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Do you know someone who should be acknowledged for their extraordinary stand for peace?
Related to country: Canada
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Every time someone takes an action for peace, people are connected; to themselves and to each other. In every community there are people who make a difference and who try hard to bring peace and prosperity to the world they live in, often in the face of great conflict and injustice. The YMCA Peace Medallion is your way to recognize and celebrate members of your community who inspire us to join them in creating a more peaceful world.
 
I needed your help to generate a nomination (or two) in the next few days. Perhaps you know someone who qualifies for this prestigious award.
If so then lets chat. I am available to assist with a submission!
 
See examples of Last years 2007 YMCA Peace Medallion Recipients
 
We honour those who are working as volunteers to craft peaceful solutions to violence, poverty, injustice and discrimination. We are once again recognizing the extraordinary commitment that community Peacemakers have on the world. From all walks of life, from all cultures and heritages, Peacemakers are united by their desire to create a culture of peace.
 
CRITERIA
We are seeking individuals who:
  • Find peaceful solutions to violence, conflict, discrimination and injustice
  • Make a difference by working quietly without any special recognition (financial, status or otherwise) to create a culture of peace
  • Volunteer their time and work without any special resources (financial, status or otherwise) to create a culture of peace
  • Enhance the lives of people in their community and around the world by creating peaceful environments

This award is intended to acknowledge time and effort contributed on a voluntary basis. Services performed during the normal course of professional or business duties are not eligible for recognition. Self-nominations or YMCA staff will not be considered.

 
NOMINATION PROCESS
Typically it takes a few weeks to drum up nominations and get them ready for the Oct 10th deadline. This week I am calling folks within my network ask for their assistance in generating nominations for submission.
 
Contact: Dan Trepanier, YMCA of Greater Toronto, 42 Charles Street East, Toronto, ON M4Y 1T4,  T 416.928.3362 ext.2002, F 416.928.3552

PS: Final draft of Submissions are due by Friday, October 10, 2008. Details on the 2008 Awards can be found at http://www.ymcatoronto.org/en/who-we-are/our-organization/international/news-events/peace_week_08.html

 
SELECTION PROCESS
The committee is made up of community members and YMCA staff chosen to represent a variety of interests, experiences and ages. Recipients are honoured with the Medallion at special Peace Ceremonies in November during YMCA World Peace Week at YMCAs across the GTA.

See Blog link at http://dantrepanier.tigblog.org/post/479883 Submit content or feedback for this list at http://dantrepanier.tigblog.org/post/479883#postcomments Copyright © The YMCA of Greater Toronto. Duplication permitted with attribution and a link back to the blog

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September 17, 2008 | 11:09 AM Comments  0 comments
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Twelve Core Values in LGBTQ Services
Related to country: Canada
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

This "12 Core Values in LGBTQ Services" framework1 helps service providers to define program and participant outcomes. The list below2 has been adapted from a variety of sources.

1. Access
2. Inclusion
3. Client empowerment
4. User-defined services
5. Holistic approach
6. Respect for the individual
7. Cultural sensitivity
8. Community development
9. Collaboration
10. Accountability
11. Orientation towards positive change
12. Reliability

1. Services are accessible to all who need them. Access is assured by:
  • providing a welcoming LGBTQ ‘safe’ environment
  • offering services in the client’s own language, where possible and appropriate
  • offering culturally appropriate services
  • undertaking outreach, so that services are known to those who might benefit
  • communicating effectively about the organization and its services
  • where possible, offering services irrespective of immigration status or other criteria of eligibility
  • providing an environment where gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered members feel comfortable
  • offering childcare, where appropriate
  • having a geographically accessible site and/or addressing clients’ need for transportation
  • having a physically accessible site
  • listening to and responding to concerns about accessibility.

2. Services are offered in an inclusive manner; respectful of and sensitive to diversity. Inclusion is assured by:

  • ecognizing the diversity of needs and experiences (e.g. young, old, highly educated, those without education, singles, families)
  • offering anti-racist, anti homophobia services
  • providing a non-sexist environment
  • enforcing a policy of non-discrimination
  • offering non-judgmental services
  • respecting different perspectives within LGBTQ communities.

3. Clients are empowered by services. Client empowerment is assured by:

  • fostering independence in clients
  • meaningful membership and participation of clients in the Board
  • encouraging client involvement in all areas of the organization
  • involving clients as volunteers
  • recognizing, affirming and building on the resources, experiences, skills and wisdom of LGBTQ members
  • providing information and education to allow clients to make their own informed decisions
  • offering programs and services leading to employment and career advancement
  • offering a supportive environment (especially to those who are traumatized)
  • supporting the clients' right to choose from among service providers the approach that best meets their needs.

4. Services respond to needs as defined by users. User-defined services are assured by:

  • undertaking an individual assessment for each client of needs, expectations, goals and priorities
  • assessment of the needs and priorities of LGBTQ communities
  • involving LGBTQ members in needs assessments
  • ongoing assessment of whether services continue to meet needs
  • listening to clients and communities served
  • responding to the particular needs of LGBTQ people (recognition of differences, changing needs)
  • offering flexibility in services
  • incorporating flexibility into programs, in order to allow them to adapt to changing needs
  • involving users in the planning, implementation and evaluation of services
  • offering users maximum control over programs.

5. Services take account of the complex, multifaceted, interrelated dimensions of settlement and integration. A holistic approach is assured by:

  • recognizing the diversity of an individual's needs (physical, social, psychological, political, spiritual)
  • responding wherever possible to a variety of needs at once
  • providing a range of services in one location ("one-stop")
  • recognizing that integration is a long-term process
  • avoiding compartmentalization
  • taking into account the effects of policy decisions on individuals and communities and responding through advocacy
  • recognizing the importance of the family in the lives of individuals
  • providing opportunities for relaxation and fun.

6. Services are delivered in a manner that fully respects the rights and dignity of the individual. Respect for the individual is assured by:

  • confidentiality
  • services free of racism, sexism, heterosexism, homophobia, and other forms of discrimination
  • respecting the fundamental rights of each participant
  • compliance with a Code of Ethics
  • offering a professional quality of services
  • recognizing the uniqueness of each person
  • giving full and accurate information
  • making human contact
  • good monitoring, selection and training of volunteers.

7. Services are delivered in a manner that is culturally ‘queer’ sensitive. Culturally sensitive services are assured by:

  • having staff and volunteers from the same background as the clients served
  • ensuring that service providers are knowledgeable about the ‘queer’ culture of those being served
  • offering services in a ‘queer’ culturally appropriate manner
  • developing and implementing policies on ‘queer’ cultural competency and anti-racism
  • showing respect for ‘queer’ different cultures.

8. Services promote the development of LGBTQ communities and participation in the wider community, and develop communities that are welcoming of LGBTQ people. Community development is assured by:

  • giving priority to community building
  • investing in the development of LGBTQ communities
  • developing community leadership
  • building bridges between communities
  • eliminating barriers to LGBTQ participation in the community
  • familiarity with the resources in the local community
  • working towards changes in public attitude towards LGBTQ people
  • working through the organizations of LGBTQ communities
  • involving volunteers in services delivered.

9. Services are delivered in a spirit of collaboration. Collaboration is assured by:

  • promoting partnerships between organizations that build on strengths of each
  • good working relationships
  • team-building
  • communicating regularly with others and sharing information
  • referral services
  • coalition-building
  • providing opportunities for community problem-solving
  • taking account of available resources and experiences.

10. Service delivery is made accountable to the communities served. Accountability is assured by:

  • the organization's Board
  • evaluation, involving the participants
  • ongoing monitoring
  • performance appraisals
  • policy and procedure manuals (for financial management, administration and personnel)
  • close connection with immigrant and refugee communities
  • fiscal responsibility
  • development of goals and specific measurable, realistic outcomes.

11. Services are oriented towards promoting positive change in the lives of LGBTQ people and in the capacity of society to offer equality of opportunity for all. An orientation towards positive change is assured by:

  • advocating for improvements in policy
  • recognizing and building on the possibility of change in the lives of LGBTQ people and in society
  • developing new programs and new service models
  • improving services through training and research
  • celebrating successes.

12. Services are based on reliable, up-to-date information. Reliability is assured by:

  • keeping information up-to-date
  • using social research
  • exchanging information.

[1] For LGBTQ Terms and Definitions go to http://dantrepanier.tigblog.org/post/368797

[2] See Blog link at http://dantrepanier.tigblog.org/post/371771 Submit content or feedback for this list at http://dantrepanier.tigblog.org/post/371771#postcomments Copyright © The YMCA of Greater Toronto. Duplication permitted with attribution and a link back to the blog

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May 15, 2008 | 12:04 PM Comments  0 comments
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Commonly Used LGBTQ Terms & Definitions
Related to country: Canada
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

The acronym LGBTQ is commonly used to represent lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning people. Not using other ‘letters’ in the term is not intended to be exclusive of other individuals. This acronym is often used as a ‘general term’ to save space. The list below1 will help the reader understand the many other brief definitions and terms used:

Ally – A person who, irrespective of his or her sexual orientation or gender identity, supports and stands up for the human and civil rights of LGBTQ people.

Androgynous: Term for someone presenting not male or female. Quite often a state of someone just prior to going full time.

Bisexual – A person who is attracted physically and emotionally to both males and females.

"Coming out of the closet": (very often shortened to "coming out" in winking reference to the public introduction of debutantes) describes the voluntary public announcement of one's (often homosexual or bisexual) sexual orientation or gender identity. The first person we come out to is ourselves. Coming out is a lifelong process; happens over and over again as one moves into new situations, meets new people, forms new relationships

Gay – A person who is physically and emotionally attracted to someone of the same sex. The word gay can refer to both males and females, but is commonly used to identify males only.

Gender Expression – The way a person publicly shows one’s gender identity through clothing, speech, body language, wearing of make-up and/or accessories and other forms of displaying masculinity or femininity.

Gender Identity – A person’s internal sense of being male or female. Gender expression relates to how a person presents his or her sense of gender to society. Gender identity and gender expression are often closely linked with the terms transgender and trans-identified.

GSA – A school-based gay–straight student alliance found in some high schools in North America.

Heterosexism – The assumption that everyone is heterosexual and that this sexual orientation is superior. Heterosexism is often expressed in more subtle forms than homophobia.

Homophobia – Fear and/or hatred of homosexuality in others, often exhibited by name-calling, bullying, exclusion, prejudice, discrimination, or acts of violence. Anyone who is LGBTQ or assumed to be LGBTQ can be the target of homophobia. Homophobia is: Individual Prejudice/Bigotry: verbal/physical harassment on the part of a person or group of persons. Systemic and Institutional: upheld by governments, laws, police, authorities etc. Cultural and Ideological: permeates the values and norms of a society. "Everyday": having to constantly be aware of surroundings out of fear of harassment. Internalized: we live in a homophobic society, are subjected to, and absorb those values constantly, regardless of sexual orientation. We censor ourselves in order to avoid being targets of homophobia

Lesbian – A female who is attracted physically and emotionally attracted to other females.

LGBTQ – is an acronym meaning Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans. It is the currently preferred term to collectively describe people who self-define as one or more of these, although it should be noted that there are many people who "fit" into the LGBTQ community without self-defining as any of "L", "G", "B" or "T", such as those who self-define as "Queer", "Pansexual" or one of many other terms.  The LGBTQ community is very diverse and the term LGBTQ is somewhat controversial in that it encourages the pigeonholing of people into categories with fixed roles, ignoring the wide diversity of sexual orientation and gender identity of people in the LGBTQ community.

Perceived Sexual Orientation – When someone wrongly assumes that you are lesbian, gay, or bisexual without knowing what your true sexual orientation really is (heterosexual).

Queer – Historically, a negative term for homosexuality, but more recently reclaimed by the LGBT movement to refer to itself. Increasingly, the word “queer” is popularly used by LGBT youth as a positive way to refer to themselves.

Questioning– A person who is unsure of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Sexual Orientation – A person’s deep-seated feelings of emotional and sexual attraction to another person. This may be with people of the same gender (lesbian or gay), the other gender (heterosexual/straight) or either gender (bisexual).

Straight/Heterosexual– A person who is sexually and emotionally attracted to someone of the “opposite” sex.

Transgender/Trans-identified – A person whose gender identity, outward appearance, expression and/or anatomy do not fit into conventional expectations of male or female. Often used as an umbrella term to represent a wide range of non-conforming gender identities and behaviours.

Transphobia/Lesbophobia/Biphobia– The irrational fear of people who transgress, challenge or break from stereotypical expressions of male and female gender norms. Trans people/lesbians/bisexuals -is often expressed in subtle and overt ways that may include stereotyping, harassment, discrimination and violence.

