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We are thrilled to launch the Queer Ontario Think Tank with Anne Tagonist’s 2009 essay, “Fuck You and Your Fucking Thesis” — a note to non-trans researchers who are considering doing research on trans people, trans lives, trans identities, and/or trans communities (including the lives and identities of the sexual and romantic partners of trans people). It raises a number of key points around the knowledge and power imbalances that would exist with such a project, particularly its relationship to university access for trans people and community-generated research opportunities.
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The original essay can be found on Anne Tagonist’s LiveJournal blog, here http://tagonist.livejournal.com/199563.html, and has been posted on the Queer Ontario Think Tank via a free-use Creative Commons license issued by Anne on December 10, 2009.
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If you, yourself, are interested in submitting a work to the Queer Ontario Think Tank, feel free to review our submission guidelines here http://thinktank.queerontario.org/submissions, or simply email your work and a short description to info@queerontario.org. We will let you know if we need any additional material or information.
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In solidarity,
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The Queer Ontario Think Tank Editorial Committee
info@queerontario.org

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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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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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