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Queer Ontario is pleased to announce its participation in the 519 Community Centre’s second annual LGBTQ Volunteer Fair this Sunday, April 15, 2012. There, Queer Ontario members will be on-hand to speak to you about who we are, what we do, and where we’re headed. So if you’re interested in meeting some of these members or are interested in getting involved with us, then make your way down and say hello!

The event will run from 12:00 noon to 4:00pm in The 519 Auditorium. For more information, please visit the 519 Community Centre website, or the 519′s Volunteer Fair’s Facebook page.
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A coalition of people will gather at Queen’s Park to protest a planned protest *AGAINST* Bill-13 — the Liberal bill to address bullying in Ontario schools.  (Facebook event page:  https://www.facebook.com/events/348351331882649)
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The schedule is as follows:

– 12:00 pm (noon)  Meet at the McDonald’s in front of the Royal Ontario Museum to make signs (192 Bloor Street West)

– 1:30 pm  Meet in front of the Ontario Legislative Building / Queens Park to protest.

– 3:00 pm  Protest ends.
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According to Christin Milloy, the event organizer (Cell 416-277-1701):
“If you can’t bring a sign, that’s fine, just bring yourself and as many people as you can round up. “

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** To read the predominantly religious premise of the naysaying protest, see here:
http://www.lifesite.ca/news/toronto-rally-to-protest-gay-focused-anti-bullying-bill-set-for-thursday-ma
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** To read the details of the proposed Bill, see here:
http://ontla.on.ca/web/bills/bills_detail.do?locale=en&Intranet&BillID=2549.
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Do make an effort to attend, if you can!
The Queer Ontario Steering Committee

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From the Facebook Event Page created by Christin Milloy

There is a group who are planning to protest against Bill C-13, Thurs March 29 from 2-3 PM at Queen’s Park.
Let’s show them we prefer safe and accepting schools, with an awesome counter-protest!

PLEASE MEET EARLY FOR SIGN MAKING AT 12PM:
We’ll do sign making at McDonalds, 192 Bloor Street West (across from ROM), which has an upstairs we can use to prep and chat before heading down to Queen’s park.

The anti-13 group is called Concerned Catholic Parents of Ontario, and their rally goes from 2PM to 3PM. I’d like us to get there before them, so we’ll head down from McD’s no later than 1:30PM.

If you can’t make it for sign-making, just show up and find us in front of the Legislature at 1:30 PM. If you can’t bring a sign, that’s fine, just bring yourself and as many people as you can round up.

I can be reached by phone at 416 277 1701. Thank you everybody!

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We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Queer Ontario Think Tank – an online publication space dedicated to the promotion of works that articulate the needs and experiences of LGBTQ* individuals; and/or that challenge the laws, the institutional practices, and the social norms that regulate us.
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What We Are Looking For
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We are looking for individuals to submit works in any medium that address one or more of the themes above. These can be anything from essays, articles, stories, and poems, to images, video, and music (among other new, traditional, or multimedia formats).
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The works need not be aligned with Queer Ontario’s official positions or policies, but they should reflect our anti-oppressive, sex-positive, and/or liberationist principles.
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Lastly, given the very real risks associated with outing oneself publicly — especially when it involves a sensitive issue or a less accepting community — we will be open to receiving works that make use of a pseudonym, or that are sent to us anonymously.

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Deadlines
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The first set of works will be published in July of 2012. Therefore,
the soft deadline for July consideration is Friday, April 20, 2012.
The absolute last day to submit work for July consideration is
Friday, May 25, 2012.
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You are free to submit works after the deadline, which will be considered for our next publication cycle in October.
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Works will be reviewed and selected by the Think Tank Editorial Committee, which is made up of Queer Ontario volunteers.
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For More Information…
(Note that the links below do not make use of the “www.”)
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To head over to the Think Tank website,
please visit thinktank.queerontario.org
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For instructions on how to submit work,
please visit thinktank.queerontario.org/submissions
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To read the Think Tank’s editorial guidelines,
please visit thinktank.queerontario.org/editorial
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For a list of our issues of interest,
please visit queerontario.org/issues
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For all other questions or comments,
please email us at info@queerontario.org
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Sincerely,
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The Queer Ontario Steering Committee
www.queerontario.org
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Notes:
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* “LGBTQ” is used here to refer to individuals who are marginalized because of their sex, gender, sexuality, relationships, and/or way of life. This includes, but is not limited to: individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transsexual, transgender, genderqueer, agender, two-spirited, cross-dressing, intersexed, neutrois, asexual, pansexual, polyamorous, and/or kinky.
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We know that forms of oppression based on sex, gender, sexuality, relationships, and/or way of life cannot be seen in isolation from other forms of oppression, so we encourage their joint articulation as well.
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* If you are interested in participating in the Think Tank Editorial Committee, then please email us at info@queerontario.org with your name, a brief introduction, and the subject line “Think Tank Editorial Committee.”
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