Transsexual – A person who experiences intense personal and emotional discomfort with their assigned birth gender. Some transsexuals may undergo treatments (i.e. sex reassignment surgery and/or hormone therapy) to physically alter their body and gender expression to correspond with what they feel their true gender is. This term is most commonly used to refer to a person who is transitioning from one gender to another. For example, M2F represents a person born biologically male who is transitioning to female. F2M represents a person born biologically female who is transitioning to male. Transsexuals may be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or straight. Importantly, a person’s gender identity can be different from a person’s sexual orientation.

Two Spirit – Some Aboriginal people identify themselves as two-spirited rather than as lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans-identified. Historically, in many Aboriginal cultures two-spirited persons were respected leaders and medicine people. Two-spirited persons were often accorded special status based upon their unique abilities to understand both male and female perspectives.

A Note about Definitions:

It is important to remember that when trying to refer appropriately to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered/transsexual people, that the use of words is constantly changing and depends entirely on context. For example to refer to a lesbian as a "dyke" can be both an insult - if used insultingly - and recognition of that person's way of acknowledging and identifying themselves and their community. As in many communities, LGBTQ people use the same words to often mean different things. This is partially a reflection that language itself is fluid and evolving.

This includes the use of reclaimed language, which means taking back words that have been used in negative and derogatory ways historically and using them in positive and empowering ways.


[1] Expanded definitions and more terms are available on the Alberta Teachers’ Association’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity webpage www.teachers.ab.ca , click on Diversity, Equity & Human Rights (under Issues in Education) and follow the links. See Dan’s Blog link at http://dantrepanier.tigblog.org/post/368797 Submit content for this list at http://dantrepanier.tigblog.org/post/368797#postcomments
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May 9, 2008 | 11:57 AM Comments  0 comments


Gay Christians Struggle in Bogota Colombia and ask Toronto Church (MCCT) for Help.
Related to country: Colombia


Hello,
We are a gay couple from Bogota Colombia, both Christians for so many years, maintaining a 3 years committed relationship. As you can imagine, it is so difficult for us to serve in our churches here in Colombia because of church legalism, social and family issues and health status.

We have been praying for a long time and searching for opportunities to make our calling to become a reality. Despite the fact we have been working and studying on our churches, and having Christian families, now it became impossible to go on with our ministries.

Here is a brief of our lives.
When I was young, I became Christian mainly searching for answers and a drastic change from my homosexuality. Jesus Christ has been the reason of my life since then, I've been serving in praise and worship, in teaching young people, studying theology, working in a missionary group in my church, even all my family is Christian now.

But the first reason I entered, years ago, in a church was still unsolved, falling and getting up on and on, when I met Edinson in a very similar situation.

Unfortunately, my sexual orientation and the church's point of view about it, are not compatible, so I had to stop working when I was forced to "go out" to my Pastor and church authorities. I really miss the opportunity of having a ministry and serving The Lord.

I was looking for some information about what we can do when I found MCC Toronto on the internet. We were exited noticing that your Church is open for people like us and there is a place to work and serve others.

We are being sincere. We are asking you for some help. It could be, firstly, the possibility of going there, to Canada, to volunteer with your Church as a Christian couple, and become part of your community (we are not sure what is it depending on, but we are just searching for a way).
Any help you could give us in this aspect (information or direct helping), would be nice. Also, we know there is a possibility of doing this, asking for refuge in Canada due to our sexual orientation and the homophobia and intolerance here in Colombia and in our churches. It is important for us to find what you know about this issue and if you could give us some information.

Right now, as we write this, we are praying to God, asking Him for guide and His approval for our plans. But, we also know this is up to you if you decide to answer back our letter with what you think about our intentions. However, we appreciate the fact that you read this.

Yours in Christ,

Anonymous Author from Colombia (To protect privacy & reproduced with permission)


May 9, 2007 | 4:33 PM Comments  0 comments


REV. DR. BRENT HAWKES AWARDED THE YMCA 2006 Peace Medallion Award.
Related to country: Canada
Translations available in: English (original) | French

The YMCA Peace Medallion Award recognizes individuals who have shown a commitment to peace through personal contributions made within their community. Peace Medallions are awarded in communities across the GTA during YMCA World Peace Week: November 18-25, 2006.

We honour individuals who are peacemakers, working in a volunteer capacity towards peaceful solutions to violence, conflict, discrimination and injustice; who have had a significant impact on the lives of others in their community, but without any special recognition or special resources.

Past recipients come from all walks of life yet they are united in their active commitment to creating a culture of peace.

You are invited to the
YMCA 2006 Peace Medallion
Awards Presentation
Honouring Peacemakers in our Community

Thursday, November 23, 7:30 a.m.
YMCA Charles Street Auditorium
42 Charles St. E. (Yonge and Bloor), Toronto. Canada

RSVP: Veronica Hercules (416) 413-1020 ext 4204
please be sure to indicate ceremony location when responding.

October 27, 2006 | 7:50 PM Comments  0 comments
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GLORIOUSLY FREE is the first documentary to explore the world of gay immigration
Related to country: Canada

GLORIOUSLY FREE is the first documentary to explore the world of gay immigration, and the desperate search of five young men to find welcoming arms outside their countries of birth-where persecution and hatred of alternative lifestyles may lead to torture or death. What they find is Canada, leading the world as the safest haven for persecuted gays and lesbians.

GLORIOUSLY FREE is a powerful profile of gay immigrants to Canada. Among them are Al-Hussein from Jordan; Julian, blackmailed and blacklisted in his homeland of Mexico and a resident of Canada for three years; Bruno, who immigrated from Brazil and now makes his living as a singer; David, a former U.S. Port Captain with a prominent Texas-based drilling company; and Frantz, a graphic artist from Jamaica.

Excluded from the opportunity to live freely in their native countries, these resilient young men tell stories of blackmail and violence.

"Many others have touched on the same-sex marriage theme, but GLORIOUSLY FREE delves deeper into the true issues of human rights and social freedom. It is about the personal journeys of very different gay and lesbian individuals who have sought refuge and comfort in the open arms of Canada," says filmmaker Noemi Weis.

The documentary also looks at Canada's unique and liberal immigration laws and the procedure by which international gays and lesbians can apply for refugee status in a country that is fast becoming the world's unspoken symbol of sexual freedom.

With some of the world's most progressive immigration laws for same-sex couples and gay and lesbian refugees, it is estimated that over 2,500 people of same-sex preference have sought admission to Canada in last three years.

GLORIOUSLY FREE is directed by Ed Sinclair and produced by Noemi Weis; it is a Filmblanc production, in association with OMNI Television.

GLORIOUSLY FREE aired on CBC Monday February 7 at 10pm ET/PT on CBC Newsworld
http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/glorious.html

October 20, 2006 | 12:03 PM Comments  1 comments


When the blindfold came off. WORLD POLITICS / Activist calls Mexico dollar-friendly, not gay-friendly
Related to country: Mexico

Written by Aidan Johnson / Xtra / Thursday, October 12, 2006

How lesbian poet and Mexican human rights activist Emma Beltran came to be in Canada is not a happy story.

Beltran says she was kidnapped at gunpoint by four men on a busy street in Mexico City on the night of Mar 23, 2001 and for seven days was subjected to a waking nightmare of physical and psychological torture at the hands of the Mexican National Army, and thus the Mexican government.

"I was blindfolded the whole time, but I knew that the place was in the countryside," says Beltran, who came to Canada in 2002 and was granted refugee status in 2005. "It was quiet, and the air was fresh. Not like the city at all. I heard crickets when they moved me from the van to the building."

At the time, Beltran, 32, was a writer-activist deeply involved in the national student and indigenous-rights movements in Mexico. She says that her kidnappers made it plain that her politics, including her open lesbianism, were the reasons for the torture.

Her new life in Toronto has her continuing her literary career and working for the rights of queer refugees to Canada, including writing a resource guide and practical advice book aimed at queer refugee status claimants.

"Gay and trans refugees face incredible barriers when they claim sexual orientation as the basis for their refugee status," says Beltran. "They're often just not believed. Or the immigration court insists that homophobia or transphobia in the home country can't be that bad, because the country has some sort of official policy saying [gaybashing is] illegal. But the judge doesn't know anything about the lives of gay people or trans people in that country, of course."

Beltran speaks of a queer reality in Mexico that belies the reputation the country has among many gay tourists who visit the country's apparently queer-friendly resorts.

"The resorts aren't gay-friendly, they're dollar-friendly," Beltran says. "The people who run the resorts are all smiles for gay tourists with money to spend there. But they'd spit on the poor gay Mexican who lives near the resort, because he's gay."

Beltran knows of Mexican trans people punched in the face on subways for being trans. The antiqueer aspect of her own persecution was more extreme.

"During the seven days of my torture, I was repeatedly gang-raped. The men said that they knew I was a lesbian, that this would make me not a lesbian," she says. "The blindfold only ever came off when they took photographs of me with a blinding flash, so I couldn't see anything. But I know I would recognize those men today, by their voices."

Beltran says that her own refugee status is based on her persecution as a political activist, rather than her persecution as a lesbian specifically.

She says that her persecution was triggered by work she had done as a journalist and broadcaster with the radical student radio station at the National Autonomous University Of Mexico in Mexico City, offering news and commentary on the national student strike that shaped the Mexican political scene in 1999 and 2000.

Beltran had earned a reputation for political radicalism as a writer and activist working in Chiapas, the southern Mexican state best known as the home base of the Zapatista Army Of National Liberation, the social justice movement for and by the marginalized of Mexico, particularly indigenous people.

From 1994 to 2000, she split her time between Mexico City and Chiapas coordinating political poetry-writing groups, journalism and theater workshops, and Spanish literature classes for indigenous activists.

"The indigenous people and the Zapatistan movement are queer-positive," she says.

Today, Beltran is a member of the Writers In Exile Network Of PEN Canada, the organization for writers imprisoned and exiled by government regimes, and for freedom of expression. The Canadian PEN chapter is presently chair of the international network, and arranged for Beltran to work at the University Of Windsor in spring 2006 as exiled writer-in-residence.

Beltran's English- and Spanish-language poetry has been published in the US, Canada, Mexico and Russia. While much of her work is on explicitly political themes, Beltran also writes flowing and lyric verse that suggests Romantic poetry of nature and love. Her poetry suggests that Beltran has a power to see beyond her immediate, pressing circumstances as one political refugee.

She hopes to eventually find a way to pursue her case back in Mexico through legal channels, and find justice.

"I'm not interested in justice for me, not at all," she says. "I'm interested in justice for all of the victims of torture and political imprisonment in Mexico. If I could somehow use my case so that the UN condemns Mexico for its crimes, so that justice comes for the activists who have suffered there, that would be the ideal. That's what I want."

Beltran's guide for queer refugee claimants is available at the 519 Community Centre (519 Church St). http://www.the519.org/

Written by Aidan Johnson / Xtra / Thursday, October 12, 2006
http://www.xtra.ca/public/viewstory.aspx?AFF_TYPE=3&STORY_ID=2194&PUB_TEMPLATE_ID=2

October 17, 2006 | 7:07 PM Comments  0 comments
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Gay refugees find safe place
Related to country: Canada

The 519 organization offers peer support and acceptance
Many from countries where it's dangerous to `come out' Oct. 6, 2006.THULASI SRIKANTHAN Toronto Star, STAFF REPORTER
The 519
For years, Ugandan-born Shafiq Mawji kept his sexual orientation to himself, terrified of the consequences.

Today, Mawji — who came out of the closet two years ago — is helping other refugees at The 519, a Toronto organization that is open to everyone but focuses on programming for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered communities.

"It's the Mecca for gay refugees from outside of Canada," said Mawji, who joined shortly after arriving here in March 2004. He insisted on using a pseudonym, for fear of affecting his ongoing refugee case.

Refugees from all over the world — including Eastern Europe, Africa and South and Central America — come out for the "refugee peer support group," one of the key programs The 519 offers.

The 519 is supported by the United Way of Greater Toronto and located on Church St. in the heart of Toronto's gay community. It offers a variety of programs that include a legal advice clinic, anti-violence programs, income-tax clinics, gay parenting programs and community counselling.

"We noticed many people coming to 519 to make contact with the (gay community) once they arrived from countries where it is not safe to identify themselves," said Alison Kemper, executive director.

"I think coming out for some people is way too dangerous because in some countries, there is the death penalty. Once inside the group, they are willing to identify themselves."

For many refugees, coming to a welcoming space is a transforming experience, she said.
"For many, it's an overwhelming experience to be in a gay- and lesbian-positive environment," Kemper said. "It's something that doesn't exist in many places around the world.

"For many, it's their first experience with a place that is safe, secure and accepting."
Many refugees come to the group facing several challenges, said Geoff MacDonald, volunteer co-ordinator of the refugee peer support group.

"There is certainly racism, they are alienated, and there is difficulty navigating the system," MacDonald said, referring to the struggles of many to find status in Canada.

"A lot of people are also nervous. They are not sure what we do."
But it hasn't stopped people from coming, he said. The program has been popular, drawing about 100 people in the past two years. And for those like Mawji, it's a place he can't imagine doing without. "I came from a troubled childhood. I never had support," he said.

