Category: Lesbian

Lesbian judge gets apology from Chile, AP reports

12/15/2012

I never thought I would see the day...

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Chile's government has apologized to a lesbian judge who was denied custody of her three daughters because she is gay.

The apology was issued Friday during a ceremony led by Justice Minister Teodoro Ribera. Chile says it will pay Magistrate Karen Atala $70,000 and grant her medical and psychological treatment.

The reparation comes 10 months after the Inter-American Court of Human Rights condemned Chile's decision to deny Atala custody of her children.

Atala had filed a complaint with the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights in Nov. 2004 after Chile's Supreme Court decided to give custody of her daughters to her ex-husband because she is lesbian. Two of the children are now adults and the third is a teenager.

The ruling followed Chile's approval this year of an anti-discrimination law.

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Southpaws - what you have always known

12/5/2012

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I'm sure you have noticed that more of your friends are left handed than you would expect...well, it's true.
A Canadian study found that if you are queer, you are much more likely than heterosexuals to be left-handed. And the association is stronger for lesbians. In fact, if you are gay, you are 34% more likely to be left handed; if you are lesbians, 91% more likely! Ray Blanchard, one of the authors of the study published in the Psychology Bulletin, says that this is evidence that at least some part of your sexual orientation is genetically or biologically determined, perhaps in the womb. Thanks to Gay Today and Jesse's blog for this tidbit.

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Solidarity with Ugandan Queers

12/1/2012

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I highly recommend this article in the Huffington Post about the deeply shocking developments in Uganda, which is legislating homophobia in the most vicious terms:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ruth-messinger/standing-in-solidarity-wi_1_b_2220652.html

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November 02nd, 2012

11/2/2012

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In a progressive judgement, the Federal Court of Canada has decided that there is an an obligation upon the Refugee Protection Division to specifically discuss why the Applicant, as a homosexual living in a place where it has been demonstrated that homosexuals are harassed, would not be subjected to persecution as she cannot live her sexual orientation openly. Some GLB refugee claims are thrown out because a person cannot prove that they are queer. Here the applicant proved that, and also proved that in her home country queers faced persecution. This is an important case because it says that it is up to the government to show she would be safe returning home, rather than up to her to demonstrate that she would be in danger. C.C.F. v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), [2012] F.C.J. No. 1346

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Mistaken Identity: when a woman is read as a man

11/1/2012

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Sheila Gilhooly has published a fabulous new book, "Mistaken Identity" , stories about her life being (mis)taken for a man. Though cisgendered Sheila is read as male about 70% of the time.
The stories are chilling, hilarious, triumphant.
There will be a launch at Little Sisters - we'll keep you posted. And the book is available for preview - go to Sheila's website
http://sheilagilhooly.wordpress.com, and click at the bottom of the page.
Full disclosure: I am Sheila's partner and wrote the afterword.

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Canada is suspicious of spouses sponsoring their partners

10/31/2012

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Immigration Canada believes that there are "thousands" of fraudulent marriages between Canadian citizens or permanent residents and non-Canadians, and so they are tightening the rules.

Effective immediately, you are allowed to "sponsor" your spouse - defined to include your married partner, someone you have been living with for two years (a common law partner), or someone you are unable to live with because of the laws or social context in your respective countries (for example, consider a Muslim from Iran who is in a relationship with a Canadian: the two cannot live together as spouses in Iran; and Canada may deny a visitor visa).

But now, says Canada, there are two new requirements. According to Jason Kenney, these new requirements are designed to stem fraud arsing out of fraudulent relationships in which a couple marries solely for the purpose of bringing the non-Canadian to Canada, sometimes for a fee.

The first requirement relates to you only if when you made your application for spousal sponsorship, you had NOT been living together for two years AND you have no children. In that situation, the law now requires that you live together for two years after you come to Canada. The rule makes an exception if you are in an abusive relationship. In that case, you should go immediately to your doctor, and report the abuse so it is on record. Then you should go to a lawyer, or call Immigration Canada, and explain why you have moved out.

The second requirement is that once you are yourself sponsored as a spouse, you cannot sponsor anyone else as your spouse till five years have passed from the date you acquired permanent residency.

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Every single study says LGB's are good parents

10/30/2012

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According to Julia A. MacMillan, professor of pediatrics and associate dean for graduate medical education at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, every study ever done over the last 30 years confirms that children are healthiest if raised by two loving parents, regardless of gender.

In an article in today's Baltimore Sun, MacMillan notes "Every major children's health and welfare organization, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Child Welfare League of America, the American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the National Association of Social Workers, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, confirms that gay parents make good parents. The American Medical Association, the nation's largest and most well respected association of physicians, with a membership of more than 200,000, agrees". Studies purporting to show that LBG parents are flawed have been completely debunked for their pseudo-scientific methodologies.

There is currently no research specifically about trans parents.

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Pastor convicted of helping 'ex-lesbian' leave US to escape custody battle with her ex partner

8/16/2012

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A Virginia Mennonite pastor was convicted August 13 2012 of helping a former lesbian flee the country with her young daughter. Lisa Miller had been in a lesbian relationship and had a child with her partner. Miller was the birth mother.

Miller later joined the Mennonite church and renounced her lesbianism. There was a custody battle between Miller and her ex. Her pastor, Timothy Miller (no relation) helped her get out of the United States.

It is reassuring to see a Virginia court recognize the status and rights of the non-bio-mom.

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Great news for Ugandan lesbian facing deportation

8/6/2012

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Ugandan Leatitia Nanziri, slated for deportation because neither the Refugee Division nor Immigration Canada believed she was a lesbian, has been granted a reprieve by the Federal Court which reviewed her case. The court sent her case back for redetermination; that will happen in about six months. Her stay in Canada, with her two Canadian-born children, is not yet assured, but this is a very positive development.

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If coworkers are homophobic, employer is responsible

6/20/2012

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In a BC Human Rights Tribunal case, Guiget v NRI [2012] B.C.H.R.T.D. No. 191, the employer requested that the tribunal dismiss the case because it could not succeed.The complainant, Ms Guiget, said that her coworkers called her "fucking dyke", and though she complained to her supervisor several times, nothing was done.
The tribunal refused to dismiss the complaint, which will now go to a hearing.
Employers ARE responsible for the conduct of their staff, and have a positive duty to maintain a harassment free environment. If you are being harassed at work, do the following
- keep a daily log of everything that happens, and your response. Be detailed; you may need this years later
- tell your supervisor or HR
- send your supervisor or HR an email "confirming the conversation" - this is so they cannot later deny that you told them about the problem. In the email, include what you said and what they said.

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Forward>>

Lesbian judge gets apology from Chile, AP reports

Southpaws - what you have always known

Solidarity with Ugandan Queers

November 02nd, 2012

Mistaken Identity: when a woman is read as a man

Canada is suspicious of spouses sponsoring their partners

Every single study says LGB's are good parents

Pastor convicted of helping 'ex-lesbian' leave US to escape custody battle with her ex partner

Great news for Ugandan lesbian facing deportation

If coworkers are homophobic, employer is responsible

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