Want to contribue to a Queer Anthology for Prince George and surrounding country?
I am not sure how far afield they want to go but if you are from 100 Mile House North, they will likely accept your contribution. Read more below on the project!
A local poet, and gay activist, is looking for poems, short stories, black and white art and photos from the Prince George, and surrounding area, Queer Community.
They submissions accepted will published together in a Chap-Book style anthology, which will hopefully be ready for sale by Prince George Pride, 2005 (September long weekend).
All profit from the book will be split 3 ways, between GALA North, Prism Film Society, and PrideUNBC.
Dead Line: July 31st, 2005
Submit to: queeranthology@hotmail.com
Include you name, and contact information. An e-mail address is sufficient contact information. Material submitted without a name/contact info will not be published. If you wish to have your piece remain ‘anonymous’ please indicate this with your submission.
2.27.2005
Same-sex marriage committee named in Parliament
Bill 38, the Civil Marriage Bill, an act to amend Canada's marriage laws will go to a special parliamentary committee. The government struck the committee to ensure it would proceed to a vote on the proposed law before the House of Commons recesses for the summer. The committee will study the bill then take its report back to Parliament where it will proceed to third reading.
The committee members by party affiliation are;
Liberal
Don Boudria, Françoise Boivin, Paul Macklin, Anita Neville, and Michael Savage
Conservative
Rona Ambrose, Gord Brown, Rob Moore, and Vic Toews.
BLOC
Richard Marceau and Réal Ménard
NDP
Bill Siksay
Deputy Speaker Marcel Proulx was appointed by the Speaker of the House of Commons to chair the committee
The committee members by party affiliation are;
Liberal
Don Boudria, Françoise Boivin, Paul Macklin, Anita Neville, and Michael Savage
Conservative
Rona Ambrose, Gord Brown, Rob Moore, and Vic Toews.
BLOC
Richard Marceau and Réal Ménard
NDP
Bill Siksay
Deputy Speaker Marcel Proulx was appointed by the Speaker of the House of Commons to chair the committee
Harper to lead "The Hidden Agenda Party"
Conservative leader Stephen Harper has decided the best policy is no policy.
Harper is going to the Conservative party convention backing a resolution that says, Conservative policy will take no stand on abortion, same-sex marriage or other social conservative issues. The party's first ever policy convention is this March and it looks to be a wild affair with the western social conservatives poised to wage a war with eastern progressive conservatives.
The federal conservative position on same-sex marriage has been a major problem within the party this year. Harper tried to go down a road of equal but different arrangements for same-sex couples and though that played well with the people Harper is used to talking too, it has hurt the party in Quebec and other urban areas.
It seems Harper has put himself in a box. He will need conservative seats in Quebec if he ever wants to be Prime Minister and the folks in La Belle Province are not happy with his social policy. Resolutions to the national convention from Quebec call for endorsing gay marriage and abortions rights. As I stated above, Harper is more familiar fighting these people than leading them.
Social Conservatives are ticked off and are going to the convention in high numbers. Fundraising efforts have been held across the country to help elect and pay delegate fees and expenses. A Conservative MP (his name was not released) summed up the frustration of social conservatives when he talked to Lifesite News, a Christian news service,
Social conservative supporters claim the party does much better when it focuses on their issues, pro-life and pro-family than it does when it tries to run on economic issues. This all seems to be a little misleading, the Conservatives in the last federal election were leading the Liberals until a negative quote on gay marriage from the infamous Fraser Valley MP, Randy White was made public.
The quote from White allowed Paul Martin to accuse Harper's party of everything from secretly planning to gut the charter of rights and freedoms to forcing kids to listen to the Lord's prayer at school everyday. Harper recognised this as a potential problem and had attempted to gag all his candidates on gay, religious and abortion rights issues during the election. One mistake and the conservatives allowed Martin to squeak passed them.
The "take no position"policy ensures the conservatives will remain on the outside of power for some time to come. Social conservatives will not be happy and neither will the progressive conservatives.
Two big questions will be put to the voters next election by the Liberals. Will a Harper government roll back rights to certain Canadians and will a Harper government make abortion harder to get either by changing the law or removing the requirement that provincial governments make the service available.
Harper is going to face some angry people on both sides of the issue in Montreal at the convention. He may succeed there, succeeding in a general election on the slogan, "Vote for us, The Hidden Agenda Party" will prove difficult if not impossible.