"This was like coming to a new family. It's a refuge." Mawji, who has lived in Pakistan and the United States, says the support group has helped him in his attempts to get refugee status in Canada, and to deal with the emotional fallout from his family shunning him and having his credentials not recognized in his new country.

"I was a basket case," he said. Now, he says, he's feeling a bit better because "they help you find your way through the maze."

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the United Way of Greater Toronto.

The target for the 2006 fundraising campaign is $100 million to support 200 health and social services agencies serving more than one million people in Toronto.

To donate, go to http://www.unitedwaytoronto.com or call 416-777-2001.519 artic

October 16, 2006 | 12:38 PM Comments  0 comments


Our Struggles as a Gay Couple In Bangladesh or Mexico
Related to country: Bangladesh

Excerpts from an email sent to Dan Trepanier in Toronto.

I'm hope that our story might be able to inspire other people to realize how lucky they are to be Gay or Lesbian in Canada! I hope people out there reach out and fight for other Gay and Lesbian brothers and sisters to accomplish, and one day become at least "happy".

Well, I'm counting the day for me to arrive in Canada, but I cannot help the feeling of leaving my partner behind in Bangladesh. It’s been a nightmare going through all of this. I cannot imagine how hard it is to survive just because we have different sexual orientations. It’s becoming something surreal. We are actually living with one of my partner’s friends. He is the only one that is being there for us. We have nothing, we lost everything, and still we feel persecuted by the fact that we are gay (in Mexico where I come from and Bangladesh where we are living now).

Nobody knows where we are staying, because this would mean harm to our lives. I'm only counting the days to find a little bit of peace, but lots of things are going through my mind. As I have mentioned before, my partner cannot join me because of financial issues. I don't know what's going to happen to him (my love) once I'm gone.

I'm extremely worried about our situation. Why is this happening? I want to help him; I don't want to leave him. I'm willing to find a job as soon as I get to a safe place like Canada. I will be worried sick every day. I want to thank you Dan for being there on the other side of the computer screen (in Toronto) reading this note. It’s amazing we mean nothing to our families anymore, I can't believe it.

I have feelings about something that I want you to know because it’s hard to find someone in the country I come from (Mexico). Things have not been easy, and I can not just focus on the negative feelings within myself because I believe in second opportunities, and the ability to demonstrate one's humanity.

I've been deprived from the ability to complete my goals and dreams in my country. I look forward to finding the chance and realize these dreams one day; I guess that's the reason why I keep on writing to you – because you give me hope! I know you are a busy person, but your e-mails Dan, and your support make me feel like there is hope!

Its amazing how people from two different worlds can meet and become what me and my partner are -"one". I know my partner is made just for me; I don't want to bore you with corny stuff, but leaving him behind, leaves my heart too. Dan we have been fighting to be with each other, he is my best friend, he understands, and he inspires me to fight for him every day. I hope people who are free and have the chance to be with whoever they want to be, realize how lucky they are. Fighting is not an option anymore, but waking up next to him and see him breathe just makes my day. Pray for us, pray for him. I hope this can help and more than anything I hope we can make a difference.

I read all the things your LGBT Support group in Toronto has accomplished and the programs you created and I realize that because of you many people are now happy and able to achieve their dreams.

I ask for you to make a difference in ours; I know it’s not an easy task, but all we have is hope. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I look forward to hearing from you and meeting you one day!

Thanks once more.
I hope to hear from you soon and may God bless your life and day! Take care

Anonymous Author (To protect privacy & reproduced with permission)

September 28, 2006 | 5:55 PM Comments  1 comments


Amnesty: Situations Worsens For Gays In Uganda
Related to country: Uganda

(New York City) Amnesty International says the situation in Uganda is increasingly worsening for the country's LGBT population - particularly in the past week.

In at least three cases, Amnesty says, people named as gay by a Ugandan magazine, the Red Pepper, suffered harassment and were ostracized by colleagues and families.

The human rights group says that is concerned that those outed by the publication risk arrest on the basis of their alleged sexual orientation and could face humiliating and degrading treatment in custody.

Gay sex is illegal in Uganda - punishable by prison terms. Those convicted report prolonged beatings and other abuses while incarcerated.

Last year the government made it a criminal offense for a same-sex couple to marry, anyone performing a gay marriage could be imprisoned, and foreign nationals would not be exempt from the law even if they were in country without their spouse, including international aid workers.

The government also promotes abstinence rather than condoms in the prevention of HIV/AIDS. Condoms are reportedly in short supply in stores with AIDS activists suggesting it is part of a government plan.

Amnesty in a statement Tuesday called on the government to respect the human rights provisions of its own constitution and to abide by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The UN Human Rights Committee, which monitors states’ implementation of the ICCPR, has urged states not only to repeal laws criminalizing homosexuality but also to enshrine the prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation into their constitutions or other fundamental laws.

The Ugandan government has not responded to Amnesty's call.

THIS ARTICLE WRITTEN by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff August 29, 2006 - 9:00 pm ET
Link to Article http://365gay.com/Newscon06/08/082906uganda.htm

September 26, 2006 | 12:37 PM Comments  1 comments


HIV patients in search of a home
Related to country: Canada

About 160 AIDS-conference delegates await chance to make refugee claims
MARINA JIMÉNEZ IMMIGRATION REPORTER The Globe and Mail Sat Sept 9th, 2006

It was hardly a surprise when 160 HIV-positive foreigners in Toronto for the recent AIDS conference decided to make refugee claims.

The non-governmental organizations that lobbied for their visas were so worried they would defect, many dispatched minders to ensure the delegates showed up for their return flights.

Joaquin Ramirez, a 36-year-old clothing seller from El Salvador, was one conference delegate who gave his minder the slip.

"To be gay isn't against the law in El Salvador," said Mr. Ramirez, a soft-spoken, slim, gay man, in the first interview he has given about his claim. "But you are beaten and raped for it. Growing up I was raped by two [male] relatives and I never told anyone about it. It was a terrible experience. One burned me with a cigarette on my back."
The country where Mr. Ramirez recently became infected with the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS has a vicious culture of homophobia and the second-highest homicide rate in the Americas.

He was also raped by three police officers who, he said, refused to use his proffered condom even when he disclosed his HIV status. When they later contracted HIV, one of the officers threatened to hunt him down and kill him.

Mr. Ramirez, who is receiving medical care and antiretroviral drugs while he awaits a hearing date, is amazed at the acceptance of homosexuality in Canada, where gay couples can marry.

His case, and those of the South Africans, Ugandans, Eritreans, Peruvians and others who made refugee claims after arriving here for last month's AIDS conference, have put the issue of HIV-positive refugee claimants in the spotlight.

Canada assesses the health needs of prospective immigrants who are living with HIV and rejects those who would place an excessive burden on the health-care system. No refugee claimant is disqualified from making a claim in Canada just because of their HIV-positive status.

And there is no automatic right to asylum for people with HIV who cannot access antiretroviral drugs in their own country.

"Simply being sick and from a country too poor to provide you with drugs isn't enough to qualify under the refugee definition," says Audrey Macklin, a University of Toronto law professor and former member of the Immigration and Refugee Board.

Claimants must establish they were persecuted and that, if deported to their country of origin, they would suffer "cruel and unusual treatment." The inability of the country to provide adequate medical care doesn't count.

As Mr. Ramirez's case illustrates, however, many HIV-positive refugee claimants have multiple reasons for seeking protection. He has access to antiretroviral drugs, like about 60 per cent of the reported 36,000 Salvadorans with HIV or AIDS. (The real number of infected is likely higher due to underreporting.)

Instead, his claim is based on the persecution he said he has suffered at the hands of security officials who regularly beat and rape homosexuals and transvestites in the country of 6.7 million.

Although Salvadoran law prohibits discrimination on the basis of HIV status and sexual orientation, a 2005 U.S. Department of State country report found that in practice it is widespread. Protection of human rights is undermined by "widespread impunity, corruption among the security forces . . . and gang violence."

One night last year, three off-duty police officers followed Mr. Ramirez out of a café in Aguilares, a town 45 minutes outside of San Salvador. They took him to a sugar plantation and raped him, he said. "I said 'I'm HIV-positive, don't do this,' and they accused me of lying," he said. "They raped me and left me there, stealing my address book. Obviously, I was too frightened to go to the police."

A few months later, one of the officers called his sister and threatened to kill him because he had infected the policemen with HIV. Terrified, Mr. Ramirez took refuge in the YMCA, he said.

As a volunteer with an organization helping people living with HIV, he applied for a visa to attend the AIDS conference in Toronto last year. His request was rejected. He reapplied, this time supported by Fundasida El Salvador, a non-governmental organization.

A delegate with Fundasida came to Toronto with him, and kept tabs on Mr. Ramirez. "When I didn't turn up at the conference one day, he cancelled my hotel and took my luggage and put it in his room. Later, he threatened me that I had to return to El Salvador," he said.

Since defecting, officials have contacted his sister, warning that his decision reflects poorly on Fundasida. "But I am too scared to go back. The police are still out there and could track me down," he said.

Another refugee claimant is Amanuel Tesfamichael, founder of Eritrea's 60,000-member association for people living with AIDS.

He was allowed to travel to the AIDS conference only on the condition he surrender his passport to two government minders (who were also delegates). He sprinted to a waiting car at Pearson International Airport to escape them.

"It's not just 'I'm HIV-positive, give me medicine,' " said Francisco Rico-Martinez, a Salvadoran native and the co-founder of FCJ Refugee Centre, which has assisted some of the claimants. "In the case of Joaquin, it's a long life of discrimination and persecution because you are gay. It is hard for Canadians to contemplate the level of violence that permeates El Salvador."

Adds Prof. Macklin: "These cases are often more about persecution arising out of being stigmatized for being HIV-positive as well as gay or lesbian, and politically active."

In 2005, 180 Salvadorans sought asylum in Canada; the acceptance rate was 32 per cent.

Article Source
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060916.PROFILEAIDS18/TPStory/National

September 15, 2006 | 11:10 AM Comments  0 comments


Up to 150 delegates to last month's T.O. conference have filed refugee claims
Related to country: Canada

A top Eritrean AIDS activist is among some 150 delegates of last month's international AIDS conference in Toronto who stayed behind and filed refugee claims in a bid to remain in Canada, immigration officials confirm.

Amanuel Tesfamichael, 32, had to sprint to a waiting car at Pearson airport to escape Eritrean agents as he arrived for the AIDS 2006 conference.

Most of the claimants have the deadly disease and include a large group of women from hardest-hit South Africa and citizens of El Salvador, Eritrea, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

"It feels good to be free," said Tesfamichael, who has the disease. "I like Canada and the people here."

The activist, who is founder of Eritrea's 6,000-member association for people living with AIDS, was allowed to travel to Canada on the condition he surrender his passport to two government minders, who were also delegates.

Tesfamichael said he was given his passport for processing on landing at Pearson and managed to bolt to a pre-determined meeting with men who spirited him to a waiting car.

"I was only allowed to leave my homeland for 10 days," he said. "The government didn't want me to leave the country."
Many of the claimants are staying at Toronto hostels awaiting hearing dates before an immigration board, officials said.

24,000 PARTICIPANTS
Canadian immigration spokesman Karen Shadd-Evelyn confirmed yesterday that up to 150 claims were received from the 24,000 participants at the Aug. 13-18 conference.
"We can't talk about specific claims," Shadd-Evelyn said. "We cannot release their country of origins or other information."

Francisco Rico-Martinez, of the FCJ Refugee Centre in Toronto, said three of the claimants -- Tesfamichael, a man from El Salvador and a woman from Zimbabwe -- were referred to his "gender-friendly" hostel.

"Both of the men have AIDS," Rico-Martinez said yesterday. "They face persecution and discrimination at home."

He said Tesfamichael faces persecution or jail if he returns to Eritrea for violating the 10-day permit.
Rico-Martinez said the claimants are treated in their native countries as outcasts, or have little or no medicine. He said some are discriminated against by doctors, who don't want to treat them.

Joan Anderson, a senior adviser of AIDS 2006, said 14,000 of the delegates were from outside North America.
Melissa Anderson, of the Immigration and Refugee Board, said it'll take about a year before the claimants find out if they're accepted in Canada. About 48% of all claimants are accepted in Canada as refugees.

Article Quote: It "It feels good to be free" and in Canada, says activist Amanuel Tesfamichael, who bolted from his Eritrean government handlers at Pearson airport after arriving for last month's international AIDS conference. (Alex Urosevic/Sun)

Article Written By TOM GODFREY, TORONTO SUN Fri, September 1, 2006

Link to original article http://www.torontosun.com/News/TorontoAndGTA/2006/09/01/1792238-sun.html

September 6, 2006 | 9:38 AM Comments  0 comments
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Constables to Wed, as Canada Blog's Gay Wedding!
Related to country: Canada

by SALISON AULD --Canadian Press
HALIFAX — A day before Canada marks its 139th birthday, a young couple will wed in a ceremony that is sure to cast one of the country's most iconic symbols in a whole new light.

