACKSON, Miss. - A northern Mississippi school district decided Wednesday not to host a high school prom after a lesbian student demanded she be able to attend with her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo. The Itawamba County school district's policy requires that senior prom dates be of the opposite sex. The American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi had given the district until Wednesday to change that policy and allow 18-year-old Constance McMillen to escort her girlfriend, who is also a student, to the dance on April 2. Instead, the school board met and issued a statement announcing it wouldn't host the event at Itawamba County Agricultural High School in Fulton, "due to the distractions to the educational process caused by recent events." The statement didn't mention McMillen or the ACLU. When asked by The Associated Press if McMillen's demand led to the cancellation, school board attorney Michele Floyd said she could only reference the statement. "It is our hope that private citizens will organize an event for the juniors and seniors," district officials said in the statement. "However, at this time, we feel that it is in the best interest of the Itawamba County School District, after taking into consideration the education, safety and well being of our students." The ACLU said a school policy banning same-sex prom dates violated McMillen's constitutional rights. Kristy Bennett, legal director for the ACLU of Mississippi, said the district was trying to avoid the issue. "But that doesn't take away their legal obligations to treat all the students fairly," Bennett said. "On Constance's behalf, this is unfair to her. All she's trying to do is assert her rights." Bennett said she wouldn't allow McMillen to comment on Wednesday, saying "she's still trying to process" the district's actions. Calls to McMillen's cell phone went unanswered. Read More   2010-03-12T19:30:44+00:00 http://www.pridetoronto.com/site/sydneys-mardi-gras-biggest-lgbtq-party-in-the-world/ http://www.pridetoronto.com/site/sydneys-mardi-gras-biggest-lgbtq-party-in-the-world/#When:21:20:37Z The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is one of the largest LGBT* celebrations in the world. The parade has an estimated 20,000 participants, and hundreds of thousands of people attend.The theme for this year's Mardi Gras parade was "History of the World," described as "a sexy and bawdy rollercoaster ride through the ages." Like the Pride festival in Toronto, Mardi Gras is not only a parade, but a collection of numerous parties and events that make up the entirety of the festival.This year, Mardi Gras started on February 19th and finished on March 6th. The two-week celebration featured some of the biggest names in the world, including performances by Whitney Houston, George Michael, Kelly Rowland, Adam Lambert, and Amanda Lepore.One of more interesting events was the creation of the large-scale artwork by Spencer Tunick, called "The Base." Tunick is well known for taking photographs of nude figures in public spaces. This piece, commissioned by the Mardi Gras, featured 5,200 people in front of the Sydney Opera House. Click HERE for the article on CBC.ca. A favourite event during Pride is the Fair Day, where 70,000 show up to bask in the sun, meet new friends, and watch live performances. Due to the popularity of the event, Fair Day has become the official launch of Mardi Gras. Other interesting aspects include a Bear Tree and a dog show - Doggywood.Mardi Gras, like all other major Pride celebrations around the world, attracts a global crowd. Sydney is a great place to travel to in February/March because it is winter in the Northern hemisphere. As such, there are many attendees from Europe and North America.Mardi Gras was a major success again this year and there is still evident support for the event, including that from the greater community. For more information, visit: http://www.mardigras.org.au/. Words by Peter Walker, Media Committee Journalist   *Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer. 2010-03-10T21:20:37+00:00 http://www.pridetoronto.com/site/corrections-ministry-fails-to-protect-gay-jail-guard/ http://www.pridetoronto.com/site/corrections-ministry-fails-to-protect-gay-jail-guard/#When:21:11:29Z Homophobic taunts, derogatory comments, and ongoing insults resulted in a poisoned work environment for a gay prison guard at an Ottawa jail. He won the grievance brought by his union against the corrections ministry. The Ontario Grievance Settlement Board found that Roger Ranger, who was a corrections officer at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre, endured harassment and discrimination because of his sexual orientation. The Board identified Mark Grady, who was president of the correctional services' union at the time, as Ranger's main