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We have just been contacted by Patricia Hluchy, Team Editor of the Features Unit at the Toronto Star, who is overseeing a story on individuals who are taking up non-binary identities and existences. According to Patricia:
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“The people were are hoping to interview are those who, whether conventionally sexed or intersex, do not feel comfortable — for whatever reason — with being streamlined into the sex categories of ‘Male’ or ‘Female’. The article will be about the limits of these sex-based categories, but also the fact that some people are opting out of either.”
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“The premise / approach of the article (to be shaped by interviews with some leading gender theoreticians / academics) will be: We have this binary sex = gender belief system, but many experts say it’s a social construct and that gender identity is way more complicated. And now, as our society continues to evolve into a less sex-determinist one (thanks in part to gay activism and the decline of homophobia), some pioneers — both academic and ‘on the street’ — are saying, ‘Enough of the gender straightjackets already'”
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“The article will also include the fact that a few countries allow individuals to check a category other than ‘Male’ or ‘Female’ on their passports; and we will try to interview Tony Briffa, a city counsellor and former mayor in Australia who is intersex and genderless.”
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“It would be great if — just for the authenticity factor — someone were willing to be photographed and to use their name. But that is not essential.”

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Indeed, I have chatted at length with Patricia and can attest that they are highly knowledgeable about the nuances of ‘sex’ vis-a-vis ‘gender’, and in particular the real-life implications of defining ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ in binarist terms.
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If you are interested in being interviewed for this article, please contact Patricia at phluchy@thestar.ca or at 416-869-4352. Feel free to indicate if you prefer to be interviewed in writing as opposed to verbally / live.
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Towards greater visibility and awareness,
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Martin Otarola
Queer Ontario Secretary
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On Wednesday, August 1, 2012, Queer Ontario submitted the following [first] document to Alexandra Schmidt, Senior Policy Advisor for ServiceOntario, in response to ServiceOntario’s consultation document regarding an amended criteria for a change of sex designation on an Ontario Birth Registration. As expected, Queer Ontario was not one of the organizations contacted to provide feedback on the document, but we were thankfully alerted to it, five days before the due date, by a firm supporter. Unfortunately, given the short timeline, we were unable to fully enact our discussion and consensus process, so the document we submitted was not given our full critical attention. Therefore, we are providing a second document that puts forward a critical analysis of the sex designation process, and highlights/elucidates the points made in our original submission.
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Indeed, we felt that the questions and terms put forward by ServiceOntario would replicate the problems already present with the sex designation process, since it still conflated “sex” with “gender” and ignores the concept of a “sex identity”. We are positive our recommendations would be equally beneficial for transsexual, transgender, intersex, sex-neutral, gender-queer, two-spirited, bi-gendered, and gender-neutral people alike.
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Queer Ontario’s Submission to ServiceOntario:

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