Dressed in the RCMP's distinctive scarlet coats, Constable Jason Tree and Constable David Connors will exchange vows before a justice of the peace and a troop of other Mounties also clad in the famous red serge.

Reaction to the wedding — the first between two male RCMP officers — has befuddled the couple, who have been overwhelmed by interview requests from reporters and congratulations from well-wishers they've never met.
“We don't see our wedding as anything different or special,” Constable Tree, 27, said in an interview from his detachment in Meteghan on Nova Scotia's southwest coast. “Our goal was to get married, not have an international media story.

“I fail to see the big deal.”

Constable Tree, who has been an RCMP officer for six years, said he has received about 60 letters from strangers congratulating him on the big event and praising the couple for publicly proclaiming their love — and doing so in uniform.

He's heard the jokes that refer to the couple as the Brokeback Mounties, while headlines blurt out that this Mountie has gotten his man.

Blogs, too, are full of opinions.

“What!!! Neither is wearing white? Who has the garter belt and bouquet? As long as they can catch the bad guys, I don't care who they snuggle down with at night,” a blogger wrote recently.

The pair decided in January to set a date for the ceremony, which will be held in a hall in Yarmouth, a town of 8,000 in western Nova Scotia that is best known for its lobster industry. They will recite their own vows before about 100 family members and friends.

Constable Tree said that he and Constable Connors, who works in nearby Yarmouth, never intended to make a political statement.

“I don't think there's any difference between us and anyone else who wants to get married,” said Constable Tree, who met Constable Connors more than eight years ago at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton.
“I'm interested in getting married with David, and I guess I'm not interested in engaging in a political debate or anything like that.”

Like it or not, the couple's nuptials will be held in advance of another heated political debate over the fate of same-sex marriage in Canada, which was recognized by Parliament a year ago.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has pledged to hold a free vote in the House of Commons this fall to determine whether the issue should be revisited.

The move infuriated gay-rights activists, who seized on the Mountie marriage as a public rebuke of the Tories' agenda.
“I think these Mounties are sending a message to the government that we are not going to let Harper dictate the natural progression of our relationships,” Gemma Hickey, president of Egale Canada, said from St. John's.

“It flies in the face of every negative stereotype about gay men.”

Environics Research released a poll last week that suggested a majority of Canadians accept gay marriage and oppose reopening the issue in the House of Commons.
The survey, conducted on behalf of Canadians for Equal Marriage, said 62 per cent of respondents felt that the same-sex marriage question had been settled. Only 27 per cent said they wanted it reopened.

Meanwhile, Mr. Harper has issued a gag order to his MPs, instructing them not to comment on the Mounties' marriage in a bid to avoid controversy.

However, Constable Tree said that the RCMP have been supportive of his relationship since he joined the force.
Sergeant Frank Skidmore, a spokesman for the force in Halifax, said the organization is trying to reflect a broader spectrum of the Canadian community.

“It's the law in this country, so it's accepted by the RCMP,” he said. “The RCMP welcomes a work force that is representative of Canadian society. People look at Canadian icons with their own eyes and if it changes it for them then so be it.

“But it certainly doesn't change anything for us. The RCMP's proud of its ability to be flexible and adaptive to shifting priorities.”

In Yarmouth, where Constable Connors has patrolled the streets for the past three years, local residents don't seem to be making much of a fuss over the wedding.
Brian Smith, warden of the area, said he hasn't heard much in the coffee shops or on the streets since the story first broke in May.

“It isn't a subject that's brought up daily here,” he said. “It's just not a topic around here.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060630.wmounties30/EmailBNStory/National/home


July 20, 2006 | 9:33 AM Comments  0 comments


The YMCA as a "peace builder!
Related to country: Canada

July 12th, 2007 news of the bomb blast in Mumbai reminds us all that our world is not safe and peaceful for many.

It also reminds us that our world is becoming smaller and more interconnected.

Living in Toronto, Canada is indeed a privilege and a responsibility.

The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has 100,000’s of residents who at one time called Mumbai their home and is still home to their family and friends. I am certain that many people are anxious for news of their loved ones and their well-being. Our thoughts and wishes for peace are with them today.

Events like this bring awareness to global issues and insecurities but also raise tensions and conflict. Events like these are a reminder to us all that the work of the YMCA of Greater Toronto is as a “peace builder” among individuals, groups, communities and globally. It is important work.

I am proud to say that a number of YMCA representatives from across Canada are participating in the YMCA World Alliance meeting in Durban, South Africa. Increasingly, our partner YMCA’s are working to alleviate and bring constructive solutions to violence, HIV/AIDS and other issues of global importance. Through YMCA international we are helping in these efforts.

July 17, 2006 | 10:58 AM Comments  1 comments
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Mexico now Canada's largest source of refugee claimants
Related to country: Canada

OTTAWA (CP) - Over 3,500 Mexicans asked Canada for political asylum last year, for the first time making the NAFTA partner the largest source for refugee claimants.

Written by Celeste Mackenzie, Canadian Press Published: Tuesday, July 11, 2006

But Canadian officials didn't buy the claims of persecution and harrassment of 81 per cent of the applicants. There were more approvals for refugees from Colombia and China.

A sample of Immigration and Refugee Board decisions on Mexicans describes claims of domestic abuse, state failure to ensure protection, persecution due to sexual preference, and threats from security forces and organized crime.

No statistics are kept on why claims are accepted or rejected, but many are believed to be simply seeking better working and living conditions.

"Many do apply, often at the suggestion of unscrupulous immigration consultants who, depending on the price, will concoct a whole story and documentation for them," said refugee advocate Francisco Rico, co-director of the FCJ Refugee Centre in Toronto.

Rico says that because these sorts of cases largely fail, they bring suspicion on Mexicans who really need asylum.

"Canadian authorities judge Mexicans much harsher than claimants from other countries and put a greater onus on them to produce more thorough documentation," he said.

Both Amnesty International and the U.S. State department noted no overall improvement in human rights protection during Vicente Fox's presidency that began in 2000.

The U.S. report noted a marked increase in violence related to narcotics trafficking and said violence against women is a nationwide problem. Police torture was noted in both reports, and Amnesty said the judicial system failed to protect the rights of victims of crime and suspects. Attacks and harassment of homosexuals were also reported.

The cases are notably different from what was going on pre-2000, says Peter Showler of the University of Ottawa's Human Rights Research and Education Centre.

Showler said there were a lot more claims of political persecution when the PRI party held an iron grip on power for more than 70 years.

"Now the claims tend to refer to the state's failure to protect-often in cases of criminality and organized crime, when someone for example, has somehow come into disfavour with authorities and criminals," Showler said.

Benjamin Santamaria is familiar with that scenario.

The Toronto author and former Mexican human-rights ombudsman was granted refugee status after receiving death threats related to a case he was investigating. The accused were friends of state officials, and involved in drug trafficking.

He bemoans the "false refugees" who make up stories, such as being gay and under threat, simply to gain entry for economic reasons.

"This is a pure lie. Homosexuals are discriminated against, harassed and even robbed, but that their lives are in danger and the only solution to leave the country is a farce," Santamaria said.
Those who really need protection in Mexico and Latin America in general, often have no idea about asylum, and how to request it, much less the money needed to buy a plane ticket to Canada."

Implementation of the U.S.-Canada Safe Third Country Agreement last year meant 58-per-cent fewer Colombians were eligible to claim asylum. The agreement makes it difficult for people who have already been in the U.S. to seek refugee status across the border in Canada.

Mexicans, meanwhile, can fly directly to Canada without a visa.

Rico of the refugee centre says about 30 newly arrived Mexicans come to his centre a month.

"About five years ago, it started becoming known in Mexico that no visa was needed."

© The Canadian Press 2006 Link to article http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=a549c877-bf71-4a44-a772-89a5e76bbeac&k=55161&p=1

July 14, 2006 | 12:14 PM Comments  0 comments


Lawyer alleges refugee official biased
Related to country: Canada

Had motive to deny claim, court told
MARINA JIMÉNEZ the Globe and Mail

Immigration and Refugee Board member Shamshuddin Alidina was motivated to reject the asylum bids of a gay Mexican couple to extend his time on the board, according to a document filed in Federal Court last month.

Mr. Alidina heard the claim on Jan. 27, the day his four-year term on the board expired, and petitioned for extra time to decide the case. Immigration lawyer Michael Battista alleges that Mr. Alidina was biased against the two claimants, who are both HIV-positive.

"There was an unexplained three-hour delay in the commencement of the hearing . . . the applicants believe that during this lengthy delay, board member Alidina was seeking approval to write negative reasons in their case, prior to hearing the applicants' oral testimony," Mr. Battista said in his application for judicial review of the decision.

Board members are paid between $104,600 and $107,300 a year, and are usually appointed to terms of two to five years. They may request extra time to finish writing decisions after their term is up, and Access to Information documents show Mr. Alidina was granted 16.5 extra days to finish work on 32 cases. He was recently re-appointed to a three-year term.

The board allocates a full day for a complex written decision, and while negative decisions require written reasons, positive decisions are usually delivered orally.

Some lawyers don't like this discretionary policy, said Raoul Boulakia, head of the Refugee Lawyers Association.

"The policy does encourage board members to delay making decisions and gives greater financial reward to complex decisions, which are in practise negative ones."

Mr. Battista said that with a drastically reduced work load, there is no justification for any board member to hear a case on his or her final day. Last year, 20,753 people filed refugee claims, compared with a high of 43,000 in 2001.

Melissa Anderson, a board spokesperson, would not comment on the case. But she said the board's guidelines allowing members an additional eight weeks after their terms have ended are not uncommon for administrative tribunals dealing with thousands of cases.

"This practice provides us with the flexibility we need when facing times of operational pressure. In recent months, as government was in transition, some delays were inevitable in member appointments or reappointments," Ms. Anderson said.

In his 14-page decision, Mr. Alidina found that there was adequate state protection for the two claimants, who claimed persecution on the basis of membership in the particular social group of HIV-positive, gay Mexican males.
State authorities in Mexico are making serious efforts to train police and to discipline them for misconduct, his March 22, 2006 ruling noted. Mexico has a national anti-discrimination law that includes protection for sexual preference, and the government subsidizes the cost of AIDS medication, he said.

In his request for judicial review, Mr. Battista argued that the board member failed to deal with the claimants' fear of returning to Mexico. Mexican society remains highly prejudiced against HIV-positive individuals, he said, and there is no protection against the stigma and discrimination they face, which constitutes persecution.

Mr. Alidina, an engineer with a degree from the University of East Africa, also served as chief minister at the Ismaili Willowdale Jamatkhana and is a member of the Aga Khan's conciliation and arbitration board in Ontario, according to his biography.

Mr. Boulakia said he could not comment on Mr. Battista's complaint but that "in my experience Mr. Alidina is a fair member with a good work ethic."

Link to original article http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060705.IMMIGRATION05/TPStory/?query=gay+refugees
Posted on May 7, 06

July 11, 2006 | 4:01 PM Comments  0 comments


Gay Muslims focus of exhibit
Related to country: Canada

Photos highlight inner struggle `We need to be more visible'
PRITHI YELAJA Toronto Satar STAFF REPORTER http://www.thestar.com

Slipping on the ridah, a pastel-coloured hijab, makes Farzana feel like she's in drag.

As a Bora Muslim who also happens to be a lesbian, she wears the head-to-toe covering about once a year when she goes to mosque, along with a pendant that belonged to her late mother inscribed with an Arabic phrase praising Ali, a descendant of the prophet Mohammed.

"It's familiar and foreign at the same time," says Farzana, 35, of the ridah, explaining the drag reference. Although she says she has received death threats because of her orientation, she agreed to be photographed wearing both items for Conflicted, a photo exhibit at the Toronto Free Gallery on Queen St. E. that focuses on portraits of gay Muslims. It runs until the end of June.

All of the elegant, mostly black-and-white photos in the Pride Week exhibit — bound to be controversial despite the absence of couples or nudity — feature subjects pictured with symbols of Islam. There is Asif Kamal, for example, with the name of Allah tattooed on his back. (Tattoos of any kind are forbidden in Islam.)

"These are not props. This is who they are. Coming to terms with their sexuality and faith has been a painful process," says self-taught photographer Asad Rahman, 35, who immigrated to Toronto from Bangladesh in 2001 and belongs to Salaam, a Toronto-based support and advocacy group for self-described "queer Muslims."

The exhibit's title refers to the inner and outer struggle that gay Muslims face, says Rahman. "Through my art, the message is it's not just okay to be gay and Muslim. It's fabulous."

However, he adds, "I already got some hate mail. They said, `You should keep your filth covered.'"

Farzana, a social worker who asked that her full name not be used, took the risk to make a point.

"If my generation doesn't come out to their families and the community, we're not moving ahead. As people of colour living in a white majority society we're automatically thrust in the role of teacher," she says.