tormentor, finding that he repeatedly used profanities and made rude gestures. The Board concluded that the anti-gay atmosphere at the jail created a poisoned work environment for Ranger and led to him leaving his job. He suffered depression as a direct result of the harassment and became unable to work. Ranger filed a grievance against the corrections ministry. The Board concluded that jail management was aware of the homophobia that existed among employees, but that "people were afraid to report and that the culture of the code of silence protected some of the worst offenders."After medical treatment, doctors concluded that Ranger was well enough to return to work, but not in a corrections facility. The Board ruled that the Ministry had a duty to accommodate Ranger's disability - which was caused by the workplace harassment - by finding him alternative employment, but that it delayed unreasonably in doing so."The board accepted that [Ranger] was made sick by the harassment and discrimination, and that he failed to get better because the employer didn't accommodate him," said Don Eady, the lawyer for the union that represented Ranger in his grievance. "There really wasn't anything in terms of alternative work offered to him, on any sort of reasonable basis...This is not a mom-and-pop operation - this is the provincial government. There are lots of different jobs there," Eady said.Next steps include meeting with the government "to discuss what they're prepared to do," as far as compensating Ranger for his lost wages, his pain and suffering, and in finding him alternative employment, Eady said. "If the parties can reach an agreement, great. If not, then we'll go back before the settlement board and seek specific remedies."By Natalie Fraser, Media Committee Journalist 2010-03-10T21:11:29+00:00 http://www.pridetoronto.com/site/malawi-gay-couples-appeal-rejected/ http://www.pridetoronto.com/site/malawi-gay-couples-appeal-rejected/#When:17:20:10Z In the most recent development surrounding the arrest of a gay couple in Malawi, the constitutional court rejected the couple's appeal to review their case. The verdict will be announced on March 22. On Dec. 28, 2009, Steven Monjeza, 26, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20, were arrested after conducting a public ceremony of their engagement in the city of Blantyre. Authorities charged them with "unnatural acts and gross indecency." Since then, they have been twice refused of bail. The couple is currently held separately in a maximum security prison and could face up to 14 years if convicted. Local activist groups, as well as Amnesty International, have pleaded for the freedom of Monjeza and Chimbalanga. The Vancouver Sun reports that Amnesty International released a statement saying, "The arrest of the two men solely for their real or perceived sexual orientation amounts to discrimination and it is in violation of their rights to freedom of conscience, expression, and privacy." Yet despite support from various groups, the Malawi government remains firm in its stance. Following the arrest, authorities have begun an anti-gay operation to arrest all high-profile gays in the country. Police department spokesperson, David Chingwalu, said investigators have discovered a network of well-known people involved in homosexual acts and that the police say, "we will arrest them all." Homosexuality is currently considered a crime in Malawi, as in the majority of countries in Africa. In fact, South Africa is the only country on the continent to have legalized gay marriage. The Malawi couple's case has snowballed into more arrests in Africa, as well as controversial talks regarding laws against homosexuality. In early February, five men from Kenya were arrested on the beach after being suspected of being gay. Meanwhile, the Ugandan parliament is trying to pass a bill that will impose life imprisonment on any person convicted of engaging in gay sexual acts. Leaders such as Barack Obama have spoken out against the proposed Ugandan law, describing it as "odious." However, as Monjeza and Chimbalanga await their verdict, it is clear that the acceptance of homosexuality in Malawi and other parts of the world would still need to come a long way. - Words by Christal Gardiola, Media Committee Journalist   2010-03-03T17:20:10+00:00 http://www.pridetoronto.com/site/johnny-weir-responds-to-gender-comments/ http://www.pridetoronto.com/site/johnny-weir-responds-to-gender-comments/#When:17:12:00Z After media questioned everything from his costumes to his gender during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games, 25-year-old American figure skater Johnny Weir told reporters he's comfortable with who he is and knows his values."I'm not somebody to cry over something or to feel weak about something," he says. "I felt very defiant when I saw these comments. It