9.12.2007

AIDS Walk OTTAWA


I am currently working for Pink Triangle Services in Ottawa. We are doing some fundraising for AIDS Walk.

Come join us and register to Walk by clicking on the link below: https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/StartUp.aspx?TSID=163741

From our team page, please click 'Join our Team' to register for AIDS Walk for Life Ottawa and help us fundraise.

If you can't join us, please click 'Sponsor our Team' to make a quick and secure donation online.

Your efforts will help increase awareness about HIV/AIDS and raise money to provide essential services for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS in our community.

If you have any questions, please contact me.Also, please share this event with everyone. Every little bit helps.

A Jihad For Love

A new documentary about Islam and homosexuality is showing at the Toronto International Film Festival

"A Jihad For Love," six years in the making, follows gay and lesbian Muslims battling racial profiling and harassment after the September 11 attacks and subsequent attacks in London and Madrid.

Indian filmmaker Parvez Sharma filmed gay Muslims in 12 countries and nine languages, including India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, South Africa and France, and always shot footage in secret to escape the attention of local authorities.

"We are presenting Islam's most unlikely storytellers," Sharma said of his debut feature, which does not yet have North American distribution.

There is a blog on this film by the director, Parvez Sharma. You can find it here.

Homosexuality and Islam

Below are some links from Jihad For Love Website

LGBT Muslims Online

Huriyah: A Queer Muslim Magazine
LGBT Muslims on Temenos.net
LGBT Muslim Web Ring
Queer Jihad
Queer Muslim Revolution


LGBT Muslim Organizations (Worldwide)

Al-Fatiha Foundation (USA)
Al-Fatiha-News (News & Stories on Islam, Gender and Sexuality)
Salaam Canada (Queer Muslim Community)
Imaan (Social & Support Group for LGBT Muslims in UK)
Safra Project (UK-based Resource Project Relating to LGBT
The Inner Circle (LGBT Muslim group based in South Africa)

Asylum & Refugee Information

AsylumLaw.org - Helping Win Asylum Cases Worldwide
Australia Gay and Lesbian Immigration Task Force
Canada Lesbian and Gay Immigration Task Force
Columbia University Law School - Sexuality and Gender Law Clinic
Guide to Preparing Sexual Orientation-Based Asylum Claims
Human Rights Education Associates (HREA)
Immigration Equality
International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC)
Jobe Law Firm - Information on Asylum Based on Sexual Orientation
LGBT / HIV Asylum Manual (from Immigration Equality)
National Asylum Partnership on Sexual Orientation (NAPSO)
OUTfront - LGBT Program of Amnesty International USA
Sodomy Laws Around the World
UK Lesbian & Gay Immigration Group

Southeastern Asia

PT (Pink Triangle) Foundation - (HIV/AIDS Organization in Malaysia)
GAYa Nusantra (Gender & Sexuality Resource Centre based in Indonesia)

HIV/AIDS & Muslims

HIV/AIDS & Islam - Resources & Information
Vision (Pakistan)
Bandhu Social Welfare Society (Bangladesh)

Middle East & Western Asia

Ahbab (Online Community for Queer Arabs Worldwide)
Al-Bab (An Open Door to the Arab World)
Bint el Nas - Cultural E-Zine for LGBT Arab Women
Lazeeza (Arab Lesbians Online)
Gay and Lesbian Arab Society
Aswat (Palestinian Arab Gay Women, Trans, Bi, Queer, Intersexual)
Helem (LGBT group in Lebanon)
Al-Qaws - Palestinian LGBT Project at Jerusalem Open House
Algerigay - LGBT Algerians
Kelma - LGBT North Africans in France
Gay and Lesbian Morocco
Kaos GL (LGBT Community Center & Organization based in Turkey)
Lambda Istanbul (First and Oldest Turkish LGBT group)
Southwest Asian and North African Bay Area Queers (San Francisco)
Syrian Same-Sex Society Network

