Offered without comment, other than to say that Bill C-279 is reported to be headed to committee very soon. No date has been given thus far, and it’s not on the calendar as of yet. From Xtra.ca: As federal politicians settle in for the fall session, NDP LGBT critic Randall
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Dented Blue Mercedes: Stephen Woodworth’s “science,” and why Canada’s far-right isn’t really interested in it.
Stephen Woodworth’s Motion M-312 is scheduled for its second hour of debate this Friday, and the vote on the following Wednesday. And over summer’s Parliamentary break, there has been an interesting change of direction from the Canadian far-right backers of Woodworth’s action. In a way, there’s some obvious desire to
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: On Trans Celebrities
“Cloud Atlas” will be winding its way to movie theaters shortly, being billed as an exploration of “how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact one another throughout the past, the present and the future. Action, mystery and romance weave dramatically through the story as one soul is shaped
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: Montreal LGBT couple beaten in Paris
I’ve heard via Michelle Blanc that on the afternoon of Wednesday August 1st, a Montreal trans advocate (who I’ve had the pleasure of meeting) was assaulted with her partner in Paris, in view of the couple’s children. Marie-Ève is with l’association Fierté Montréal Pride and has been active within Montreal’s
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: Guest Post – Chevi Rabbit: From HATE to HOPE
(On Thursday July 23rd, Chevi Rabbit was attacked by three men yelling homophobic slurs, near Edmonton’s University of Alberta campus, in what is being investigated as a hate crime. Following the attack, a march was organized to signal that hatred is not welcome in Edmonton, and over 200 residents came
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: Basic human rights should not be “controversial.” Jacksonville, this means you, too.
“After dismantling Apartheid, when we sat down to write our Constitution, we quite deliberately ensured that gays, lesbians and bisexuals were included in South Africa’s Constitution. “Having ourselves suffered terribly, we did not want to inflict discrimination on any group that lived within our borders and we explicitly stated this
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: Marriage Goes Corporate.
If you live in a state that doesn’t allow you to marry your partner, there may be a solution — although it might not work in states with a marriage amendment, and there is a caveat. Go corporate. Incorporate yourself. The US Supreme Court’s decision on Citizens United has opened
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: Guest Post – East Hastings: A Love Story
This guest post comes to us from Natalie Reed, who blogs at Freethought Blogs’ Sincerely, Natalie Reed. A Vancouverite and ex-pat from Nova Scotia, she writes on several subjects, including but not limited to trans, queer and feminist issues… with deep insights, like this article on urban gentrification, and support
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: On Persecution Complexes and Rage
The interplay of rage and persecution complexes works to shape trans, LGB — and in fact all — struggles against oppression. It can become an eternal feedback loop that can stymie any attempt to move progressive causes forward, if it succeeds in establishing its circuitous pattern. This translates to many
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: M-312 Doublespeak Decoder: the “toe in the birth canal” argument.
The Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform has been sending its New Abortion Caravan from the B.C. coast to Ottawa — arriving in Toronto on Wednesday, where protesters attempted to deface the graphic posters on the truck using a coathanger. While the second hour of debate for Stephen Woodworth’s attempt to
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: Trans rights bill supporters being targeted. Also, a flag for you.
On Wednesday June 6th, Parliament voted to send Private Member’s Bill C-279: An Act to Amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and Criminal Code (gender identity and gender expression) to committee for review as part of its trek toward passage. I had expressed concerns at that time about some possible
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: Hypocrisy on Free Speech and “Protecting Freedom.”
On June 6th (the same night that the trans human rights Bill C-279 advanced to committee) Conservative MP for Westlock – St. Paul, Brian Storseth’s Private Member’s Bill C-304, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act (protecting freedom), passed Third Reading in the House of Commons, and advanced
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: One More Thing.
Oh, and, uh, here’s one more thing. This is for Albertan trans folks who filed human rights complaints following the delisting of GRS funding in 2009 and on into 2012, Who’ve been lobbying through up to (I think it’s) five tries to pass trans-inclusive human rights legislation at the federal
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: Alberta reinstates funding for Sex Reassignment Surgery
The Alberta Government has announced that it will be reinstating health care funding for sex reassignment surgery (often called gender reassignment surgery, and abbreviated as GRS by the province and its clinicians), effective June 15th. In the recent provincial election, Premier Alison Redford was returned to power by an electorate
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: C-279: When a victory for one can be a victory for… one.
The second hour of Second Reading debate for Bill C-279: An Act to Amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and Criminal Code (gender identity and gender expression) occurred on Friday June 1st, and the Second Reading vote is to take place on Wednesday June 6th. I missed any indication that the
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: Leslie Feinberg arrested in solidarity with CeCe McDonald
What first struck me about Leslie Feinberg is hir commitment to fighting oppression on a universal scale, rather than just in a cliquish self-focused manner. This means recognizing where our needs correspond and intersect, and characteristically parallel causes like race and sex, or reproductive rights and genital reassignment surgery access.
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: Guest Post: Happy anniversary, Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms!
(The following comes courtesy of Teacher Trainer Student Guy at anthrotecture, originally published on Tuesday, April 17, 2012) Today marks the 30th anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, part of the Constitution of Canada. [The Charter affirms equality rights under Section 15, however this section did not
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: When even silence “indoctrinates:” the “No Pro Homo” education model. (Part 2)
This is part of a 3-part series on LGBT-inclusive anti-bullying education, centering around the Day of Silence, which encourages students to take a vow of silence for the day, to bring attention to anti-LGBT bullying and harassment. It occurs on April 20th. Part 1: When even silence offends: on the
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: When even silence fails: On affirmation (part 3)
This is part of a 3-part series on LGBT-inclusive anti-bullying education, centering around the Day of Silence, which encourages students to take a vow of silence for the day, to bring attention to anti-LGBT bullying and harassment. It occurs on April 20th. Part 1: When even silence offends: on the
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: When even silence offends. (Part 1)
This is part of a 3-part series on LGBT-inclusive anti-bullying education, centering around the Day of Silence, which encourages students to take a vow of silence for the day, to bring attention to anti-LGBT bullying and harassment. It occurs on April 20th. Part 1: When even silence offends: on the
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