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Thanks to all those that came out to Buddies to help us launch the group! .
If you missed it, check out this archive of tweets, pics and posts from the CLGRO Farewell – Queer Ontario Launch. .
Also take a look at the CLGRO slide show, featuring clippings and photos from the Canadian Lesbian & Gay Archives. .
We’ve also posted the speech Queer Ontario’s Nick Mulé delivered at the launch.
Finally, here’s the video from our Speakers Corner!
Tonight we are celebrating two momentous occasions at once, the farewell to a leading provincial lgbt rights organization and the launching of a new queer rights organization in Ontario.
You have already heard from Tom the kinds of groundbreaking work the Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Ontario (CLGRO) undertook throughout its 34 plus year history. From the long hard won battles of getting ‘sexual orientation’ included in the Ontario Human Rights Code to getting same-sex relationships recognized; from sex laws concerns such as parks and washroom arrests and bathhouse raids to a critique of the policing of our communities; from arguing for our inclusion in employment equity and disability legislations to challenging ignorance regarding our issues in the health care, social service and education systems; CLGRO blazed a trail in this province demonstrating that the lesbian, gay, bisexual and in the latter years transgender communities were one to be reckoned with, sending reverberations throughout the country and internationally with its pioneering work and progressive social analysis. Read more…
Arts & Culture – To urge continued and strengthened support for the arts and culture sectors, with particular emphasis on the development of queer culture, and its appreciation rather than it being targeted for censorship or prosecution.
Inclusion of ‘Gender Identity’ in the Ontario Human Rights Code – In Ontario, trans people have no explicit legislative human rights protections. Queer Ontario supports the Ontario Trans Human Rights Campaign in calling for the inclusion of ‘gender identity’ in the Ontario Human Rights Code as recognized prohibited grounds against discrimination and harassment.
Poverty/Employment Issues – Address issues of poverty in all its forms and continued workplace discrimination and harassment based on gender identity and sexual orientation with government, human rights commissions, labour boards, labour unions, etc.
The Pressing Issues Survey
We are still receiving feedback through our Pressing Issues Survey, to get a sense of the issues facing LGBTQ* Ontarians today. A link to the survey can be found here.
The Queer Ontario Think Tank
We are also accepting written and other multimedia works for our ideas space -- the Queer Ontario Think Tank. To read more about it, or to learn how to submit a work, follow the link here.
Queer Ontario is a not-for-profit organization operating on funds provided to us by our generous and capable supporters. Your donation will be channeled directly into our projects and operations, which will help us continue our educational and reformist work.
Unfortunately, because our mandate is deeply political, we cannot acquire charitable status and, as such, will be unable to issue you with a charitable tax receipt. We encourage your support in light of this systemic shortfall.
You can use our one-time donation option as many times as you would like:
Or, you can become a sustaining donor by contributing to Queer Ontario on a monthly basis.
We appreciate your ongoing generosity and support -- The Queer Ontario Steering Committee.