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Given the enactment of Ontario’s anti-bullying and gender identity bills yesterday [Bill 13 and Bill 33, respectively], we want to know:  Have these added protections shifted your sense of what the most pressing issues are for you as an LGBTQ* person living within Ontario? (If not, let us know know as well). Fill out our Pressing Issues Survey here!
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How The Survey Works
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The survey consists of 5 questions that should take approximately 3-10 minutes to complete.  Simply provide a listing of the issues you feel are most important to you as an LGBTQ person living in Ontario, and provide any additional commentary if you wish to do so.
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We intend to use this information to get a comprehensive sense of the issues facing LGBTQ Ontarians today, with the aim of developing projects and initiatives that are relevant to a greater number of LGBTQ people province-wide.
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We expect to review the results during the latter half of August, so by all means circulate the survey throughout your networks (and people outside of it) to help us get even more responses!
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* Note that for the purposes of this survey, “LGBTQ” will refer to individuals who are marginalized because of their sex, gender, sexuality and/or relationships. 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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To download a Word (.doc) version that  you can return via post or e-mail, click here.
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Finds faults in the Dispute Resolution Panel’s ruling on QuAIA’s participation in the Toronto Pride Parade
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Queer Ontario would like to offer Pride Toronto an alternative solution for addressing political dissent within the community and/or among funders, inspired by the July 12 release of the Dispute Resolution Panel’s (DRP) rationale for allowing Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (QuAIA) to march in the Toronto Pride Parade…
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Although the rationale reveals itself to be reasonable, it is nevertheless replete with procedural issues. This includes concerns about apprehensions of bias; the formality of the legal process; and confusions regarding the legitimacy of complaints.
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Queer Ontario recognizes the important role that dispute resolution processes play in certain venues, but feels that this model is grossly ill-fitted for what ultimately needs to be a community-based Pride Festival put on by the community, for the community.
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To this end, Queer Ontario recommends that:
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1.   The Pride Toronto Board take on the responsibility of interpreting and enacting the organization’s mandate, by working with the community to ensure inclusivity, as outlined in the organization’s mission and values.
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2.   The Pride Toronto Board abolish the DRP and never force a community group to have to justify its right to take part in the Pride festival again.
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3.   The Pride Toronto Board commit itself to community development, which includes educating individuals within Toronto’s LGBTQ communities about the complexities of our politics, and encouraging a place of understanding and pluralism.
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4.   The Pride Toronto Board commit itself to public education, where it teaches its stakeholders about the significance of freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and freedom of assembly within our communities.
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For further reading, Queer Ontario provides an analysis on the DRP decision at:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/100368095/QueerOntario-DRPRulingAnalysis
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– 30 –
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For Interviews:
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Nick Mulé
Queer Ontario Chairperson
nickjmule@gmail.com
416.926.9135
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A PDF version of this release can be found here:

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Hello Everyone,
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We are pleased to announce that we will be in Ottawa on Saturday, July 14, 2012. Alana Boltwood, our Research & Education Committee Chair, will be at the PTS offices (251 Bank Street, Suite 301) seeking to meet many of you to discuss some of the issues that are important to you as Ottawa residents and city-goers.
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This is part of our ongoing summer tour, where we are meeting with folks outside of Toronto to get a sense of the various LGBTQ* needs and experiences that exist across Ontario. Past visits have included Hamilton, Peterborough, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, and Cambridge-Kitchener-Waterloo.
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To recap, then:
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— We will be at PTS from 1:00 to 3:00pm
— This weekend, on Saturday, July 14, 2012.
— Location: 251 Bank Street, Suite 301, Ottawa.
Special thanks go out to PTS for graciously hosting us.
(Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/441163049251056)
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We hope to see many of you there!
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Alana & the rest of the Queer Ontario Steering Committee
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If you cannot make it to this meet-and-greet, please consider filling out and/or circulating the Queer Ontario Pressing Issues Survey:
http://queerontario.org/2012/06/19/pressing-issues
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 Also consider submitting material to the Queer Ontario Think Tank:
http://thinktank.queerontario.org/about
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