"Certainly, among more traditional and fundamental Muslims, we are being sinful just by existing."

In most Muslim countries, homosexuality is a crime punishable by imprisonment or death. Canada has a history of accepting refugees, including Rahman, who face persecution in their homelands because of their sexual orientation.

As a gay Muslim man, El-Farouk Khaki says he has had to come out of the closet twice — once to declare his sexuality and a second time, in the furor after 9/11, to reclaim his faith in the face of conservative Muslims who would speak on behalf of Islam and condemn his existence.

"It's like a double outing," says Khaki, a 42-year-old immigration lawyer who came to Canada from Tanzania via England at age 10. Before 9/11, he was an "Eid Muslim," one who rarely went to mosque except on special occasions.

"Many of us were in the closet as Muslims because we felt alienated from the fundamentalist Islamic leaders. What 9/11 did was force us to assert our identity as Muslims. They (fundamentalists) don't represent me. Islam is just as much a part of me, so why should they (fundamentalists) usurp the narrative?"

Khaki appears in the exhibit wearing a skin-tight chiffon shirt that makes it appear that his whole upper body is covered in colourful tattoos. "I actually have some tattoos, but not that many," he says with a laugh.

Gay Muslims who have grappled with these issues have a responsibility to speak out, says Suhail Abualsameed, 34, a youth worker who emigrated from Jordan in 2001 and appears in the exhibit wearing a kuffeyeh scarf.

"Being gay and Muslim is not a contradiction. We need to be more visible so others know they're not alone."

Coming out as a lesbian to family and friends, who became supportive, has been easier than dealing with the larger Muslim community, says Farzana. "Although there are traditional notions about how we're supposed to live as Muslims," she says, "in our culture there's also a strong value placed on family — and maybe that overrides everything else."

June 23, 2006 | 9:47 AM Comments  0 comments


Canada Sends an Open 'Wedding Invitation' to Gay and Lesbian Couples
Related to country: Canada

Canadian Tourism Commission Launches New Integrated Marketing Program

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The Canadian Tourism Commission launched a new gay and lesbian advertising campaign on May 15 with a destination wedding invitation for U.S. same-sex couples. The country is one of few in the world to extend full marriage equality to all people. The ad first appeared in the May issue of Passport magazine, as part of a gay and lesbian integrated marketing program that will also include sponsorship of LGBT film festivals, the Human Rights Campaign and special events in select markets across the U.S.

Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver are among the favorite destinations for gay and lesbian travelers. The provinces of Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia all legalized same-sex marriage prior to federal extension of marriage equality, with a significant percentage of all marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples going to Americans. In fact, in some cases Americans have outnumbered Canadians seeking licenses. The latest campaign recognizes that marriage is just one more reason to visit Canada, whether travelers plan to wed or not.

"There are so many reasons to visit Canada. All travelers are welcome and any traveler can tailor a travel experience that is just right for them," said Susan Iris, Vice President, U.S. for the Canadian Tourism Commission. "We have great cities that offer everything from European charm to a modern fusion of culture, and all that is reflected in our food, shopping and atmosphere. We believe that is why so many people are choosing to come see Canada."

Canada has established a reputation as one of the most gay-friendly countries in the world. Marriage is a significant indicator of the hospitality in store for gay and lesbian visitors whether they are drawn to the country by wedding bells, fine dining, some of the biggest parties and festivals in the world, or world-class skiing and outdoor experiences.

Industry led, market driven and research based, the Canadian Tourism Commission is a Crown corporation that works in partnership with the private and public tourism sectors to market Canada as a four-season destination. To access research and information focused on and for the tourism industry, please visit www.canadatourism.com. To contact the Canadian Tourism Commission or to plan a visit, log on to www.canada.travel/gay.

Media contact: Valerie Edmonds
Weber Shandwick
212-445-8140
vedmonds@webershandwick.com

June 22, 2006 | 11:43 AM Comments  0 comments


Who's your daddy?
Related to country: Canada

Jun. 17, 2006. 01:00 AM
KEVIN LITTLE
GUEST COLUMN The Toronto Star

It can be confusing to be a father these days. What is expected of us? The stereotype says we are the source of discipline, rough housing and barbecues. It is silly, but these old assumptions remain with us. My dad offered his three boys patience, unconditional love, and presence, but there were other role models for me as well.

A close friend of mine has adopted three daughters from India. Mark lives in Springfield, Mo., where he is a regional director with Habitat for Humanity. Mark recalls taking his daughters to the local grocery store where he was confronted by an irate mother.

"You should be ashamed of yourself," she declared, without having ever met Mark before.

It was obvious that none of Mark's daughters was a biological sister to the others. This woman assumed that Mark was the kind of man who spread his seed around.

"Imagine, three different women, three different mothers. Have you no sense of decency?" she demanded.

With a deadpan only Mark could muster, he replied, "Yes, and it's much worse. All of them have different fathers as well."

Mark's family is hardly conventional, but neither are others I have come to admire. I take my daughter swimming every Saturday. While we were in the pool I saw Lucy chatting with a friend. When she dog-paddled over to me I overheard her friend tell one of his dads, "Lucy has a mommy."

In my daughter's world some of her friends have two daddies, some have two mommies, some have one parent, and some are raised by grandparents. But all are families.

In my denomination, the word "inclusive" is as overused as "giving 110 per cent" is by NHL players. Not all families are models of the kind of relationship I seek to build with my daughter. I want her to know she is loved, unconditionally, but I also want her to know this love is abundant and best expressed by loving others. That's why my partner Kimberley reminds Lucy at every turn about consideration. It's why I remind Lucy about the newcomer in her classroom, and the volunteering we Christians do to build the New Jerusalem.

On the second Sunday of January every year, I preach on baptism. On that occasion, I remind the congregation that through the rite of baptism we become a new family, a certain kind of family. Jesus himself saw this. You will recall his retort to his biological parents when they found him busy in the temple, "I am about my parent's (father's) business."

Or when told that Mary and his brothers were outside calling his name, he replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers? Those that do the work of the movement are my family."

Kimberley becomes furious with the news media in Canada when they refer to our Governor General and her "adopted" daughter. It is not necessary to use the word "adopted" but I know the reason we do. The natural tug of loving our own is all-consuming. I see it everywhere. People will give their last dime to a son who has the stewardship sense of a baby boomer with a credit card in Vegas.

But that same family will begrudge money to welfare recipients and want an accounting of every last cent. Churches that can't raise money for an outreach ministry can accumulate big bucks to replace a beloved stain glass window faster than you can say "social club."

Through the sacrament of baptism we are adopted as God's own, given a new set of lenses so that we might see the world as Jesus did.

What does all of this have to do with Father's Day? In the Maritimes, people often ask, "Who's your father?" In our culture, this strong sense of being connected through your father lineage is key to your identity as a person. What if we could change that with this new set of lenses, so that our sense of family had less to do with a biological father and more to do with a commitment to be present to all of creation?

The real test of my fatherhood lies not in my affection, loyalty or generosity to Lucy but in how my love for her is equally demonstrated in the way I treat the refugee in Sudan, the woman in the halfway house in my neighbourhood, the gay men in my church who want to be married and adopt children.

When Kimberley and I were going through the adoption process, one of the red flags raised about me was the amount of time I spent volunteering in the community for my church, on local non-profits, working for food banks and advocating for the homeless.

The social worker wondered what kind of message this would send my daughter. I think in this country, where children grow up thinking "it's all about me," watching and participating with a daddy who sees the family in more places than his backyard is a good thing. In fact, I think it is a spiritual thing.

Perhaps we fathers who see the world as our family ought to start a new tradition of fatherhood. Take our barbecues out of our enclosed backyards and put them on the street in front of our houses. Invite everyone!

To all those fathers making a difference in their communities, Happy Father's Day!

Kevin Little is a United Church minister serving a Toronto congregation.

June 19, 2006 | 10:15 AM Comments  0 comments


PROCLIMATION: Toronto Pride Week June 19 - 25, 2006
Related to country: Canada

WHEREAS Toronto's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Two Spirited and Transsexual Pride Week is one of Toronto's largest and most important cultural events - in this, our year to celebrate culture - playing an important part in our City's economic vitality by attracting thousands of visitors for the parades and a week of celebration.

Toronto has a strong, vibrant and proud queer community - the third largest in North America - which plays an important part in the rich fabric of our diversity.Toronto Gay Pride Toronto City Council and the people of Toronto are in the forefront of efforts to establish a caring, compassionate society based on the inherent dignity of all its members. We are taking a leadership role aimed at eliminating discrimination and disadvantage and by recognizing that a fundamental strength of our community lies in our unique racial and ethno-cultural diversity.

Pride Week celebrations contribute to reducing discrimination and other barriers faced by this community with respect to employment, housing, public safety, policing, health care, education and recognition of family relationships.

NOW THEREFORE, I, Mayor David Miller, on behalf of Toronto City Council, do hereby proclaim June 19 - 25, 2006 as "Pride Week" in the City of Toronto and encourage everyone to join in this 26th celebration of achievement, equality and fabulousness.


Mayor David Miller

June 16, 2006 | 12:44 PM Comments  0 comments


Whats the Big Deal!
Related to country: Canada

The decision by the provincial government to include a Grade 12 elective course that looks at social issues, including gay issues, will certainly raise some controversy.

The not-so tolerant in our society will immediately condemn this—“Why is the government teachin’ our kids how to be homos?”

So what’s the big deal? What the government is proposing is a Grade 12 elective course. (“Elective,” by the way, means a course that students have the option to take.) The course will focus on social justice issues, including sexual orientation, family structure, gender and race.

Get ready for the hue and cry. “My church says homosexuality is a sin.” “Homosexuality is a crime where I come from.” Well, this is Canada, folks, a land full of people of different races and backgrounds who are learning to live together.

The fact is there are homosexuals in the world. What’s so wrong about discussing the issues with 17-year-olds? Isn’t it better to show students that the world is made up of different people? Isn’t it better to teach our children to be tolerant and accepting of diversity as opposed to growing up and becoming narrow-minded bigots?

BLAME PEOPLE, NOT RELIGION FOR TERROR

The arrest of 17 people in Ontario accused of planning terrorist attacks on Canadian targets underscores the fact that Canadians need to be vigilant, while at the same time not taking such vigilance to the levels of paranoia seen in the United States.

As Spanish and English commuters and vacationers in Bali have found out, terrorism is a very real threat and Canada is not immune from such attacks. Increased security measures, such as tighter restrictions at airports and potential targets, are warranted.

However, violating human rights and raising hysteria through terror alerts are not helpful in fighting terrorism. Nor is the predictable reaction to immigrants and members of the Muslim community.

It’s true that Canada needs to screen refugee claimants better, but that is a criticism that can be applied to all western countries, including the United States.

And the fact that the 17 people charged are Muslims does not mean that members of the Islamic community deserve a backlash. There are many Catholics, Protestants and Jews who ignore “Thou shalt not kill” to suit their own purposes. Don’t blame the religion for violence, blame the people.

EDITORIAL posted on the Richmond Review Jun 08 2006

June 9, 2006 | 9:13 AM Comments  0 comments


Mounties Set for Force's First Same-Sex Wedding
Related to country: Canada

TORONTO -- It promises to be a grand June wedding, two scarlet-coated officers of the famed Royal Canadian Mounted Police standing before a justice of the peace with an escort of similarly spiffy Mounties observing the nuptials on the eve of Canada Day, a national holiday.

When the two constables become the first male Mounties to marry each other, the grumpiest witness-from-afar might well be Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The planned union of Jason Tree and David Connors in Nova Scotia on June 30 has cast a spotlight on Harper's pledge to his conservative backers to try to roll back same-sex marriage laws.

Harper has not spoken publicly about the upcoming wedding and has ordered his party members to shut up about the matter, an attempt to silence lawmakers that has served to draw more attention to the issue while sparking complaints about the prime minister's heavy-handedness.

"I think it's great if we change the public perception," said Tree, 27, who patrols a stretch of rural fishing communities along the Bay of Fundy. "If the public sees the RCMP as representing the diversity of the community, that is good."

About 25 miles away, Connors, 28, helps to police Yarmouth, a town of 8,000. The two men met in college eight years ago and have been partners since.

Tree said he had been open about their relationship since he joined the force six years ago, and "from the outset, I have never had a single problem." The force has assigned the two men close together, as it does with other couples, and fellow officers "have all been great," Tree said from their home in Meteghan, southwest of Halifax.

"There does exist that social stereotype of a kind of straight, masculine image of police," he added. "We say you can be in the force and be gay."

Tree and Connors decided to join thousands of other same-sex couples getting married in Canada. In 2003, Ontario's highest court ruled that same-sex couples could not be denied marriage. Courts in other provinces followed. Last July, Canada's Parliament bowed to the judicial momentum and narrowly approved same-sex marriages throughout the country.

