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 readingTag: Social Justice
350 or bust: I Am Your Hope
Sami Yusuf ‘s I am your hope, a new song for Egypt. * SamiYusufOfficial.com
Continue readingCANADIAN PROGRESSIVE WORLD: State terrorism visits Quebec student protesters
Please note that this video contains disturbing graphic images of police violence and state terrorism against the ongoing student protests in Quebec. The video is accompanied by “Which side are you on?” music. This video can be found at YouTube
Continue readingLeft Over: We’ve Only Just Begun…
Emperor Steve and his nightmare circus clowns have deemed it the ‘cost of doing business’ to redress the pushback that his Enbridge dirty deal has caused..necessary and desirable to offer up to profit mongering the possible destruction of the West Coast’s environment..and we are, happily, prepared to take him on.
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: Trans human rights Bill C-279 Second Reading debate begins tomorrow
Second Reading for Bill C-279 comes up on Thursday April 5th, There will be an hour of debate at around 1:30 EST (11:30 MST). This is only the first part of Second Reading process, and there will likely be another hour of debate in May or possibly June. Three things
Continue readingMy journey with AIDS...and more!: Two names to be added to Craig Chaplin Memorial Award
This spring’s presentation of the award in my brother’s memory will include a couple of firsts – two individuals are being cited and they’re from across the Canada-U.S. border in neighbouring Vermont. To be more accurate, one-half of the couple of Dr. Delores Barbeau and Carol Olstad, R.N. will be
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: Parliament to debate abortion in April (and Jim Hughes declares the Canadian war on women’s reproductive rights)
Conservative Party backbencher Stephen Woodworth has put forward a motion that will result in a debate in Parliament on abortion in the guise of “when life begins,” in April. This debate is tentatively scheduled for Monday, April 26th, and will call for the creation of a special committee dominated by Conservatives.
Continue readingMy journey with AIDS...and more!: Adieu Madeleine Parent
Aerial view of Montreal Cottons Valleyfield works, 1950. Copyright undetermined as per citation at Université de Sherbrooke’s Bilan du Siècle I was saddened to learn of the death last night of the iconic Québec labour activist Madeleine Parent. She was 93 so I knew that when I wrote this tribute
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: Coming out for reproductive justice.
Today is International Womens’ Day. It’s a day to stand together, to call for rights when they’re lacking, and to defend rights when they’re in danger. And there is some danger at the door, with a declaration yesterday that the “perfect storm” makes the perfect moment for the U.S. crusade
Continue readingMy journey with AIDS...and more!: So three lawyers walk into the Ontario Legislature…
…but this is no joke! There’s a friendly exercise each morning that the Ontario Legislature sits when Members have the opportunity to introduce guests seated in the gallery – family members of one of the high school student pages, perhaps a visiting township reeve, or dignitaries representing other governments, be
Continue readingAkaash Maharaj - Practical Idealism: TVO’s The Agenda: A Meritocracy Worth Fighting For – Akaash Maharaj Videocast
Throughout our history, Canada has grown through the toil of generations of Canadians who were inspired by the belief that our country is free of the rigid class systems of the Old World, that Canadians’ success or failure depends on our own efforts and our own abilities…But in recent years,
Continue readingAkaash Maharaj - Practical Idealism: TVO’s The Agenda: A Meritocracy Worth Fighting For – Akaash Maharaj Videocast
Throughout our history, Canada has grown through the toil of generations of Canadians who were inspired by the belief that our country is free of the rigid class systems of the Old World, that Canadians’ success or failure depends on our own efforts and our own abilities…But in recent years,
Continue readingOccupy Ottawa: Robo-calls Scandal: Council of Canadians Contemplating Legal Action
The Council of Canadians announced today that it is canvassing its members and other Canadians to determine the extent to which the “robo-calls” and other dirty tricks during the May 2011 federal election may have …Read More
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: Five reasons it’s important to support trans rights now.
(Previously offered to Xtra.ca. They did post a reply by Christin Milloy) Xtra’s Rob Salerno recently questioned whether it was important to work toward explicit inclusion for transsexual and transgender people in human rights legislation, by adding the terms gender identity or gender expression. He wrote this in response to the
Continue reading350 or bust: Heartland Institute Threatens Legal Action Against Mom Working For A Better World
The Heartland Institute is attempting damage control after the DeSmogBlog revealed confidential documents about the institute’s funding and strategies to undermine the IPCC and insinuate its anti-science agenda into our children’s education. Although the Heartland Institute applauded the illegal release of thousands of personal emails stolen from Climate Research Unit
Continue reading350 or bust: Take Time To Renew Your Spirit
Healing the wounds of the earth and its people does not require saintliness or a political party, only gumption and persistence. It is not a liberal or conservative activity; it is a sacred act. ~Paul Hawken
Continue reading350 or bust: Canadians to PM Harper: No Enbridge Pipeline
I don’t see too many “jet-setting celebrities” in the crowd of ~2000 people that showed up to demonstrate their opposition to the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline in Prince Rupert British Columbia this Saturday. Just regular Canadians, many of the First Nations, who value their beautiful coast, and clean water, clean
Continue reading350 or bust: Take Time To Renew Your Spirit
“It is evident that many wars are fought over resources which are now becoming increasingly scarce. If we conserved our resources better, fighting over them would not then occur…so, protecting the global environment is directly related to securing peace…those of us who understand the complex concept of the environment have
Continue readingThe Left Stuff: Get a Job
The song was recorded by The Silhouettes in 1958, the year that I got a job that turned into a 37 year career. In the 1950’s the expectation was that you would work at your career, build your home and family, retire on your pension and spend the rest of
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