South-Central Asia

Iranian Queer Organization (IRQO)
Boston MASALA - Massachusetts Area South Asian Lambda Association
Khush Texas (LGBT South Asians)
Satrang (Southern California South Asian Queer Organization
Sholay Productions (LGBT South Asians and friends) - NYC
South Asian Lesbian and Gay Association (SALGA) - New York City
Trikone Atlanta (LGBT South Asians)
Trikone Michigan (LGBT South Asians)
Trikone San Francisco (LGBT South Asians)

Ottawa Centre Election debate

There’s a debate for Ottawa Centre riding On QUEER ISSUES

Friday, Sep 14, 6-9pm
Andrew Haydon Hall (council chambers)
Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier

The majority of the time is given over to AUDIENCE QUESTIONS.

Confirmed candidates:
Liberal candidate Yasir Naqvi
NDP candidate Will Murray
PC candidate Trina Morissette

SPONSORED BY: CAPITAL XTRA, EGALE CANADA & CAPITAL PRIDE

See Ontario leaders comments on the GLBTTQ community from XTRA.CA

GLBTQ Health Fair - Ottawa

HIV/AIDS prevention outreach workers talk about pride and why the fair is important... I am in the second part of the clip...

National Days of Action: Still Time to Deliver on HIV and AIDS

National Days of Action: Still Time to Deliver on HIV and AIDS

Greetings,

During its 2007 Annual General Meeting of the Canadian AIDS Society, a resolution was proposed by the people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHIV/AIDS) and unanimously endorsed by 125 National Member agencies. That resolution pertained to those agencies offering their support with regards to the process, initiated by the PLWHIV/AIDS, of campaigning for change in Canada’s response to the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS and raising awareness of the problems caused by the Federal Government’s stall (under review) in rolling out national funding allocated to the Federal Initiative addressing HIV/AIDS. All federal funding is set to expire March 30, 2008 and to date there has been no official indication as to what will happen as of April 1, 2008.

The first step in this campaign will be a blitz, by PLWHIV/AIDS and member agencies, to contact all Members of Parliament (MPs) and to arrange meetings with them to discuss issues related to PLWHIV/AIDS. The goal of this blitz is to show nation wide solidarity in approaching all MPs and creating a sense of urgency around pressing issues. It is hoped that MPs will then have a greater understanding of the struggles faced by those living with HIV/AIDS and be better equipped to discuss those issues in caucus and in the House.

For this initiative to have its greatest impact we call you to action. Any PLWHIV/AIDS affected or closely affected and other caring citizens are invited to join members of the Ottawa PLWHIV/AIDS community in calling, writing and participating in meetings with area MP’s.

An initial strategy meeting will be held in the Board Room at the AIDS Committee of Ottawa, 251 Bank St., Suite 700, 6-8 P.M. Thursday September 13/07. Additional background information will be available to attendees.

Please feel free to forward this urgent call to action to any members of your communities who you feel would want to be involved. This is directed to the residents of the Ottawa region, but if you live outside the area I encourage you to contact your local AIDS Agency to lend your support in your area. I apologize in advance to anyone who might have received multiple copies of this bulletin.

Thank you for your time and concern.

Kevin Hatt
On behalf of the Days of Action in Ottawa

Posted at PWA Empowering Knowledge Transfer Depot

5.15.2007

Certainly Monitarily Bankrupt - Falwell

Falwell was no stranger to controversy

In 1972 The Securities Exchange SEC charged him and his Church with "fraud and deceit". This stemmed from the issuance of $6.5 million in uninsured bonds. Falwell were found guilty 1973. Liberty University then filed for bankruptcy and reorganizes. Church investors lost millions of dollars in the case.

Oddly enough Falwell came to the aide of fellow evangelist Jim Bakker in 1987 and takes control of PTL Ministry after a number of financial and adultery scandals. Falwell then took PTL into bankruptcy within months of taking over and resigns from the PTL board. This time again, Falwell saw millions of dollars lost to largely Christian investors. Bakker went to prison for fraud.