But the Liberal-led government was replaced in February by Harper's Conservative Party, which includes staunch opponents of gay marriage. The party platform included a pledge to ask Parliament to reopen the issue. But Harper has been in no hurry; he said Friday he would introduce the resolution sometime in the fall.

"I think he realizes it is not a popular debate for him, not one that would win him votes," said Kaj Hasselriis of Canadians for Equal Marriage, an Ottawa-based gay rights organization. "The majority of Canadians think this issue is settled and don't want to reopen it."

But the marriage of Tree and Connors has clashed head-on with the foremost icon of Canada's national image of virile, outdoorsy strength -- the square-jawed Mountie of popular lore.

"This busts some stereotypes," Hasselriis said. "We talk about the Mounties getting their man, but I don't think a lot of people thought about getting their man this way."

The image of the 22,561-member RCMP has already evolved. Women joined in 1974; they now make up 17 percent of the police officers. In 1990, Sikh Mounties were permitted to trade the flat-brimmed Mountie hat for their traditional turban. But Tree and Connors's uniformed matrimony goes too far for some.

"This does nothing to strengthen the family," said Dave Bylsma, president of the Ontario Council of the Christian Heritage Party. "Personally, it doesn't matter to me if they are RCMP or dogcatchers or garbagemen. But they are obviously using the fact that they are Mounties to rub our nose in it."

When Harper last month ordered his Conservative caucus members not to speak about the matter, he further soured relations with Canadian reporters over what they call his unprecedented attempts to control the news. The public safety minister, Stockwell Day, ostensibly the government's only authorized spokesman on the matter, has declined comment.

"If they speak about gay rights, same-sex marriage, abortion, the risk is the Conservative Party will be portrayed as extremist," said David Rayside, a professor of political science at the University of Toronto and director of the Center for Sexual Diversity Studies. "In the United States, they would not pass as extremists. But in Canada, they would. There is a gap between Canadian and American attitudes."

The U.S. military, for example, does not officially permit gay relationships. In Canada, two servicemen were married on an air force base last June, and the RCMP says it has no objection to the upcoming ceremony.

"There's a law in this country, and this ought to be considered a regular event," said Sgt. Frank Skidmore, a spokesman for the Nova Scotia RCMP detachments.

"Just look at the last 10 years to see how far we have come in Canada," said Tree. "I'm hoping some day soon that this will die down."

By Doug Struck
Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, June 6, 2006; Page A11

Link to article
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/05/AR2006060501178.html

June 7, 2006 | 9:46 AM Comments  0 comments


Immigrant Rights Movement Lands in Canada
Related to country: Canada

A group of Filipino would-be immigrants to Canada attend an orientation seminar to familiarize themselves with Canadian culture and weather.

Canadian organizations are hoping to capitalize on the momentum of the immigrant rights movement that has swept the U.S. in recent months to raise the profile of the plight of undocumented workers in Canada.

On May 27, rallies similar to those held in the U.S. all spring were held in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa and Fredericton to protest an apparent recent rise in illegal worker deportations. Activists also seek to press the new Conservative government to give legal recognition to the country's non-status labour force.

Since taking power in January, the Conservative government has taken a hard line on illegal immigration, stepping up efforts to deport transgressors. Immigrant rights activists say that as a result, the Canada Border Services Agency has become much stricter with its application of the law.
"Examples have been going to schools and using children as bait to get to their parents, going to malls and asking people for identification…These are tactics that we had never heard of before, but in the last three or four months we're hearing more and more that the CBSA are using these tactics to get to undocumented people and to deport people," says Sonja Nerad, Community Health Program Manager with Access Alliance.

Craig Fortier, an organizer with No One Is Illegal Toronto, calls these methods "U.S.-style enforcement" giving rise to a "climate of fear" in non-status communities where people are afraid to leave their homes to get vital medical care or are keeping their children back from school.

"The decision to remove someone from Canada is not taken lightly. The CBSA has an obligation to remove any person that has been issued a removal order… as soon as possible," says CBSA spokesperson Cara Prest.

Despite some parallels with the U.S. situation, Liberal Member of Parliament Mario Silva, Associate Critic for Canadian Heritage, thinks that in terms of magnitude, there's little comparison between the two countries. Canadian estimates for non-status workers are anywhere between one quarter to half a million people, compared to approximately 11 million in the U.S. "So it's a totally different scale," says Silva, who attended the May 27 march near his Toronto riding.

Another difference is that Canada does not have an issue of porous borders as is the case between the U.S. and Mexico. Many undocumented workers in Canada arrive legally, as visitors, temporary workers or students, and then overstay their visas.

Many of the illegal labourers in Canada are here for years, enrolling their children in schools and becoming part of mainstream society.

"Most of these people are really well integrated, they have families, they really contribute to society. So Canada needs them," says Silva.

This is particularly true of the construction industry, says Silva, which is a primary beneficiary of
non-status labour. Canada is currently experiencing a construction boom and there is a serious shortage of skilled workers to fill the need.

"The average age of construction workers now is 50 years old, and we're going to have a huge crisis in another 10 years," notes Silva.

In British Columbia alone, 20,000 additional construction workers will be needed over the next three years to prepare for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. There's a huge labour crunch in Ontario, and in Winnipeg they are scrambling for factory workers. Help wanted signs are ubiquitous in Alberta, where immigrant workers are also in high demand to work in the oil sands.

The Liberal government was planning to increase immigration targets by roughly 40,000 people per year – a plan which the Conservatives have now scrapped – to meet shortfalls in the labour market.

"I think it's a contraction – many are these industries are crying out about labour shortages," says Deena Ladd, Workers Action Centre Coordinator. Ladd says that, similar to the situation in the U.S., most non-status workers are doing jobs considered undesirable by many Canadians, such as construction, cleaning, delivery, kitchen work, care-giving etc.

One way the shortages could be solved, Ladd argues, is by regularizing non-status labourers. "These workers are all surviving – they're working, they aren't accessing benefits. They are making huge contributions to the economy and aren't being recognised for it."

In an interview with CTV News, Immigration Minister Monte Solberg defended the government's stance against recognizing non-status immigrants.

"We have an obligation to the hundreds of thousands of people waiting to get into this country to make sure we don't reward those who don't play by the rules," he said.
But supporters of regularization—granting legal recognition to people already working in Canada—argue that the queue-jumping argument doesn't make sense because there is no queue for working class jobs.

"There is no queue for working people in this country. There is definitely a queue for professionals and people who have the money to buy their way into Canada, but there's no queue for working people. You can't get into Canada using the points system," says Fortier.

Canada's point system for determining immigrant eligibility strongly favours high levels of education, strong language abilities and experience in certain highly-skilled categories of employment. Low scores in any two of those categories guarantees exclusion through normal channels. The point system has been criticized for creating an immigrant population packed with engineers and other professionals, while failing to attract enough of the trades people and labourers who are so sorely needed.
But while the Conservative are taking a tough stance on non-status immigrant, the government has also taken measures to make it easier for some newcomers to work. For example, new regulations allow foreign students to take off-campus jobs, immigration landing fees have been cut in half, and steps have been taken to streamline the citizenship process.

This article written by Cindy Drukier and Joan Delaney, Epoch Times Toronto and Victoria Staff, May 31, 2006

Copyright 2000 - 2005 Epoch Times International

June 6, 2006 | 9:13 AM Comments  0 comments


17 May, the International Day Against Homophobia
Related to country: Canada

On 17 May 1990, the General Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) removed homosexuality from their list of mental disorders.

The fight for the recognition of equal rights for lesbian gay, bisexual and transgender people did not end there though.

Today around 80 countries in the world still criminalize homosexuality and condemn consensual same sex acts with imprisonment, of these 9 (Afghanistan, Iran, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates and Yemen) still have the death penalty. Discrimination on the ground of sexual orientation and gender identity is still not recognized formally by the member states of the United Nations (even though human rights mechanisms such as the Human Rights Committee have repeatedly condemned discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity).

ILGA has been fighting against discrimination and for the recognition of equal rights of lesbian, gays, bisexual and transgender people since its creation in 1978. That is why ILGA is strongly committed to celebrating this second International Day Against Homophobia, launched one year ago by the International Day Against Homophobia Committee (IDAHO).

Visit and Support The ILGA

In 2005 IDAHO was celebrated in more than 40 countries, from France to Hong Kong. A large variety of initiatives were taken and they were widely covered by the Media. In Iran, in spite of the government brutal homophobia, IDAHO was talked about on numerous blogs and in thousands of emails. In Kiev, Ukraina, a huge balloon with ‘Say no to Homophobia” was let loose.

Help us to make this second International Day Against Homophobia a reality on the ground by organizing a party, a protest, or any other initiative that would raise the visibility of IDAHO in your communities.

ILGA was offered the unique chance to produce a TV spot for this special day in English, French and Dutch. Watch ILGA's spot against Homophobia.

In every country of the world, please pass the message: 17 May is the International Day Against Homophobia, it is of homophobia that you should be fearful, not homos!

Many thanks to DDB Belgium

Link to this Article on ILGA

May 24, 2006 | 10:13 AM Comments  0 comments


Stephen Lewis for the 2007 Nobel peace prize.

This is a petition asking the Nobel committee, to consider Canadian Stephen Lewis for the 2007 Nobel peace prize.

Support The Stephen Lewis Foundation

Stephen Lewis is the U.N.Secretary General's special envoy for H.I.V/ A.I.D.S. in Africa. He is working to obtain drugs for the treatment and prevention of this devastating disease and for financial assistance for those that are left to care for the children. He has visited & wept with the adults & those children that have been orphaned, by H.I.V./ A.I.D.S.He has consoled and supported the grandmothers ,that are attempting to rear those children. Stephen Lewis constantly advocates for womens rights, and the rights of sex trade workers;many of whom, are little more than children themselves.He seeks to provide condoms and cheap medications for their treatment.When parents have died, young women seek a means to earn enough money to support their siblings.The sex trade is the most lucrative way for an unskilled women to earn money.The sad result ,is that the young women also contract A.I.D.S. thereby leaving the very young without any support at all.Stephen Lewis advocates constantly with tenderness, intelligence and a saintly zeal, that is profoundly moving.Stephen Lewis needs recognition, not for himself, but for his cause. We would ask the committee to seriously consider Stephen Lewis for the 2007 Nobel Peace prize. As such, Africa would be put in the media spotlight, giving further credence to his campaign for change, in the lives of the poor and marginalised on the continent of Africa.

Further information on Stephen Lewis can be found at http://www.stephenlewisfoundation.org

www.stephenlewisfoundation.org He also has a book, entitled "Race against Time,"a compilation of his Massey lectures.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE ONLINE NOMINATION FORM http://www.petitiononline.com/Jambo/petition.html

May 19, 2006 | 3:59 PM Comments  1 comments
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U.S. Immigration Law Inhumane to Same-Sex Couples
Related to country: United States

New Immigration Reforms Must End Discrimination against Lesbians, Gays Human Rights Watch http://hrw.org/doc/?t=lgbt

Washington, D.C., May 2, 2006) – Thousands of U.S. citizens and their foreign same-sex partners face enormous hardships, separation and even exile because discriminatory U.S. immigration policies deprive these couples of the basic right to be together, Human Rights Watch and Immigration Equality said in a report released today.

As Congress debates immigration reforms, it must end the discrimination that lesbian and gay Americans and their foreign partners endure under U.S. immigration law. The 2000 U.S. Census estimated that in the United States there were almost 40,000 lesbian and gay couples in which one partner is a U.S. citizen (or permanent resident), and the other a foreign national. This figure does not include the many thousands of binational couples who have to hide the fact they are partners, are forced to live apart, or who have been forced to leave the United States. Under discriminatory U.S. statutes, these couples have no recognition under the law.

Support Human Rights Watch
“Discriminatory U.S. immigration laws turn the American dream into a heartless nightmare for countless U.S. citizens and their foreign partners,” said Scott Long, co-author of the report and director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Program of Human Rights Watch. “As Congress debates immigration reforms, it should end discrimination against lesbian and gay immigrants as well as their U.S. partners.”

The first-ever comprehensive report on the issue, “Family, Unvalued: Discrimination, Denial and the Fate of Binational Same-Sex Couples under U.S. Law,” documents how U.S immigration law and federal policy discriminate against binational same-sex couples. The 191-page report documents the consequences of this discrimination and shows how it can separate not only loving partners from one another, but also parents from children. It also shows how this policy has destroyed careers, livelihoods and lives.

“Our immigration laws are undermining the traditional American values of fairness and family,” said Rachel B. Tiven, executive director of Immigration Equality. “U.S. immigration policy is designed to keep families together. But the current law targets an entire class of American families and tears them apart.”

For more than 50 years, family reunification has been a stated and central goal of U.S. immigration policy. Immigration law places a priority on allowing citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their spouses and close relatives for entry into the U.S. Although the system remains imperfect, riddled with delays that rising anti-immigrant sentiment only intensifies, U.S. citizens and their foreign heterosexual partners can easily claim spousal status and the immigration rights that it brings.