wasn't these two men criticizing my skating . . . it was them criticizing me as a person. That was something that really frankly pissed me off."Weir, who placed sixth overall at the Winter Games in Vancouver, is referring to comments made by Claude Mailhot and Alain Goldberg, sportscasters on the French-language TV station RDS in Quebec. Discussing his figure skating costumes and body language, they said Weir set a bad example for other male skaters and joked that he should undergo gender testing.The broadcasters later apologized for their words, after the Quebec Council of Gays and Lesbians filed a complaint with the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council over the comments.Weir says that those who judge him based simply on his skating costumes have no idea who he really is. Though he says he's in favour of freedom of speech, he wanted to respond to the broadcasters' comments so other kids won't grow up to face similar issues. Attempting to turn an "ugly" situation into something beautiful, he hopes more kids can grow up like he has, with the freedom to express themselves. "I think masculinity is what you believe it to be," he says. "I think masculinity and femininity is something that's very old fashioned. There's a whole new generation of people that aren't defined by their sex or their race or who they like to sleep with. I think as a person you know what your values are and what you believe in, and I think that's the most important thing."As for the broadcasters who criticized him, Weir says they'd likely find common ground over a trademark Quebec dish."If I had the chance to sit down with them over a poutine . . . I think they'd see who I really am."- Words by Chris Mejaski, Media Committee Journalist [video source]   2010-03-03T17:12:00+00:00 http://www.pridetoronto.com/site/sex-pride-and-community/ http://www.pridetoronto.com/site/sex-pride-and-community/#When:17:01:28Z What does Pride mean to you? Do you think of the Pride festival in June, or of a movement in the form of political progress? Maybe Pride for you is the confidence of being "out" in the open, free of shame. In my search to find out what Pride means to Torontonians, I sat down this week with Lorraine and Eliza, two staff members at Good For Her. The pro-woman, pro-queer sex shop is a unique find - located at 175 Harbord Street, the store features queer-friendly workshops, a huge range of toys and books for diverse users, and women and trans-only hours on Sundays. Celebrating Difference "There's a lot about Pride the event that is about showing people, ‘Yes we are like you,' but there's a lot about Pride that's saying, ‘No, actually, we're celebrating our difference.'" Lorraine, who has put in over five years as a staff member at Good For Her, sees this ying-yang of unity and diversity as an important part of Pride. For Lorraine, it is the diversity that unites us. "I feel like no matter who you are, there's a place for you at Pride - you fit under the umbrella." Community is Key Eliza has been working at the store for about a year, as well as being involved in the Feminist Porn Awards. For her, Pride is all about communities joining forces. "I see Pride as a place for all of the different communities to come together to talk about their lives and have fun." Eliza sees the store as a vital place for the LGBTTIQQ2SA community. "[Among] our staff, we talk about the language that we use around body parts and genitals. We try to be neutral and not make assumptions about people's identities. "Most of us [at the store] have a connection to the queer community. Whether we identify that way or not, we have some lived experience so we can identify with our customers." A Celebration Despite being constantly surrounded by sexuality at Good For Her, Pride clearly represents more than sex for these two. "Pride is about being able to celebrate all the things that make up who you are," says Lorraine. -Words by Keren Gottfried, Media Committee Journalist   2010-03-03T17:01:28+00:00 http://www.pridetoronto.com/site/nominations-now-open-for-pride-2010-awards/ http://www.pridetoronto.com/site/nominations-now-open-for-pride-2010-awards/#When:00:12:33Z FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMonday, March 1, 2010 Nominations now open for Pride 2010 Awards Toronto, ON - Each year, Pride Toronto hosts a Gala & Awards ceremony to honour individuals and groups who, through excellence in their work, have created a positive impact on the lives or perception of the LGBTTIQQ2SA* communities. The 6th Annual Pride Toronto Gala & Awards will be held on Wednesday, June 30, 2010 at Toronto's prestigious Carlu venue. "This year's Awards will once again recognize those whose contributions to the service of their community has been significant," says Pride Toronto Executive Director, Tracey Sandilands. "We are