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Posts Tagged ‘agender’

Call-out for individuals who take issue with the exclusive “Male” and “Female” boxes on government documents

April 17th, 2013 Comments off

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We have just been contacted by Patricia Hluchy, Team Editor of the Features Unit at the Toronto Star, who is overseeing a story on individuals who are taking up non-binary identities and existences. According to Patricia:
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“The people were are hoping to interview are those who, whether conventionally sexed or intersex, do not feel comfortable — for whatever reason — with being streamlined into the sex categories of ‘Male’ or ‘Female’. The article will be about the limits of these sex-based categories, but also the fact that some people are opting out of either.”
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“The premise / approach of the article (to be shaped by interviews with some leading gender theoreticians / academics) will be: We have this binary sex = gender belief system, but many experts say it’s a social construct and that gender identity is way more complicated. And now, as our society continues to evolve into a less sex-determinist one (thanks in part to gay activism and the decline of homophobia), some pioneers — both academic and ‘on the street’ — are saying, ‘Enough of the gender straightjackets already'”
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“The article will also include the fact that a few countries allow individuals to check a category other than ‘Male’ or ‘Female’ on their passports; and we will try to interview Tony Briffa, a city counsellor and former mayor in Australia who is intersex and genderless.”
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“It would be great if — just for the authenticity factor — someone were willing to be photographed and to use their name. But that is not essential.”

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Indeed, I have chatted at length with P
atricia and can attest that they are highly knowledgeable about the nuances of ‘sex’ vis-a-vis ‘gender’, and in particular the real-life implications of defining ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ in binarist terms.
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If you are interested in being interviewed for this article, please contact Patricia at phluchy@thestar.ca or at 416-869-4352. Feel free to indicate if you prefer to be interviewed in writing as opposed to verbally / live.
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Towards greater visibility and awareness,
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Martin Otarola
Queer Ontario Secretary

Queer Ontario Sees Bill C-279 As Step in Right Direction, But Still Lacking

March 14th, 2013 Comments off
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Toronto, ON March 14, 2013 – Queer Ontario unequivocally sees federal Bill C-279* as a step in the right direction; however,we harbour serious concerns with the dropping of ‘gender expression’ from the original bill.
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Individuals need to have rights and protections not only with respect to how they identify their gender (including individuals who do not identify in terms of gender) but also how they express their gender. Indeed, we recognize that attacks on individuals based on their ‘sexual orientation or ‘gender identity’ are the result not of their sexuality or gender identity, per se, but rather, of the particular ways they express their sexuality, gender, or affections – that is: in a way that contradicts the attacker’s expectations of how that individual is supposed to look, speak, act,dress, or show affection, based on their perception of their target’s sex or gender.
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We see this Bill has having the potential to extend its rights and protections to all individuals based on their gender identity and gender expression, not only those who identify as transsexual or transgender. This includes individuals who are intersex, agender, bigender, genderqueer,two-spirited, androgynous, genderfluid, and not gender-identified. This also includes individuals who are cisgender but gender non-conforming (given the tolerances of the people in their close vicinities).
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It is for these reasons that we believe the federal Conservative Government has made a serious error in calling for the removal of ‘gender expression’ from Bill C-279, inexcusably denying the bill’s rights and protections to Canadians in need.
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Although Queer Ontario sees Bill C-279, in its amended form, as a necessary first step, we would like to send the message that the government’s protective work is far from over. We stand by the position that both ‘gender identity’ and ‘gender expression’ must be included inhuman rights legislation (as is the case in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Sweden), and thus, we are committed to continue the pursuit of their inclusion in a future amendment.
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* The bill to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code of Canada to include ‘gender identity’ and ‘gender expression’ as protected grounds against discrimination and hate crimes.
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Queer Ontario is a provincial network of gender and sexually diverse individuals – andtheir allies – who are committed to questioning, challenging, and reforming the laws,institutional practices, and social norms that regulate queer people.
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Contact: Nick Mulé
————- Chairperson
————- info@queerontario.org
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Downloadable Version: QO-BillC279-Statement
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