U.S. citizens with foreign lesbian or gay partners, however, find that their relationship is considered non-existent under federal law. The so-called “Defense of Marriage Act,” passed in 1996, declared that for all purposes of the federal government, marriage would mean “only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife.” Since lesbian and gay couples are excluded from the definition of “spouse,” U.S. citizens receive no legal recognition of their same-sex partners for purposes of immigration.

Based on interviews and surveys with dozens of binational same-sex couples across the United States and around the world, the report documents the pressures and ordeals that lack of legal recognition imposes on lesbian and gay families. Couples described abuse and harassment by immigration officials. Some partners told stories of being deported from the United States and separated from their partners. Many couples, forced to live in different countries or continents, endure financial as well as emotional strain in keeping their relationships together.

“No family should be forced apart, no matter what the sex is. This is how immigration laws have affected us,” a woman in North Carolina said, describing how her Hungarian partner and their children were forced to leave the United States. “We are separated and without each other.... We just want to be together, that’s all.”

Many U.S. citizens are forced into exile in countries where their relationships are recognized. At least 19 nations worldwide provide some form of immigration benefits to the same-sex partners of citizens and permanent residents, while the U.S. still refuses. These include Canada as well as 13 European countries (Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom). On other continents, this list includes Brazil, Israel, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Notably, the report details how current U.S. exclusionary policies are rooted in a long history of anti-immigrant sentiment, in which fears of sexuality have played a steady part. From the McCarthy era until 1990, U.S. law barred foreign-born lesbians and gays from entering the country. The United States is also one of the few industrialized countries that imposes a blanket ban on entry by HIV-positive individuals, a bar that reinforces irrational fears and stigma but does nothing to protect public health.

Congress should immediately pass the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA), Human Rights Watch and Immigration Equality said. The bill, sponsored by Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) would offer binational same-sex couples’ relationships the same recognition and treatment afforded to binational married couples.

The proposed law would add the term “permanent partner” to sections of the Immigration and Nationality Act where “spouse” now appears. Thus, a U.S. citizen or permanent resident could sponsor their permanent partner for immigration to the country, just as they can now sponsor such family members as siblings, children or husbands and wives. The bill was introduced in the current Congress on June 21, 2005; it has a total of 104 cosponsors from both houses.

In addition to repealing the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996, Congress should enact reforms to U.S. immigration law to guarantee respect for the human rights and labor rights of non-citizens. These reforms should include measures that end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and HIV-positive individuals.

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights Program at Human Rights Watch, which is the largest U.S.-based human rights organization, advocates against abuses based on sexual orientation or gender identity worldwide. Immigration Equality is a national organization that fights for equality under U.S. immigration law for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and HIV-positive individuals.

Direct Link to Article
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/05/02/usdom13290.htm

May 11, 2006 | 9:40 AM Comments  0 comments


The Federal Public Sector Youth Internship Program
Related to country: Canada

The Federal Public Sector Youth Internship Program http://youth.gc.ca/yip-psj/ -a program to provide unemployed or underemployed youth with work experience through internships in federal organizations

Congratulations to my YMCA colleagues across Canada involved in the Federal Public Sector Youth Internship Program FPSYIP.
Each person involved in the program worked hard to make 2005-2006 such a successful year for FPSYIP. It has been a year of transition, and the YMCA has responded and demonstrated continued success in program delivery and in developing youth in our country as we build strong kids, strong families and strong communities.

Regards,
Dan Trepanier
Manager, National Programs
Federal Public Sector Youth Internship Program

Support Amnesty International

About the Program
Funded by the Human Resources Social Development Canada (HRSDC), and administered on behalf of YMCA Canada by the YMCA of Greater Toronto as the Lead Association, this program offers 6-9 month internship opportunities in Federal Government Departments, Ministries and Agencies. The program targets young Canadians between 15 and 30 years of age, who are unemployed or underemployed and need help breaking the cycle of “no experience, no job / no job, no experience”. Internship opportunities are available across Canada, and are targeted at 3 main groups of youth: youth who have not graduated from high school (50% of total internships), high school graduates (30%) and post-secondary graduates (20%). All interns are matched with a suitable internship, and a mentor who coaches and supports them throughout their work experiences.

The program has provided internship opportunities to more than 8000 youth since its beginning in 1997, and aims to provide internship opportunities to over 800 youth each year. Every year young Canadians received valuable work experiences through this program. Over 18 YMCAs across the country have been actively involved in the recruitment and delivery of this program in their communities, offering services that include assessment, provision of training, ongoing guidance and support, as well as job-search and career pathing services.

As the National Office for the Federal Public Sector Youth Internship Programs Unit provides a myriad of services, including: payroll and employer services (following provincial and national legislation), finance and accounting, marketing and promotion, program administration, monitoring of quality and compliance on a national level, administration of Host agreements, provision of support to YMCAs, Host Departments, and Participants in both Official languages, data collection and reporting, and human resources and risk management.

Some significant highlights for 2005-2006:
• 813 interns served
• 50.7% were non grads, 29.4% were high school grads and 19.9% were post secondary (how close can you get to the goal 50/30/20!).
• We served more disabled than ever before.
• Thanks to BC, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario we served 6.6% Aboriginal interns, twice as many as the census population would call for.
• We served 16.9% visible minorities compared to the census goal of 13.4% and our numbers are increasing slightly year over year.
• 19.9% were French speaking, thank you Montreal YMCA.
• Our completion rate which is our overall success standard is now at 78.8%, best ever!
• 72.2% of our interns found employment, were hired by their host or returned to school.

May 5, 2006 | 11:45 AM Comments  0 comments


Canadian Federal Budget: HIGHLIGHTS
Related to country: Canada

Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty delivered the Canadian Federal Budget on Tuesday May 2, 2006.

The budget contains 29 separate taxation reduction measures covering all areas where the federal government collects funds, it also features additional restrained funding, provides for a national discourse on the nature of the Federation, and calls for an Expenditure Management Review to find $1billion in “savings” per year for 2 years to be completed by this fall.

Under the proposed Expenditure Management Review, programs must demonstrate their cost effectiveness and results; be in a defined area of federal jurisdiction; and meet their original mandate. Reductions to spending will be included in the fall’s supplementary estimates.

There is significant detail on the proposed make-up of the new child care arrangement and the elimination of the capital gains tax on charitable donations, available if desired.

The full text of the Budget and Budget Speech: Focussing on Priorities, and a “principle-based framework on fiscal arrangements”, outlined in the companion document Restoring Fiscal Balance in Canada, are available at http://www.fin.gc.ca. Inter-governmental, Parliamentary, and Public consultations on Restoring Fiscal Balance in Canada are expected to begin within months.

Since there are 29 separate taxation reduction measures in Budget 2006, here are SOME highlights focussing on tax incentives that either directly affect the orgnization I work for. (The YMCA or its main constituency):

Immigration:

 Reduction of the Right of Permanent Residence Fee from $975 to $490, effective immediately.

 Increase immigration settlement and integration (i.e. language training and employment-related supports) funding by $307million over two years, over and above investments already made in previous budgets. This funding is to enhance programs and services in all provinces and territories (except Quebec who have a separate immigration funding arrangement).

 $18million over two years to begin “taking steps towards” the establishment of a Canadian Agency for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Credentials. This is to be achieved through the furthering of consultations already underway with the Provinces, Territories and other stakeholders on the mandate, structure and governance of the proposed Agency under the direction of the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development.

General taxation measures:

 Exempting donations of publicly listed securities to public charities from capital gains tax, effective immediately. (more information available in Annex 3 of the Budget Plan)

 The goods and services tax (GST) will be reduced by 1 percentage point as of July 1, 2006.

 The new Canada Employment Credit—a tax credit on employment income of up to $500, effective July 1, 2006, to help working Canadians. The eligible amount will double to $1,000 as of January 1, 2007.

 Increases in the basic personal amount—the amount that all Canadians can earn without paying federal income tax—to $10,000 by 2009.

 A public transit tax credit effective July 1, 2006 - benefits to approximately 2 million Canadians who make a sustained commitment to use this environmentally friendly mode of transportation. An individual who purchases passes costing $80 per month throughout the year will receive up to about $150 in federal tax relief for the year. All transit users, including commuters, students and seniors, will qualify.

 In line with the promotion of health and wellness, the budget proposes to increase tobacco and alcohol excise duties to offset the impact of the GST rate reduction effective July 1, 2006.

On tax incentives supporting the skilled trades:

 A new tax credit of up to $2,000 for employers who hire apprentices.

 A new $1,000 grant for first- and second-year apprentices.

 A new $500 tax deduction for trades people for costs in excess of $1,000 for tools they must acquire as a condition of employment. Also, the $200 limit on the cost of tools eligible for the 100-per-cent capital cost allowance will be increased to $500.

On healthy, active living for children and youth:
 A children’s fitness tax credit for up to $500 in eligible fees for physical fitness programs for each child under age 16 effective January 1, 2007

 The credit will be provided on up to $500 of eligible fees for programs of physical activity for each child under age 16. In the coming months, the Government will establish a small group of experts in health and physical fitness to provide advice on the programs of physical activity that should be eligible for the credit.

Specific Budget measures relevant to the work of the YMCA of Greater Toronto:

Child care:

 $3.7billion over 2 years for the “Universal Child Care benefit (UCCB) which will provide all families with $100/month per child under the age of 6. The UCCB will not affect federal income-tested benefits and will be provided as of July 1, 2006.

 $250million to support the creation of 25,000 new child care spaces per year rising to a total of 125,000 over 5 years

A copy of the details of the government plan for child care have been put into a separate document accompanying this summary piece for those wishing additional information.


Affordable Housing:

 Additional $800 million to provinces and territories to address immediate pressures in affordable housing in cities and communities.

 “The Government is providing this one-time payment, to be paid into a third-party trust, contingent on sufficient funds from the 2005–06 surplus in excess of $2 billion (to be determined in the fall) paid notionally over 3 years. The Affordable Housing Trust will support investments to increase the supply of affordable housing, including transitional and supportive housing.
Early media reports state the City of Toronto is slated to receive the majority of this funding, providing for the construction of an estimated 1000 new units once the money is transferred.

Youth at risk:
 $20 million over two years for communities to prevent youth crime with a focus on guns, gangs and drugs. Additional information to be forwarded “shortly” following “consultations”.

Emergency Preparedness:
 $460 million ($1 billion over five years) to further improve Canada’s pandemic preparedness.

Foreign Aid
 Up to $320 million in 2005–06 to fight polio, tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/AIDS and to help low-income countries cope with natural disasters or sharp rises in commodity prices. (a breakdown is available if interested)

Aboriginal Communities
 $450 million for improving water supply and housing on reserve, education outcomes, and socio-economic conditions for Aboriginal women, children and families. The budget also confirms up to $300 million to provinces to address immediate pressures in off-reserve Aboriginal housing, and up to $300 million to territories for affordable housing in the North.

May 3, 2006 | 2:12 PM Comments  0 comments


Refugee Claims Based on Sexual Orientation
Related to country: Canada

Written by Rob Hughes June 3, 2002

The President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, announced on September 27, 1999 at a workshop for Members of Parliament from countries in east and southern Africa that all homosexuals would be arrested and charged by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). I and the other board members went into hiding on October 29th when we learned about the President’s order...On October 6 at about 10:00 p.m. just after we finished our dinner and were discussing the situation, about eight armed soldiers raided the house...The doors of the main house were open since we knew the gate was locked and we were not expecting a raid. We later learned that there was a government informant in our group. The soldiers used a ladder to go over the high fence that surrounded the house, and they unbolted the gate. The soldiers handcuffed me, covered my face with a black piece of cloth and led me to a Landrover 110 parked outside the gate. I did not know what happened to the others. About 30 minutes later we arrived at our destination and they removed the black cloth, my shoes and my watch. I guessed that I was in the notorious headquarters for the Directorate of Military Intelligence on Kitante road near Fairway Hotel. For over six hours I was interrogated about my sexuality, the organization I led, who my donors are, and who my contacts are both inside and outside the country. A major conducted the interrogation in the presence of two soldiers.

I was slapped twice by the major who thought I was not telling him enough of what he wanted to hear from me. Later that morning around five I was driven in a minibus to Mbuya Military Barracks. When the other inmates learned that I was not a soldier but a gay activist, they tortured me until I bled from my nose since that jail was meant for only soldiers or cases investigated by the army...1

Canada is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Refugees and has an obligation to provide asylum to those with a well-founded fear of persecution. The Convention lists five grounds for claiming refugee status. These are incorporated into the Immigration Act. While sexual orientation is not specifically listed, the fifth ground of ‘membership in a particular social group’ is an open-ended category. Early refugee cases rejected sexual orientation as a basis for making a refugee claim.

