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Queer Ontario is proud to announce its alliance with SlutWalk Toronto, and its work against the victim-blaming and slut-shaming that often accompanies — and follows — acts of sexual harassment and sexual assault.  We will be marching in the SlutWalk this Friday, May 25 in a show of solidarity, with messages opposing the misogyny, transphobia, and homophobia  that inform acts of sexual and physical violence, and the treatment many victims/survivors receive after-the-fact.
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Marchers are set to meet at 5:oopm at Nathan Phillips Square, making their way up to Queen’s Park, via University Ave., at around 5:30 pm.
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At 6:30 pm, a number of presenters will address the crowd, including: Kim Crosby, Jeff Perera, Tara Atluri, Judy Rebick, Morgan M Page, Michelle Chai, Jules Kirouac, and Jules’ mother, Deborah.
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If you are interested in joining our marching contingent, then meet us at the south-east corner of Nathan Phillip’s square at 5:00 pm (look for the Queer Ontario banner), where we will have some materials to make signs. You can also contact us at info@queerontario.org if you have any questions or would like a run-down of our plan.
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If you are interested in learning more about the SlutWalk, then visit their website at http://www.slutwalktoronto.com
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Their Facebook event page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/events/275379902539008
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Calls for more explicit language and a greater commitment to education and enforcement from the Ministry of Education and Ontario’s School Boards
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TORONTO – Queer Ontario submitted today a series of amendments to Bills 13 & 14 that would strengthen the language of the Bill, foster a greater understanding of equity and inclusivity amongst teachers and staff, and establish clearer guidelines of compliance and accountability in all publicly-funded schools.
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“A longstanding issue in our work around the banning of Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) in Catholic schools has been the reluctance of Catholic School Boards to enforce pre-existing policy, coupled with the Ministry’s lack of commitment to enforce its own,” says Queer Ontario Chairperson Nick Mulé. “We have continually contended that the Ontario Government’s existing Policy/Program Memorandum 145 already compels public school boards to support students who wish to form LGBTQ support groups, and that the lack of enforcement on the parts of the Boards and the Ministry of this Policy is at the core of the current struggle over LGBTQ youth wishing to form these valuable support groups.”
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Also included within the submitted amendments is language that explicitly establishes the rights of students to choose the name of the LGBTQ support group they wish to form. “As it currently stands, we feel that the language surrounding Bill Provision 303.1(d) regarding Board support of students wishing to form LGBTQ support groups is unclear,” says Casey Oraa, Queer Ontario Vice-Chair. “Adding ‘as determined by the pupil’ to this provision will ensure that naming rights rest in the hands of the students, as opposed to the school’s Board or staff.”
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Queer Ontario is also calling for the introduction of reporting mechanisms on school climate; the mandating of professional development programs related to anti-bullying and anti-harassment issues; and the inclusion of ‘gender identity’ and ‘gender expression’ as social locations protected by the Bill.
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Queer Ontario’s Deputation on Anti-Bullying Bills 13 and 14
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Help add “gender identity” and “gender expression” into the Ontario Human Rights Code!
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On Tuesday, February 21, 2012, NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo tabled Toby’s Act for the fourth time — a private member’s bill that seeks to add “gender identity” and “gender expression” as protected statuses in the Ontario Human Rights Code. Co-sponsored by Liberal MPP Yasir Naqvi and Progressive Conservative MPP Christine Elliot, Toby’s Act, if passed, would offer far greater protections for people in Ontario who are not cissexual, cisgendered, or normatively sexed or gendered.
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When we last left off with Toby’s Act, then Attorney General Chris Bentley shot down the Bill, claiming that protections were already offered under current Human Rights Code and that no further amendments to the Code were necessary. Queer Ontario understands that this isn’t the case, given that many transsexual, transgender, and otherly-gendered persons are still the targets of service, employment, and housing discrimination.
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What Can You Do To Help?
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We are calling on queer and trans communities across Ontario to support Toby’s Act and to let Premier McGuinty, Andrea Horwath (Leader, ONDP), Tim Hudak (Leader, Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario) and their parties know that we support the inclusion of “gender identity” and “gender expression” in the Human Rights Code. Here’s a few simple ways you can do that:
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1.  Sign our Petition

Let Premier McGuinty, Andrea Horwath (Leader, ONDP), Tim Hudak (Leader, Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario) and their parties know that you support the inclusion of “gender identity” and “gender expression” in the Ontario Human Rights Code. For every person that signs the petition, an e-mail will be sent to all the parties listed above letting them know that you support Toby’s Act. So sign now!
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2.  Call your MPP and let them know you support Toby’s Act

A list of current MPPs with their contact information can be found here. If you are unsure of who your MPP is, then you can use this handy tool to find your Riding, which can then be found on the contacts link.
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3.  Join us at the Ontario Legislative Building on Thursday, May 10th.

The bill is set to be discussed at around 2:00 pm. The more people we can get into the galleries to show support, the better!
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Together we can make this fourth attempt a success, and to finally have gender identity and gender expression recognized in the Ontario Human Rights Code. We extend our thanks to the Trans Lobby Group, and to MPP Cheri DiNovo, for their vigilence and persistence.