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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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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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An Announcement and Call-Out!
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Queer Ontario is thrilled to announce that it will be taking part in Sudbury Pride on Sunday, July 15, 2012. Gary Kinsman, our Sudbury area liaison, will be at the Pride Parade as well as Memorial Park, looking to meet new faces and to get a sense of the pressing issues facing LGBTQ* Sudburians today. So by all means seek him out and say hello!
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If you  are interested in assisting Gary with this outreach work, then by all means let us know! You can email us at info@queerontario.org to learn more and/or to indicate your interest.
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We look forward to connecting with many of you there!
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The Queer Ontario Steering Committee
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Feel free to fill out and/or circulate the Queer Ontario Pressing Issues Survey:
http://queerontario.org/2012/06/19/pressing-issues
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Feel free to also submit material to the Queer Ontario Think Tank:
http://thinktank.queerontario.org/about 

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