Harper is going to the Conservative party convention backing a resolution that says, Conservative policy will take no stand on abortion, same-sex marriage or other social conservative issues. The party's first ever policy convention is this March and it looks to be a wild affair with the western social conservatives poised to wage a war with eastern progressive conservatives.
The federal conservative position on same-sex marriage has been a major problem within the party this year. Harper tried to go down a road of equal but different arrangements for same-sex couples and though that played well with the people Harper is used to talking too, it has hurt the party in Quebec and other urban areas.
It seems Harper has put himself in a box. He will need conservative seats in Quebec if he ever wants to be Prime Minister and the folks in La Belle Province are not happy with his social policy. Resolutions to the national convention from Quebec call for endorsing gay marriage and abortions rights. As I stated above, Harper is more familiar fighting these people than leading them.
Social Conservatives are ticked off and are going to the convention in high numbers. Fundraising efforts have been held across the country to help elect and pay delegate fees and expenses. A Conservative MP (his name was not released) summed up the frustration of social conservatives when he talked to Lifesite News, a Christian news service,
"I am deeply concerned about the leader's on-going efforts to take the party further to the left and well away from the distinct alternative given voters under the previous Alliance/Reform banners."
Social conservative supporters claim the party does much better when it focuses on their issues, pro-life and pro-family than it does when it tries to run on economic issues. This all seems to be a little misleading, the Conservatives in the last federal election were leading the Liberals until a negative quote on gay marriage from the infamous Fraser Valley MP, Randy White was made public.
The quote from White allowed Paul Martin to accuse Harper's party of everything from secretly planning to gut the charter of rights and freedoms to forcing kids to listen to the Lord's prayer at school everyday. Harper recognised this as a potential problem and had attempted to gag all his candidates on gay, religious and abortion rights issues during the election. One mistake and the conservatives allowed Martin to squeak passed them.
The "take no position"policy ensures the conservatives will remain on the outside of power for some time to come. Social conservatives will not be happy and neither will the progressive conservatives.
Two big questions will be put to the voters next election by the Liberals. Will a Harper government roll back rights to certain Canadians and will a Harper government make abortion harder to get either by changing the law or removing the requirement that provincial governments make the service available.
Harper is going to face some angry people on both sides of the issue in Montreal at the convention. He may succeed there, succeeding in a general election on the slogan, "Vote for us, The Hidden Agenda Party" will prove difficult if not impossible.
Brazil and gay marriage - One prosecutor takes it on
A 27-year-old prosecutor Joao Gilberto Goncalves has begun the country's first serious effort to legalize same-sex marriage.
The Catholic Church (Brazil is the world's largest Catholic country) is outraged with Goncalves, the father of two small children and a baptized Catholic himself, says the case is straightforward.
The Catholic Church (Brazil is the world's largest Catholic country) is outraged with Goncalves, the father of two small children and a baptized Catholic himself, says the case is straightforward.
"Gays deserve equal rights, not more rights or less rights. This is something that should be discussed objectively, without interference by the church's moral standard of marriage."Since joining Brazil's elite class of federal prosecutors two years ago -- he has no boss and can't be fired -- Goncalves has quickly made a name for himself. He won a case requiring the government to release some secret files from the country's 1964-1985 dictatorship and plans to file a case that would legalize stem-cell research. Read more...
FTM 2005: A Gender Odyssey
FTM 2005: A Gender Odyssey is a national conference for masculine-identified people who were assigned female gender at birth. It is place for us to gather together, share our lives, speak our truths, learn from one another, and celebrate our communities.
This conference offers workshops addressing the practical aspects of trans lives, including:
This conference offers workshops addressing the practical aspects of trans lives, including:
- legal issues;
- intersections of race and gender;
- coming out to family and friends;
- transitioning at work;
- hormones and surgery;
- and dating, sex, and relationships.
5th Annual Sista'Hood Celebration 2005
5th Annual Sista'Hood Celebration 2005
February 28th to March 27th, Vancouver
The Sista'Hood Celebration is an annual multidisciplinary arts festival that is the only event of it's kind in Western Canada. In recognition of International Women's Day Sista'Hood features local, national and international women performers and media artists. Sista'Hood's theme is the exploration of the convergence of women inmusic, dance, spoken word, media arts and community activism intoday's urban environment. Objectives
In collaboration with Meegan Mulstaid, the director of Rock for Choice and the Under the Volcano Arts and Activism festivals, Sista'Hood 2005 will include a night of music, drag and spoken word from Vancouver's queer community.