looking forward to receiving a number of nominations for people or groups who are truly deserving of recognition, and nominations from across Canada are welcome." Awards will be presented in the categories of Arts and Culture, Human Rights, Sports, Youth Leadership, and Lifetime Achievement. The Theme Award will be presented to the Grand Marshal selected for the year. "In all cases, the completeness of the nomination submitted is what is important," says Sandilands. Nominations that are incomplete or provide insufficient information may be eliminated. The Pride Toronto Board reviews the nominations and selects the winners, who are then notified and receive tickets for themselves and their partners. "Over the years Pride Toronto has been privileged to present awards to a number of very worthy recipients," says Sandilands, "and our 30th anniversary this year will be no exception."Nomination forms can be downloaded at http://www.pridetoronto.com/docs, and the deadline for receiving nominations is midnight on Friday, March 12, 2010. Tickets to attend the gala or to purchase a table are available on the Pride Toronto website under Events/Gala and Awards. *Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer, Questioning, 2-Spirited, and Allies.About Pride Toronto: Pride Toronto is the not-for-profit organization that hosts Pride Week, an annual festival held during the last week of June in downtown Toronto. Pride Toronto exists to celebrate the history, courage, diversity and future of Toronto's LGBTTIQQ2SA* communities and is one of the leading cultural events of its kind in the world with a total economic benefit in 2009 of $136m. Toronto's Pride Week has been named the Best Festival in Canada by the Canadian Special Events Industry, is recognized as one of only Eight Signature Events in the city of Toronto, and is ranked as one of the TOP 50 festivals in Ontario by Festivals and Events Ontario. http://www.pridetoronto.com Media Contact: Michael Ain, Marketing and Communications ManagerTel: 416.927.7433, Ext. 226michael@pridetoronto.comwww.pridetoronto.com   2010-02-26T00:12:33+00:00 http://www.pridetoronto.com/site/can-transsexual-athletes-compete-at-the-olympics/ http://www.pridetoronto.com/site/can-transsexual-athletes-compete-at-the-olympics/#When:21:11:27Z A transsexual is a person in which the sex-related structures of the brain that define gender identity are opposite to the physical sex organs of the body. In May 2004, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) published the Stockholm Consensus, which announced that both male-female and female-male transsexual athletes would be able to compete in the Olympic Games, beginning with the 2004 games in Athens. Until this point, cases of transsexual athletes were dealt with by the individual federation governing each sport. This formal acknowledgment of transsexual athletes is a very important step towards equality. However, the IOC placed several important caveats on the athletes. Individuals who transitioned after puberty must have had complete surgical changes, underwent hormone therapy for at least two years, and gained legal recognition from the appropriate official authority. However, individuals who underwent gender reassignment surgery prior to puberty should be regarded as their identified gender. These conditions for post-puberty sex reassignment are not entirely equitable for all athletes. There is currently a large global disparity in terms of access to gender reassignment surgery and legal recognition of gender identity. In many countries the surgery is either unavailable or illegal. Furthermore, surgery and hormone therapy can be prohibitively expensive, which places a large financial burden on the individual. In December 2005, the Chair of the IOC Medical Commission confirmed that the Stockholm Consensus only applies to those events sanctioned by the IOC, which is only a small subset of all athletic competitions. Also, the consensus did not adequately evaluate the case of female-male transsexual athletes. When transitioning from female-male, individuals will often be given the hormone testosterone. However, the administration of testosterone would be considered a doping offence under the World Anti-Doping Code. There is the question that testosterone given to male-female transsexuals would fall under a therapeutic use exemption, but there has been no firm decision governing this issue. Thus, although the IOC does not officially discriminate against transsexual athletes, the burden of the requirements could easily be too much for an ambitious athlete. For a copy of the Stockholm Consensus, please visit: http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_905.pdf - Words by Peter Walker, Media Committee Journalist   2010-02-24T21:11:27+00:00 http://www.pridetoronto.com/site/pride-house-an-olympic-first/ http://www.pridetoronto.com/site/pride-house-an-olympic-first/#When:20:56:57Z For the first time in Olympic history, the LGBTTIQQ2SA community has a venue to celebrate the Games. Pride House offers a welcoming place for the community's athletes and their coaches, family, and friends to get together, enjoy sport, and be themselves.Pride House has two locations to celebrate the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. Pride House Whistler is located in the centre of Whistler Village at the Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre Hotel, and includes a hip lounge with a cocktail bar and TV monitors to watch the Olympics. Pride House Vancouver, located at Q-munity, B.C.'s Queer Resource Centre, acts as the hub for special events happening around town, with immigration experts, free Wi-Fi and a TV to follow the sports excitement, as well as ambassadors to assist visitors.Marion Lay, an Olympic swimmer who won a bronze medal for Canada in '68, spoke at Pride House Vancouver's opening ceremonies on Feb. 14. "When I started in my career, I was terrified that someone would out me," Lay said in her speech. "But when I did get outed, it was the best thing that ever happened to me." Check out Lay's full speech on YouTube.Many of the athletes at these Games are in the closet, Lay said - and it's a fearful place, since coaches and administrators make many sports decisions and they often are biased. "It's fantastic for Vancouver and for Canada to have the first Pride House," Lay said, encouraging everyone at Pride House to help sport come out. Bill Siksay, Member of Parliament for Burnaby-Douglas and the NDP critic for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transsexual, and Transgender Issues, also spoke at Pride House Vancouver's opening ceremonies. "It's a challenge to come out in politics - and it's just as tough in the sporting world," Siksay said. "I'm glad Pride House is here to show [the way]!"The Olympics bring athletes together from all over the world, yet in over 70 countries, it is still illegal to be homosexual, and in 7 countries the punishment for homosexuality is death, according to the Pride House website (http://www.pridehouse.ca). Pride House aims to lead the way in educating and promoting change in homophobia in the sports culture.-Words by Natalie Fraser, Media Committee Journalist 2010-02-24T20:56:57+00:00 http://www.pridetoronto.com/site/military-police-resurrect-canadas-long-dead-anal-sex-law/ http://www.pridetoronto.com/site/military-police-resurrect-canadas-long-dead-anal-sex-law/#When:18:16:19Z Buggery may not be illegal anymore, but that hasn't stopped police in Ontario from charging a man in his 70s with an offence that's almost 40 years old. Details are gradually emerging about the case against a retired army chaplain, but crucial questions - including why police are using an archaic law to prosecute him - have yet to be answered. When the alleged encounters happened, Roger Bazin was a young man and Roman Catholic chaplain at CFB Borden. Before retiring in 1995, he achieved rank brigadier-general and chief commander of all Catholic chaplains in the Forces. The Toronto Star is reporting today that Canadian Forces paid a settlement to the family of another (male) teen in 2006 because of his relationship with Bazin. Now the retired chaplain faces a basket of charges, including sexual assault. Bazin was also charged with buggery, a now-abolished law, a fact that has alarmed gay activists. "Certainly, you wonder why they're using that," says Richard Hudler, one of a clutch of seasoned gay activists working with the newly-formed Queer Ontario. He suspects that Bazin's lawyer will petition to have the buggery charge dropped. He says that in the 1990s, men were charged with breaching an anal sex law that had been ruled unconstitutional. But because men didn't know they could challenge the law, police used it to leverage longer prison sentences and as a weapon during plea-bargaining. "Most of the people who were charged didn't know that it had been found unconstitutional and some plead guilty," says Hudler. In 1972, at the time of the alleged offence, anal sex was illegal unless it was conducted in private, between two people, and both parties were at least 21 years of age. Peter Bochove, a Toronto bathhouse owner and longtime gay activist, says that while he hasn't been following the case closely, the reports so far raise more questions than they answer. "How will this man defend himself nearly four decades after the fact? For that matter, how can there be any evidence to prosecute him successfully?" he says. A spokesperson for the Canadian Forces investigation service insists that the application of the law as it stood in 1972 is both legal and ethical. Read More Neil McKinnon / Xtra.ca / Friday, February 19, 2010 2010-02-22T18:16:19+00:00