Social Justice

Injectable PrEP is safe and effective in preventing HIV/AIDS among trans women, study finds

Social Justice

A recent study found that long-acting injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is effective and safe for trans women in preventing HIV/AIDS. The new research presented at the 24th International AIDS Conference in Montreal on July 31 showed that PrEP works just as well for trans women as the treatment does for bisexual and gay men. Additionally, the report also indicated that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) had no effect on the effectiveness of PrEP, which itself has been found to reduce the risk of HIV by up to 99 percent. This has led to calls for making the drug more affordable and accessible for members of the LGBTQ+ community, notably by Grinzstejn, head of the STD/AIDS clinical research laboratory at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Brazil.

This article is published in Xtra Magazine.

Ghana’s LGBTQ+ community fights back against bigotry

Social Justice

In Ghana LGBTQ+ advocates are banding together to sue the state for human rights violations against its queer community as the country experiences a rise in anti-LGBTQ+ violence. On June 14, two separate lawsuits were filed in the Ghana High Court against the inspector general of police and the attorney general of Ghana for violating the claimants’ human rights at an LGBTQ+ human rights training workshop in Ho in May 2021. These suits follow the introduction of legislation targeting LGBTQ+ Ghanians and advocates. Under a law proposed in August 2021, same-sex intercourse, “crossdressing”, and distributing material promoting LGBTQ+ activities would be banned while intersex people would be asked by the state to undergo “corrective surgery.”

This article is published in Xtra Magazine.

New study finds that top surgery improves quality of life in trans youth

Social Justice

A new study published by Northwestern Medicine researchers in peer-reviewed journal JAMA Pediatrics, has discovered that top surgery improves quality of life in trans youth. It compared two groups of patients aged 14 to 24: one group of 36 patients received top surgery, while a control group of 34 patients received gender-affirming care without top surgery. Three months later those with top surgery experienced much less chest dysphoria than before while the control group had no change. Additionally, an analysis by What We Know Project found that 93 percent of studies on gender transition concluded that the process improved the overall well-being of trans respondents.

This article is published in Xtra Magazine.

Pakistan’s trans community fears loss of protections as senator launches attack on trans rights bill

Asian Communities, Social Justice

Senator Mushtaq Ahmed of the Jamaat-e-Islami Party, Pakistan’s largest religious party, filed a petition to rescind protections for trans people in the country arguing that Pakistan’s 2018 Transgender Rights Bill went against the country’s Islamic principles. The senator also suggested that people who wish to change their gender marker should undergo a medical test first, though he did not clarify what exactly the test would entail. Previously the senator has also said that “Transgender is an American term, it has no place in Islam, and the legislation regarding the transgender community is against Quran and Sunnah, and it will promote homosexuality”. The bill in question protects a number of rights, including trans people’s rights to be referred to by “self-perceived” gender and to update their ID and existing documents to reflect this.

This article is published in Xtra Magazine.

Watching Dune, I’m reminded of the young European explorers I envied — and resented — in my youth

Social Justice

Watching Dune, I felt myself reminded of several old childhood memories. Paul Atreides was reminiscent of young European explorers from the Age of Discovery, heroes charged with a royal mandate to explore, albeit they ultimately harmed the existing inhabitants of the locations they would visit. These explorers begged the question of why they could have a heroic adulthood filled with travel and adventures, when people like me — young, female, Asian — were told that life’s greatest adventure was to bear children? Growing up these ambitions did not feel acceptable and there were no models I could lean on. Today I try to be one of these models and show young people that the can be the hero of their own stories.   

This article is published in the CBC as part of the CBC’s First Person stories.

Racism led to a rise in anti-Asian hate in the pandemic. What the community wants to see in Canada’s next leader

Asian Communities, Diaspora, Social Justice

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about many challenges and disruptions and among them was a spike in anti-Asian racism. Asian-Canadians seniors faced a surge of attacks and many Asian-Canadian businesses were the victim of vandalism. In this article we hear from members of the Chinese-Canadian community on their concerns regarding this issue, access to health-care, and what members of the community want to see in Canada’s next leader.

This article is published in the Toronto Star in the GTA column.

Pour ne plus disparaître

Social Justice

Durant 2021 plusieurs femmes inuit de la communauté du square Cabot sont décédées ou disparues à Montréal. Avec l’approche d’hiver, la communauté inuit est peur qu’il n’y ait pas assez de ressources pour empêcher que de nouveaux décès ne surviennent. En novembre dernier des plusieurs membres de la communauté ont pris du temps pour commémorer qui ont perdu leur vie, réclamer des changements, et parler des enjeux qui face la communauté.

Cet article a été publié dans La Converse, un nouveau média d’actualités numériques qui un journalisme de dialogue pour servir les communautés marginalisées. Si vous avez d’autres histoires que vous voulez que je couvre, vous pouvez m’écrire. Et si vous voulez plus de nouvelles de ce genre, abonnez-vous à l’info-lettre de La Converse ici.

Comment rendre justice à Joyce Echaquan ? 

Social Justice

Un an après le mort du Joyce Echaquan, comment nous pouvons rendre justice ? Comment pouvons-nous éviter qu’une telle tragédie se reproduise? On regarde les effets dévastateurs du le racisme systémique et le combat contre cette vile réalité.

Cet article a été publié dans La Converse, un nouveau média d’actualités numériques qui un journalisme de dialogue pour servir les communautés marginalisées. Si vous avez d’autres histoires que vous voulez que je couvre, vous pouvez m’écrire. Et si vous voulez plus de nouvelles de ce genre, abonnez-vous à l’info-lettre de La Converse ici.

Sauver les femmes afghanes : une instrumentalisation occidentale

Diaspora, Social Justice

Les États-Unis ont déclaré le retrait complet des troupes américaines de l’Afghanistan pour le 31 août 2021, et que les Talibans maintenant contrôlent le pays, des questions sur la réalité et le statut des femmes afghanes se fait omniprésente. Dans ce contexte, des Afghanes nous ont fait part de leurs inquiétudes et de leurs expériences.

Cet article a été publié dans La Converse, un nouveau média d’actualités numériques qui un journalisme de dialogue pour servir les communautés marginalisées. Si vous avez d’autres histoires que vous voulez que je couvre, vous pouvez m’écrire. Et si vous voulez plus de nouvelles de ce genre, abonnez-vous à l’info-lettre de La Converse ici.

La mobilisation citoyenne pour le droit au logement

Social Justice

Face à la crise du logement qui sévit à Montréal, des citoyens redoublent d’efforts pour changer la donne et faire valoir leurs droits. Ici on voir ce qui se passe à Parc-Extension et Pointe-Saint-Charles, le budget insuffisant pour le logement social, et des mouvements qui ont réussi.

Cet article a été publié dans La Converse, un nouveau média d’actualités numériques qui un journalisme de dialogue pour servir les communautés marginalisées. Si vous avez d’autres histoires que vous voulez que je couvre, vous pouvez m’écrire. Et si vous voulez plus de nouvelles de ce genre, abonnez-vous à l’info-lettre de La Converse ici.