Events and links!
Sista'Night Live — Monday February 28th Reel Sista’s Film Festival — Tuesday March 8th Hot Saucy Girls Sista'Hood Cabaret — Saturday March 12th Hot Saucy Workshops — Sunday March 13th Eat Fresh Breakdance Jam — Saturday March 19th Eat Fresh Skills Clinic — Saturday March 19th SkateOver not a Makeover — Sunday March 20th Invitational Poetry Slam — Monday March 21st Sista’Hood at Sonar — Thursday March 24th Queer Sista’s and Trans Folx Get Down — Saturday March 26th The Confluence — Sunday March 27th
February 28th to March 27th, Vancouver
The Sista'Hood Celebration is an annual multidisciplinary arts festival that is the only event of it's kind in Western Canada. In recognition of International Women's Day Sista'Hood features local, national and international women performers and media artists. Sista'Hood's theme is the exploration of the convergence of women inmusic, dance, spoken word, media arts and community activism intoday's urban environment. Objectives
- Produce a multidisciplinary arts festival that features women aslead performers, speakers, producers, directors and workshopfacilitators; and that encourages participation from all genders.
- Produce a festival of multidisciplinary arts that features womenartists and is accessible to youth.
- Produce a festival of professional arts that explores theconvergence of women in music, spoken word, media arts and communityactivism in today's urban environment.o Provide unique opportunities for artists and audience members fromdiverse groups to participate in and appreciate multidisciplinaryarts.
- Engage participating artists in the ongoing production ofSista'Hood.
- Provide opportunities for women artists to become involved in thewomen's equality and social justice movement.
- Produce a festival of multidisciplinary arts that develops andmaintains a wide variety community partnerships.
In collaboration with Meegan Mulstaid, the director of Rock for Choice and the Under the Volcano Arts and Activism festivals, Sista'Hood 2005 will include a night of music, drag and spoken word from Vancouver's queer community.
Events and links!
Sista'Night Live — Monday February 28th Reel Sista’s Film Festival — Tuesday March 8th Hot Saucy Girls Sista'Hood Cabaret — Saturday March 12th Hot Saucy Workshops — Sunday March 13th Eat Fresh Breakdance Jam — Saturday March 19th Eat Fresh Skills Clinic — Saturday March 19th SkateOver not a Makeover — Sunday March 20th Invitational Poetry Slam — Monday March 21st Sista’Hood at Sonar — Thursday March 24th Queer Sista’s and Trans Folx Get Down — Saturday March 26th The Confluence — Sunday March 27th
Public Service PRIDE Network
The Public Service PRIDE Network brings together gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (GLBT) public servants from all departments of the federal government. According to their mandate, the Network provides GLBT federal public servants with opportunities to:
Check them out, this group has been in place for a few years. The new website will make them more accessible to GLBT persons working for the Government of Canada.
Congratulations to the those that got this started.
- develop professional communication networks;
- meet for social events;
- provide support to colleagues in the workplace;
- raise awareness regarding GLBT issues.
Check them out, this group has been in place for a few years. The new website will make them more accessible to GLBT persons working for the Government of Canada.
Congratulations to the those that got this started.
2.25.2005
Ontario passes sweeping same-sex marriage law
Same-sex marriage legal in Ontario. Sound Confusing?
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Ontario since the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled in June, 2003, that excluding same-sex couples from the definition of marriage cannot be justified in a democratic society.
The legislature in Ontario has now done all the paper work, in a massive bill changing and adding same-sex definitions to some 77 Ontario laws. The changes were made with out much debate and was passed with a voice vote.
The changes were required due to the court decision of June 2003 and provide same-sex couples with all the rights and responsibilities currently addressed by law in Ontario.
BC and Quebec have already complied with court rulings in their respective provinces. Laws have been ammended over time to accord same-sexcouples marriage and common law rights.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Ontario since the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled in June, 2003, that excluding same-sex couples from the definition of marriage cannot be justified in a democratic society.
The legislature in Ontario has now done all the paper work, in a massive bill changing and adding same-sex definitions to some 77 Ontario laws. The changes were made with out much debate and was passed with a voice vote.
The changes were required due to the court decision of June 2003 and provide same-sex couples with all the rights and responsibilities currently addressed by law in Ontario.
BC and Quebec have already complied with court rulings in their respective provinces. Laws have been ammended over time to accord same-sexcouples marriage and common law rights.
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