Having experianced at least two bankrupticies, Falwell supported the Republican congress in 2005 passing legislation that made it almost impossible for ordinary Americans to file for personal bankruptcy. The number one reason for filing personal bankrupcy in America, Health Care costs.

Anti Gay Evangelical dies - Falwell 73

Jerry Falwell is dead at 73

Falwell died this morning in Lynchburg VA of apparent heart issues.

Falwell is well known for his Conservative Christian crusade against gay and lesbian rights and for creation of the Moral Majority, an evangelical christian right political group that helped elect Republican President's Reagan, Bush Senior and Bush Jr.

For more on Falwell check search this blog.

4.03.2007

Collective Rights accepted by Court

The Ontario Court has turned back an attempt by the Social Conservative Religious Right to restrict a union's right to support gay and lesbian rights. Susan Comstock, a senior government employee, describes herself as a devout Catholic and opposes paying union dues on religious grounds.


"This is important because it demonstrates that your right to practise your religion is not impaired by paying dues to a union whose views you do not share," said Andrew Raven, an Ottawa lawyer for the 150,000-member union, PSAC. "This was an attack on the right of the union to have a policy that supported the rights of gays and lesbians."

"I think it’s indicative of a problem Canadians will have in addressing what is becoming a somewhat oppressive environment," said Horgan, president of the Catholic Civil Rights League. "The reach of these decisions is only starting to be felt. We’re seeing greater and greater inclusions in all sorts of areas."

Horgan cited other rulings that have gone against religious groups, including a fine slapped on the Knights of Columbus in British Columbia for refusing to rent out their hall for a same-sex marriage party.

Horgan is comparing apples in oranges when he cites the Knights of Columbus case in BC as proof freedom of religion is at risk. In that case the court said the Knights of Columbus which had rented the hall and upon learning they were Lesbians cancelled their use of the hall for their reception, could refuse to rent to a group they are opposed to, but had in this case rented it and cancelled late, causing the lesbian couple to scramble to get a new location and resend invitations. See CBC report here.


Full news article here. See also report on LifesiteNews Canada

4.02.2007

Coming out still hard

ONE month before Zach O’Connor, a seventh grader at Brown Middle School here, came out about being gay, he was in such turmoil that he stood up in homeroom and, in a voice everyone could hear, asked a girl out on a date. It was Valentine’s Day 2003, and Zach was 13.
“I was doing this to survive,” he says. “This is what other guys were doing, getting girlfriends. I should get one, too.”

He feared his parents knew the truth about him. He knew that his father had typed in a Google search starting with “g,” and several other recent “g” searches had popped up, including “gay.”

see Accepting Gay Identity, and Gaining Strength

Blog Against Theocracy

Blog Against Theocracy


This long weekend is one of the biggest celebrated christian events on the calendar. It provide a good opportunity to discuss issues of the theocracy and the oppression it exerts here in Canada and in the USA.


We at queer thoughts will be posting, I hope you can too.
You can find out all about it here and here. An Unrepentantoldhippie led me to this action!

3.30.2007

From Brazil to Yogyakarta - Gay rights travel at the UN

Militant secular humanists are now using homosexuals and homosexuality "to demolish Christianity once and for all." - Gwen Landolt, January 18, 2003


Thats a tough one to swallow if you ask me. I was doing some research on recent initriatives before the United Nations on gay rights and I recalled the fabulous Gwen Lanholt being quoted a few years ago. I found the quote without much effort on LifeSiteNews Canada. All the news to scare REAL Christians can be found there. "Forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Kidding aside, the Christian political movement of the right began blaming secular people for forcing those homosexual rights on the world and secondly, the secular world is not doing it because they like homosexuals, they are using homosexuals to bring an end to christianity.

I am feeling betrayed here. I mean I thought these nice straight folks that joined us in our effort to gain equality were doing it because it was the right thing to do. It turns out I'm wrong. I feel so used.

Used but cant stop to go after them right now, there be bigger fish to fry.

