Though Steinbach, MB has the highest annually charitable giving rate in the country, it continues to refuse to support its queer communities.
No support for the Pride parade.  Discriminatory policies in schools...
This Macleans story outlines what holdout homophobia looks like, when many other conservative cities post-Orlando are finding ways to honour queers.

In case anyone thinks that gender markers are not a problem, consider the situation of AB, a transwoman with dual Italian/Argentinian citizenship, but gender-conflicting Italian/Argentinian passports.
Transat refused to let her fly to Canada (ie relying on Canadian regulations).

Here are the facts:

• AB is an Italian citizen. As such, she is entitled to travel to Canada without a visa.
• AB holds a valid Italian passport.
• She also has an Argentinian passport. This one has a different gender marker to her Italian documents because bureaucracy is a massive, complicated pain.
• She has documents confirming that she is who she says she is. Three of them.
• She doesn’t look like she did eight years ago.
• Despite her being AN ITALIAN CITIZEN WITH A VALID PASSPORT WHO IS ENTITLED TO TRAVEL TO CANADA WITHOUT A VISA, Air Transat refused her permission to board.
• Air Transat refused her permission to board because she doesn’t look the way she did eight years ago and has a different gender marker. Despite her having all the necessary documentation showing that she is trans and confirming her identity.

Christin Milloy alerted us to this story, the full details of which are here.

It takes a certain kind of energy to sustain public efforts to make political and social change. We recognize the courage of the activists and allies who take to the streets, who appeal to the courts, who stand up and speak out for the rights of trans people.

Then there are the not so public heroes, who work in libraries and labs, collecting the data, doing the qualitative research, and gathering the personal testimonies of trans peoples’ lives.
Zack Marshall, a researcher at Memorial University is one of these behind the scenes heroes. He has compiled a database of fertility related references to current research on issues facing trans people who want to become parents. The link to his work is here.

Go ahead and check it out. You probably won’t read the whole thing, but you can begin to appreciate how invaluable this kind of work is. Without it we don’t have a clear picture of the issues that trans people face as they attempt to access fertility services. With it we can provide real world evidence that medical norms, social services policies, and government legislation have been instruments of discrimination and inequality. With it we have the data that supports our campaigns for new approaches, and laws that respect our identities, our families, as we choose to create them, and our human rights.

So have a look and celebrate the vital work that Zack Marshall and so many other scholars, academics, and researchers are quietly doing to support the rights and recognition of trans folks and their families.

And you may even find an article directly useful to you!

 
Meet Judge Kael McKenzie, the first Trans Judge in Canada, at his FIRST-EVER public event! 

This is one you will want to tell your grandchildren you were at.  

Everyone is welcome.  The event will be held at the Justice Education Society, 800 Hornby, Room 216 on June 16 2016, from 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM.  

Judge McKenzie will facilitate a conversation - come prepared with your questions!  

This is what he says about his talk...

When I was appointed to the bench there was much said in the media about the fact that I am transgender.  Many asked, “Why does this matter?”  It is a valid question because justice is supposed to be blind and judges are supposed to be unbiased.  In theory a Judge’s personal characteristics are irrelevant, but the reality is that we each bring our own unique experience and perspective to the difficult task of Judging especially with sensitive cases.  Does or should the Judiciary reflect Canadian Society?  What issues does diversity raise for the public? What if any barriers are there to judicial appointment?  Who if anyone should be excluded? Join us for a discussion on why diversity on the bench matters.

Cost is $125.  To register, call Dom Bautista at the Law Courts Centre 604.685.2727 or registration@lawcourtscentre.com
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EVERYONE is welcome.  Call (604 251-4356) or email me (bjf@barbarafindlay.com) to let me know you are coming. This is a celebration!!!

By the way, for lawyers, CPD: 2.0 hours including 1.0 hour in client relations, ethics and professional responsibility.

Proceeds from this lecture will seed the funding of the expansion of Amici Curiae's Temporary Foreign Worker Uncontested Divorce Project.