Falooda Collective’s quest to uncover South Asian queer history in Montreal
The Falooda Collective (founded in 2021 with six members) aims to document the queer South Asian presence in Montreal. Their first project was a memorial documentary about Saleem Kidwai, who passed away in 2021. The collective pieced together Kidwai’s life by interviewing people who knew him during his time in Montreal. Kidwai struggled with exploring…
Photo diary of a Ukrainian refugee fleeing war
With her girlfriend and cat in tow, Viktoriia Kovalenko escaped Kharkiv last year, embarking on a harrowing odyssey brightened by kindnesses from strangers. On February 24, 2022 at 5:00AM EET, Viktoriia was awoken by the sounds of shelling. Viktoriia recounts the harrowing experience of escaping Ukraine. Food scarcity, ceaseless shelling, and illness were just some…
Data shows huge increase in trans hate crimes across Scotland in past decade
According to the seat of the Scottish Government, Holyrood, hate crimes against trans people has increased by 68 percent from 2020-2021 to 2021-2022. Green Party Equalities spokesperson Maggie Chapman told Herald Scotland, “This awful rise must also not be viewed out of context. It has been fueled by a cynical campaign of vicious lies and…
The passing of transphobic laws increased internet searches for ‘suicide’ and ‘depression,’ study finds
As more anti-trans bills are being passed, the rate of internet searches for “suicide” and “depression” increased by 13-17%. It was found that when anti-trans bills were defeated, these search terms significantly decreased. Research by Dr. George Cunningham and his team found that areas with higher density LGBTQ2S+ populations had a strong correlation between anti-trans…
Texas lawmakers want to criminalize drag shows
As LGBTQ2S+ members face increasing pressure in the southern USA, Texas lawmakers have pre-filed a bill that would classify any business that hosts drag shows as a “sexually oriented business” through amending an existing statute about such businesses. Venues with this classification are liable to misdemeanour charges on par with vehicle burglary if anyone under…
‘Blonde’ Was ‘Very Vile’ & ‘Lacked Empathy’ Toward Marilyn Monroe, Trauma Experts Say
Trigger warning: This article contains references to sexual violence.Two weeks ago, Blonde, the newest biopic on Marilyn Monroe, was released on Netflix. A fictionalize take on Marilyn Monroe’s life, it has faced criticism over its insensitive portrayal of multiple sexual assaults, forced abortion, and lack of empathy for the real person. Further, the one-dimensional character…
Carleton University PhD candidate reunites with his husband after two years of detention in Turkey
After 2 years of detention in Turkey, Carleton University PhD candidate Cihan Erdal is now reunited with his husband, Ömer Ongun, Erdal was initially imprisoned under on charges of inciting violent protests six years prior, before those being released on bail under constant watch when the charges were proven to be false. After walking hours…
Miami-Dade school board won’t celebrate LGBTQ2S+ History Month, citing concerns over ‘Don’t Say Gay’
Last week, the Miami-Dade school board voted against a proposal to recognize October as LGBTQ2S+ History Month. Proposed by Lucia Baez-Geller in an attempt to decrease the marginalization of LGBTQ2S+ people, dozens of parents and community members opposed the proposal on the grounds that it ran afoul of Florida’s parental rights law, also known by…
India’s Supreme Court says LGBTQ+ families are entitled to legal protection in major ruling
The Indian Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex families are entitled to social benefits and legal protections. This was achieved through the expanding the legal definition of family to include “non-traditional” families: de queer couples, people in domestic unmarried partnerships, single parents, stepparents and adoptive families. This decision joins a list of reforms that are dismantling…
Toronto’s queer community denounces incoming police chief’s appointment, demands a public meeting
Members the Toronto Women’s Bathhouse Committee, along with hundreds of other people and organizations, published an open letter demanding a public meeting with Mayor John Tory over the appointment of Myron Demkiw as Toronto police chief. Demkiv was involved in a 2000 raid of the Pussy Palace bathhouse, which was later judged to be a…
‘We are very happy’: Mexico just took a giant leap toward LGBTQ+ equality
After two historic decisions, Mexico has moved closer towards LTBTQ+ equality. In an overwhelming 69-2 vote, the Senate of the Republic voted on October 12 to ban all forms of conversion therapy targeting LGBTQ+ people. The bill is now in the hands of the Chamber of Deputies for final vote. This would outlaw conversion therapy…
Slovenia becomes first post-communist country to legalize same-sex marriage, adoptions
This week, Slovenia became the first country in Eastern Europe to legalize both same-sex marriage and the adoption of minor children by same-sex couples. In a 48-29 vote, Slovenian lawmakers voted to pass an amendment guaranteeing marriage and adoption rights for same-sex couples on October 4. This move follows a decision from the Constitutional Court…
A record number of LGBTQ2S+ candidates threw their names on U.S. ballots this year
For the first time ever, LGBTQ2S+ candidates are vying for seats in next week’s elections in all 50 states across the U.S. plus Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. There is hope among advocates that this will lead to other historic firsts, such as the first openly lesbian governor in the country. These increasing numbers follow…
What you need to know about non-monogamy and mental health