Again back to 2003, the United Nations Human Rights Council finally got around to talking about sexual orientation and the idea that maybe they should practice what they preach. A motion from Brazil expressed "deep concern at the occurrence of violations of human rights in the world against persons on the grounds of their sexual orientation."

The motion was withdrawn by Brazil when it was apparent that several muslem countries would not allow it to pass. Brazil tried again in 2004, again, on March 29, 2004, Brazil removed the resolution. It was clear it would not be able to move it forward. Canada and many European States supported the motion at that time.

At the time, Austin Ruse, President of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute, worked to rally Americans in a letter to Christian and conservative groups stating, "Don't give the homosexuals another year to weasel this resolution into ominous reality. Let the High Commissioner and the Secretary of State know there is sizeable opposition to this ploy, that there are good reasons why devious sexual behavior and lifestyles should not be protected with additional legislation, let alone promoted."

Yesterday, three years to the day, the United Nation's Human Rights Council passed the Yogyakarta Principles. These principles (Named after the city they were drafted in) provide recomendations on the role of governments in protecting people on the basis of sexual orientations and gender identity. They are far reaching and perhaps worth the three years. In the end what will happen is anyones guess. The report is not binding and there is no requirement that the United Nations do anything with it.

Likely it will remain on a shelf. Your job is to get them to pick it up and do something with it.

1.05.2007

"Why would we let them in the first place?"

Look out the Social Conservative Religious (and) Right (SCR&R) are getting up a head of steam in the USA and their efforts are likely to spur on the Canadian branch's of the SCR&R as well. After suffering losses in New Jersey and Arizona over the last three months and in Ontario a few days ago, they have succeeded in using a big fat wallet in Mass. to force the legislature there to move toward a state wide vote to ban gay marriage.

Gay Marriage came into law as the result of a court decision and the SCR&R have been screaming mad since. They are one more legislative vote away from having gay marriage ban on the ballot for November 2008. You can expect a flood of gay marriages in late 2008 in anticipation of loosing the right through the ballot box. All those marriages before a ban would remain legal marriages.

Here in Canada you can expect the SCR&R to go after the provincial liberals in the next election via support for the Provincial Conservatives. They are hoping mad over the Attorney General's failure to fight an Appeals Court case dubbed the Three Parents. The case provided parent status on the birth certificate of a young boy to his biological mother and her female partner and to the father who donated his sperm. The boy lives with his two mommies and his father is actively involved as well.

The case now provides all three with legal status with respect to the young boy and will have effect on more than just gay and lesbian couples with children. it is likely divorced straight couples may take this action to involve a new partner as a legal parent.

The SCR&R believe none of this would happen were it not for gay marriage and that is what we all have to remember. many feel the fight for gay marriage is over and take as proof, Prime Minister Stephen Harper saying the issue has been dealt with and is over.

The reaction from the SCR&R on the three parent case is evident they will stop at nothing to end the access to marriage for gay couples. They will continue to recruit candidates primarily for the Conservative Party and endorse those already supportive in the Liberal and Conservatives.

They have a reasonable chance of succeeding. Canada's electoral system provides rural MP's with more say than urban MP's. The majority of Canadians lives in large urban centres like Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Voters in urban centres trend to being more progressive on rights issues than in rural areas. The Conservatives greatest strength is in rural communities and in smaller urban areas. They require fewer voters to elect members. The result is rural voters count more than urban voters. In some cases a rural vote is worth two or more urban votes.

Now I am not saying they will succeed as the public outcry will be huge if they try. I am asking, "Why would we let them in the first place?" Why let the fox into the chicken coop to start with?

The next election will see Stephen Harper trying to brand himself as a middle of the road guy. Just like Mike Harris did in Ontario years ago. Once elected they decimated social services in health, education and Childrens' Aid Socities across the province. Ontario is still trying to clean up the mess. Imagine what Harper could do from Ottawa with a majority government.

Want an example, just look south of the border and the USA after six years of George W Bush. Which Canadian leader supported the war in Iraq? Who extended the mission in Afghanistan? Who presented an Environment bill that would not have any effect until 2040? Who cancelled a national Child Care plan, and who is currently reviewing government programming in health care with an eye to cut spending? You can bet just as funding for women's programs funding that address the GLBTQ communities will be slashed as well.

