October 19, 2016

House of Commons Standing Committee on

Public Safety and National Security

Re: Public Consultation on Canada’s National Security Framework

At the pride march which followed and celebrated the passage of a bill which incorporated the words “sexual orientation” into the Ontario Human Rights Code (1986), two groups where asked to lead that march. One group was the Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Ontario (CLGRO), which is the predecessor or our group Queer Ontario (QO). The other was a group named the Right To Privacy Committee (RTPC). This symbolizes the degree of importance placed on the right to privacy in our communities.

Accomplishing this success, which was met with tremendous resistance and had been the major focus of CLGRO for 12 years, enabled us to lobby for and eventually win recognition federally in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Resistance to these accomplishments within Canadian society continues. We see Bill C-51 as an example of that resistance and an effort to undermine the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Much as we appreciate the need for the government to protect Canadian public from the threats of terrorism, we keep in mind that a major goal of those threats is to undermine our way of life and destroy those rights and freedoms for which we have so long fought. The aspects of Bill C-51 which undermine the Charter of Rights and Freedoms actually work to support the goals of the terrorists.

I’ll just provide two examples:

First, the Bill expands the definition of security threats to potentially include an extraordinary range of social justice activities.

Second, Canada’s Security Agency, CSIS, was created to erect a buffer between the collecting of information and the ability to act on that information as law enforcement due to the history of past human rights abuses duly recognized. Bill C-51 radically redefines CSIS’s role to one which bears resemblance to a secret state police force with no public accountability. This is not compatible with the most fundamental tenets of liberal democratic states and is in violation of the Canadian Charter.

We entreat the government to repeal the Act created by Bill C-51 and ensure that legislation brought forward to protect the Canadian public from threats of terrorism will also protect those rights enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Queer Ontario – Bill C-51

Hello Everyone,

Are you an active Queer Ontario member? Or, would you like to participate more in our meetings and online discussions?

Queer Ontario has been using the Ustream audiostream and chatroom technology to make our meetings accessible to individuals unable to attend in-person in Toronto. This technology is not working well for us, so we are looking for a better alternative. In particular, we’re looking for a technology that allows every participant to contribute directly to the discussion, not rely on another person to relay what they say.

Before we choose a new technology, we need to make sure it meets everyone’s needs. Please fill out this short survey:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1dbYdp8KdjvF-WQ-Tx13CyravStobijx4tCoHT3C7PtI/viewform

It would be lovely if you can respond by Wednesday July 17, since we will be discussing technology options at Thursday’s general meeting. If you respond by July 24, your needs will be considered in our final analysis.

If you have any difficulty filling out the survey, please contact alana.boltwood@gmail.com to provide your input by chat or telephone.

Thank you,
Alana Boltwood
Member at Large on behalf of the Steering Committee
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We are excited to announce the launch of the Queer Ontario Pressing Issues Survey, one of the many new projects we will be rolling out in the next couple of months to reach out to LGBTQ* individuals across Ontario, and to expand our work beyond Toronto.
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The survey has been created so LGBTQ people across the province can provide us with a list of the issues they feel are most important to them as LGBTQ persons, which we will then use to develop projects and initiatives that are relevant to a greater number of LGBTQ people province-wide. As such, your participation will be greatly appreciated and will be invaluable to our work and direction as an organization.
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About the Survey
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The survey itself consists of five questions, which should take approximately 3-10 minutes to answer. We have both an online version and a Word (.doc) version available for you to use.
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Indeed, this research and re-focusing will take place while we continue our work on our two core issues: the fight for ‘gender identity’ and ‘gender expression’ in the Ontario Human Rights Code, and the creation of safer spaces for LGBTQ youth across Ontario.
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If you have any questions about any of the above, do not hesitate to contact us at info@queerontario.org — we will be more than happy to answer them!
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Looking forward to serving you better,
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The Queer Ontario Steering Committee
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PO Box 822, Station A
Toronto,Ontario M5W 1G3
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Website: www.queerontario.org
Email: info@queerontario.org
Facebook: Queer Ontario
Twitter: @queerontario

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* Note:  For the purposes of this survey, ‘LGBTQ’ will refer to individuals who are marginalized because of their sex, gender, and/or sexuality. 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, kinky, and/or nudist. This survey is also open to allies who can assist us in our work.
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We know that forms of oppression based on sex, gender, and/or sexuality cannot be seen in isolation from other forms of oppression, so we encourage their joint articulation as well.
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