Today, as openness to non-monogamy grows, a number of people—queer and straight, cis and trans alike—are questioning whether monogamy is the ideal relationship structure and many have shifted towards non-monogamous relationships. While these relationships can be a source of joy, they also com with unique challenges, some exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article…
How having queer folks in power at non-queer media organizations can shift coverage
In 2020, Viet Tran launched the magazine Sticky Rice, which focuses on Asian Canadian issues, in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic and a rising wave of anti-Asian racism. A psychiatrist by training, Tran is the editor-in-chief of this successful publication, and we sat down with him to discuss how being a gay Asian man…
Future Mothers Can Still Get Breast Implants
Breast implant surgery is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures around the world. For future moms-to-be it is fine to done, so long as potential complications are accounted for. Namely, long-term care will be needed including another surgery down the road, the impact of changes to one’s breasts arising from pregnancy, avoiding breast milk…
Ruth Lor Malloy
Ruth Lor Malloy (née Lor), journalist, writer, activist (born 4 August 1932, in Brockville, ON). Malloy was a key figure in fighting against discrimination in Ontario in the 1950s (see Prejudice and Discrimination in Canada). She participated in the high profile Dresden restaurant sit-in of 1954. In 1973, she published the first English-language guidebook to…
Here’s how Biden is fighting to strengthen healthcare protections for LGBTQ2S+ Americans
The Biden administration released proposed regulations on July 25 that would enhance existing protections for the LGBTQ2S+ community. Specifically, the new rules reaffirm that discrimination against LGBTQ2S+ people, and people who have had abortions, is illegal in federally funded health settings and explicitly prohibits healthcare discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. However, the proposal…
Treatment for body dysmorphic disorder is still failing queer people of colour
Treatment for body dysmorphic disorder is still failing queer people of colour. Stella, a pansexual Korean-Greek woman struggling with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), found that her therapists didn’t acknowledge her racialization and her queerness during her treatment, which limited its effectiveness. As Nyinawumuntu, the founder and director of the Black Healing Centre, has described it:…
Antigua and Barbuda strikes down law criminalizing gay sex in victory for LGBTQ+ community
In a landmark ruling for its LGBTQ+ community, anti-buggery laws were struck down in Antigua and Barbuda. Honourable Justice Marissa Robertson of the twin island nation’s High Court ruled on July 5 that sections 12 and 15 of the Sexual Offences Act of 1995 contravene its constitution. The Sexual Offences Act states that a person…
Injectable PrEP is safe and effective in preventing HIV/AIDS among trans women, study finds
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,…
Ghana’s LGBTQ+ community fights back against bigotry
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…
New study finds that top surgery improves quality of life in trans youth
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…
Pakistan’s trans community fears loss of protections as senator launches attack on trans rights bill
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,…
Watching Dune, I’m reminded of the young European explorers I envied — and resented — in my youth
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…
Racism led to a rise in anti-Asian hate in the pandemic. What the community wants to see in Canada’s next leader
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,…
Pour ne plus disparaître
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…
Comment rendre justice à Joyce Echaquan ?
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…
Sauver les femmes afghanes : une instrumentalisation occidentale
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…
La mobilisation citoyenne pour le droit au logement
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,…
Élections : Les plateformes pour lutter contre l’urgence climatique sont-elles réellement inclusives?
La crise climatique s’est fait durement sentir au Canada et avec une élection en cours la crise climatique est un enjeu de grande importance. Dans cette article je regarde quoi les cinq principaux partis fédéraux proposent pour lutter contre la crise climatique, si les partis sont suffisamment ambitieux, et le problème que les autochtones sont…
Racisme systémique et réconciliation : les élections sous la loupe
Lors de cette élection, le racisme systémique et la réconciliation se hissent comme un enjeu électoral. Dans cette article nous regardons quoi les élus proposent pour combattre ces enjeux. Nous abordons les sujets des mesures contre le racisme systémique, la violence policière et carcérale, la lutte contre la haine, la réconciliation avec les peuples autochtones,…
Faire preuve de créativité pour lutter contre les rénovictions
Les rénovictions qui sévissent dans les quartiers populaires de Montréal touchent à plusieurs enjeux complexes. En plus beaucoup des locataires ne connaissent pas leurs droits et des propriétaires privés les exploitent. Ici je regard quoi des citoyens engagés et arrondissements proposent pour adresser ça. Cet article a été publié dans La Converse, un nouveau média…
La blessure du 1er juillet: entre deuil et guérison
À l’occasion du 1er juillet, je suis allée couvrir la manifestation #cancelcanadaday à Montréal où des milliers d’autochtones et d’allochtones ont défilé. Depuis que 1505 enfants ont été retrouvés sur les sites d’anciens pensionnats à travers le pays, les nations autochtones sont en deuil. Elles ont été sollicitées de partout pour témoigner – une tâche difficile qui…