1.03.2007

Tagged - I want and don't want ...

I was "Christmas tagged" by Chimera living in some dark soggy cave in BC and I made a New years resolution to answer it!

here goes...

Three things i want in 2007 ...

1. since i have to wear these diapers, someone to change them (Nudge nudge, wink wink)
2. a good original coffee place in Ottawa, why can't the Libra Room on Commercial Drive open here too.
3. to make maple syrup again or Ottawa or Montreal or Vancouver to win the Stanley Cup!

honourable mention: an openly gay conservative Minister of Defense?

Three things I don't want in 2007...

1. Another joke about, "Im a big kid now" Yes Huggies pull ups fit
2. Another parking ticket - Ottawa is better at this than Victoria for crying out loud
3. Another Closeted Gay Conservative Cabinet Minister - You know who you are, speak up!

Honourable mention: A typical Ontario winter or a Conservative majority

three names on a paper

It really did, happened just this way...

Two women got together as a lovable couple and at some point decided they were ready to have a child. They went to the man they wished to contribute sperm to complete the needed conception of a child. A child was born and the names of the Father, and the Mother, were put on the birth certificate and that is where the Women's Right's group, Real Women, felt it should end.

The Ontario Court of Appeal recently ruled that these two mothers could be on the birth certificate of a child along with the father's name. That ruling went uncontested by the Attorney General of Ontario thus making it the law today in Canada's most middle of the road province, Ontario. The effect of the unchallenged judgment is that two women or two men can be listed as parents of a child and or at least one more person may be added.

Social Conservative rights groups like the Campaign Life Coalition (CLC) and REAL Women have often warned that the traditional family was under attack or at least threatened by law changes that recognize gay’s access to "family" rights.
Jim Hughes, National President of the CLC said in a release yesterday,
“This ruling clearly shows the extent to which the homosexual activists will pursue their agenda regardless of the welfare of children.”

In its press release of August 23, 2006, The Alliance for Marriage and Family (AMF) ... "argues that there is no authority under Ontario law to declare a third parent for a child without one of the biological parents giving up parental rights. There are many other situations in which more than two adults may wish to have parental rights over a child, for example, if a child’s parents have divorced and remarried. Therefore AMF contends it is not a violation of the Charter to deny the declaration of parenthood for the same-sex partner in this situation."

Simply put the AMF, made up of these enlightened folks, the Catholic Civil Rights League, Christian Legal Fellowship, Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC), Focus on the Family and REAL Women sought and obtained intervener status to say, "It’s always been this way so leave it alone." They go onto add that if such a change was to be made it should be made by the provincial legislature. You may give them credit for wanting the democratic process to work and then again you may consider this to be a shell game on their part.

The game plan for the Social Conservative Religious (and) Right (SCR&R) sect has always been there to deny access to freedoms, enjoyed by a majority of Canadians, to other Canadians. They did it with the first nations, immigrants, divorced and or single moms to name a few.

I wouldn't be surprised if the SCR&R have its agenda stationary pre-printed with the following action items.

Agenda of Local, Provincial and National monthly SCR&R meetings

1. Support for Traditional Families, (Status of anti-gay efforts)
2. Protection of our Children, (repeat lies about gay and single parent families leading children to temptation)
3. God's Army (Report from the Federal Conservative MP’s Caucus meetings and Election Planning Committee)
4. Greetings from America/Financial Report (Discuss access to funding and resources from wealthy American Evangelical groups)
5. What would Jesus do? (make it up or choose selected pieces out of context to support our position)
6. Good and Welfare (Thank you card to James Dobson, Jerry Falwel for ongoing support)

7. A-Men - In the name of the Father, the Mother and the Holy Ghost (Women can say Amen too but can't vote)



Wait a minute, I never saw the Holy Ghost on any birth Certificate! Whats really going on here...