The first recorded successful refugee claim based on sexual orientation was the 1992 Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) decision of Jorge Inaudi that found that sexual orientation could constitute membership in a particular social group. The total number of refugee claims based on sexual orientation or gender identity is unknown. The IRB only maintains statistics on the number of claims determined based on membership in a particular social group. Since sexual orientation is not a distinctive ground recognized in either the Convention or the Immigration Act, Queer refugee claims are included in the open-ended category of “membership in a particular social group”. Another impediment to obtaining information is that while the IRB must provide written reasons for negative refugee decisions, the IRB does not have to do so for positive decisions unless requested by the claimant or counsel.

In the absence of statistics, I can only speak from my own experience in my law practice and from speaking with other Canadian lawyers who represent Queer refugee claimants. Although Queer refugee claims form a small proportion of the total number of refugee claims made in Canada, I would estimate several hundred Queers have claimed refugee status over the last decade. I have observed a significant and steady increase in claims over the last five years.

The source countries for Queer refugee claims in Canada are based on the general knowledge claimants have about the ability to claim refugee status in Canada because of a well-founded fear of persecution based on sexual orientation and their ability to get to Canada. Queers come from all walks of life and do not share the same level of sophistication. Generally, educated Queers with access to the Internet are more aware of the possibility of making a refugee claim in Canada.

Two factors determine the ability of claimants to get to Canada. Firstly, visa restrictions to Canada and secondly, the common border with the USA. Canada imposes visa requirements that prevent many refugees from getting into Canada to make a refugee claim. Visa officers are trained to screen visa applications from potential refugee claimants. Secondly, presently Queer refugee who is in the USA can show up at a border post with Canada without a visitor visa to Canada and would be eligible to claim refugee status in Canada regardless of what their immigration status is in the USA. Citizens from many Latin American and other countries who are without status in the USA have made refugee claims in Canada. This ability will be severely impacted by the implementation of the Safe Third Country Agreement signed between Canada and the US.

The significance of these factors in determining the source countries of Queer refugee claimants can be illustrated by comparing the number of Queer refugee claimants from Mexico with those from the Peoples Republic of China. Despite the much greater population of the PRC, the much publicized cases of “Chinese boat people” making refugee claims, and the fact that more citizens of the PRC immigrate to Canada than Mexico, the country that I see the largest number of Queer refugee claims originating from is Mexico, while there has only been a handful of claims over the past decade from the PRC. There is documentary evidence about the persecution of Queers in both countries. In my opinion, the disparity in number can be explained by the fact that there have been articles in major daily newspapers and magazines about Queers claiming refugee status in Mexico and a citizen of Mexico does not require a visa to enter into Canada but a citizen of the People’s Republic of China does.

A refugee claimant does not have to have been out as gay or lesbian in their own country or to have previously experienced persecution in order to claim refugee status. The test is forward looking, that is, what would happen on return to one's country. Persecution does not have to be imprisonment, torture, or death. Systematic harassment, if sufficiently serious, could amount to persecution. It is unnecessary to establish government involvement in persecution if the claimant is unable to obtain the protection of the government. If measures of discrimination lead to consequences of a substantially prejudicial nature, such as serious restrictions on the right to earn a livelihood or access to normally available educational facilities, this could amount to persecution.

I have always found it ironic those Queer refugee claimants who flee persecution in their own countries and frequently have spent all of their lives trying to hide and deny their sexual orientation must suddenly prove they are Queer in the refugee determination process. While there may be isolated cases of claimants fabricating their sexual orientation in a refugee claim, in my opinion this is uncommon. In fact, I have found the opposite to be more common. Even when in a country such as Canada that provides human rights protection on the basis of sexual orientation, Queer refugee claimants who fear removal to their country can be so closeted they often do not disclose their sexual orientation until long after they arrive in Canada. I have seen situations where Queer refugee claimants chose to rely on a weaker claim on some other grounds such as persecution on the basis of political opinion and have not disclosed their sexual orientation until late in the refugee determination process. If one is going to make up a story, why not claim membership in some dissident political faction than with a minority as universally marginalized and despised as gays and lesbians?

Visibility is frequently a major issue in Queer refugee claims. While Queer activists, transvestites and transsexuals generally have little difficulty in establishing they are identifiable as Queer, the closeted gay or lesbian has typically faced more of a struggle in convincing the IRB that they face a serious risk of persecution. Perversely, this has the effect of implicitly condoning the marginalization of Queers and implies they should stay in the closet in their own countries and not be open about their sexual orientation. A different standard is often applied to Queers than to members of religious minorities who are not expected to have to hide their identity.

There are IRB decisions rejecting the evidence of claimants as to the treatment of gays and lesbians in their country as "self serving" because it was provided by a gay or lesbian organization such as the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission. Until recently, mainstream human rights organizations such as Amnesty International refused to document sexual orientation persecution. Information on the treatment of lesbians and gays in some countries that do not have Queer activist organizations is difficult to obtain. Another problem is the IRB’s lack of understanding about the dynamics of sexual abuse of gay male claimants by the police and the function that meeting places such as bars or cruising areas have in societies where there is no other way to meet other Queers.

Ironically, the leading case on whether sexual orientation constitutes “membership in a particular social group” is found in a 1993 Supreme Court of Canada decision where the claimant did not claim to be Queer. In Ward2, the claimant was a former member of the Irish National Liberation Army who alleged he was unable to obtain protection from British authorities. The court analysed what constitutes “membership in a particular social group”. It reviewed earlier Federal Court and international jurisprudence to define what constitutes “membership in a particular social group”.

It noted:

The meaning assigned to “particular social group” in the Act should take into account the general underlying themes of the defence of human rights and anti-discrimination that form the basis for the international refugee protection initiative.* They identify three possible categories:

groups defined by an innate or unchangeable characteristic;

groups whose members voluntarily associate for reasons so fundamental to their human dignity that they should not be forced to forsake the association, and

groups associated by a former voluntary status, unalterable due to its historical permanence.
...the first category would embrace individuals fearing persecution on such bases as gender, linguistic background and sexual orientation, while the second would encompass, for example, human rights activist. The third branch is included more for historical intentions, although it is also relevant to the anti-discrimination influences, in one’s past as an immutable part of the person.

*The tests proposed in Mayers, supra, Cheung, supra, and Matter of Acosta, supra, provide a good working rule to achieve this result.

The Federal Court Trial Division has since applied Ward in a 1994 case where it concluded that the tribunal erred in concluding the applicant’s sexual orientation could not constitute membership in a particular social group.3 The Ward decision has not only been followed by the CRDD and courts in Canada, but also in other countries.4 In 1999 the Federal Court held that where a CRDD panel has rejected an applicant’s account of events and determined that an applicant whose claim is based on sexual orientation is not credible, the panel still has an obligation to address the issue of whether the applicant has a well-founded fear of persecution based on general persecution based on sexual orientation in the applicant’s country.5

While the IRPA will effect the refugee determination processing for refugees claiming in Canada, it must be remembered that only a small fraction of the millions of Queers persecuted throughout the world are able to physically get to Canada to make a refugee claim. Most are unable to obtain a visa. Visas are usually only given if an applicant can show substantial ties with their home country. If a Queer applicant is unmarried, they already have a mark against them in establishing substantial ties.


While a Queer refugee claimant who cannot get to Canada has the option of making a refugee claim at an overseas Canadian visa office, there are formidable barriers to do so. The claimant must be outside of their country of citizenship or habitual residence. The claimant will first have to initiate the claim with locally engaged staff who are not citizens or permanent residents of Canada and may often share the same cultural and religious prejudices against homosexuality as persons in the claimant’s country. The claimant must be prepared to wait for a lengthy processing time that could stretch to several years and be able to remain in the country the Canadian visa office is located in. The Canadian visa office will not intercede with the immigration authorities in the country the visa office is located in to assist the claimant in obtaining temporary status while the application is processed. Visa officers do not have the specialized training in refugee determination that the IRB has. To my knowledge, visa officers have no training in determining sexual orientation-based refugee claims. Unlike inland claims that have an oral hearing with the right to counsel, overseas claims are decided by a visa officer interviewing a claimant who is not allowed to have counsel present. While an inland refugee hearing typically takes a half to a full day, an overseas interview is typically less than half an hour.

While CIC compiles no statistics concerning overseas Queer refugee claims, my sense is that when compared with inland Queer refugee claims, they are small in number and the proportion accepted by visa offices is dramatically below that accepted by the IRB for inland Queer refugee claims. This reflects the general situation for all refugee claimants.

A claimant who is refused by a visa office to immigrate to Canada has very limited rights of appeal when compared to inland refugee claimants. The gap will become even wider with the IRPA. There is no statutory obligation for visa offices to consider whether a failed refugee claimant is a “person in need of protection” as with inland refugee determination. Failed refugee claimants in overseas cases now require leave for judicial review in Federal Court while inland claimants will, once the sections concerning the RAD are proclaimed, be able to appeal a refusal in the Refugee Protection Division to the new Refugee Appeal Division before filing in Federal Court. In addition, there will be a pre-removal risk assessment for failed inland refugee claimants.6


While Canada enjoys an international reputation for the fairness of its inland refugee determination system. This is particularly true in its treatment of queer refugee claimants when compared with other countries, including the US. The biggest challenge for Queers who seek asylum in Canada remains the problem of getting to Canada. Canada, like many other countries, is tightening its borders because of security concerns. While we are closing our borders that will prevent Queer refugees from reaching our shores, there should be a legal option created by the government for them to be considered in visa offices outside of Canada. A special designated class, such as exists for women refugee claimants, would allow the government to facilitate the entry of Queers facing persecution into Canada while maintaining effective controls and monitoring. This would be administratively more simple, transparent, and effective than a determination of a refugee claim by a visa officer. It is generally well known what countries are human rights abusers against Queers and there could be a list of designated countries that a person could claim status while being in their country of citizenship or residence. Guidelines could be established that would ensure that the class was not being abused by persons who were not Queer. It would also be possible to enlist the support of Queer communities and queer-positive religious groups in Canada to provide sponsorships for persons approved overseas in a designated class.

The Canadian government and Queer communities in Canada could also play a more active role in improving the situation for Queers who remain in their own community. Diplomatic pressure could be exerted on countries like Saudi Arabia who execute persons convicted of engaging in homosexual acts.

In summary, with universal HIV testing for all immigration applicants, while there will likely be an increase in the number of HIV positive independent applicants who are refused, applicants who are Convention refugees or common-law partners will be exempted.

Developments in Canadian Immigration affecting Queers have so far been characterized by a gradual, etapist approach where departmental policy has been as prominent as legislative initiatives. This was possible because Canadian immigration has allowed for flexibility in decision-making by giving broad discretionary authority to those assigned responsibility for processing cases. New immigration legislation is attempting to accommodate the federal government’s concerns for maintaining a consistent standard for recognition of same-sex relationships in all federal legislation within the unique demands posed by the immigration context. I hope that I will be able to say by the end of this month that they have been successful.

Rob Hughes
June 3, 2002
Special thanks to Rob Hughes who wrote this article. Visit Rob at http://www.smith-hughes.com a>

May 2, 2006 | 8:50 AM Comments  1 comments


Stop the antigay Iraqi killings now!
Related to country: Iraq

LGBT Iraqis are being slaughtered with the blessing of Islamic religious leaders. How can you help? Start by speaking up—in particular, by demanding that U.S. politicians do their duty to protect the people of Iraq

By Scott Rose
An Advocate.com exclusive posted, April 27, 2006

An antigay pogrom is taking place in Iraq. Gratuitous killings of gays are permitted under Iraqi law, and it is a fact that George W. Bush approved the wording of the Iraqi constitution that makes it so. Mainstream U.S. media are not reporting on the plight of Iraqi gays, nor are they discussing how to rescue them. This points out the urgent need for LGBT Americans to participate more in our democracy.

For those who have not yet learned of these circumstances, here is some background.

In August 2005, the United States was party to negotiations regarding the wording of the Iraqi constitution. The United States sanctioned the results, which included a change making Islam “the” rather than “a” main source of Iraqi law. Sharia Islamic law calls for homosexual people to be killed.

Some time around October 2005, the Ayatollah Sistani, writing in a question-and-answer section of the Arab-language version of his official Web site, issued an antigay fatwa. He was asked, “What is the judgment for sodomy and lesbianism?” He replied, “Forbidden. Punished, in fact, killed. The people involved should be killed in the worst, most severe way of killing.”

Reports from gay Iraqi refugees in London who maintain contact with people in their homeland say that Sistani’s fatwa is being carried out. The Badr Brigade is said to be particularly active in antigay persecution. According to the refugees and the Iraqis with whom they are in communication, identifiably gay people are attacked in the streets and beaten to death as surrounding crowds cheer on the killers. The same sources report that unmarried men approaching the age of 30 are given one month to marry a woman and then, if they fail to do so, they are murdered.

It is also reported that identifiably gay people, afraid for their lives, are hiding in the homes of sympathetic friends and relatives, much as Ann Frank sought refuge from the Nazis. They claim that even when Iraqi gays seek safe haven in the Green Zone in Baghdad, they are mocked and turned away by American soldiers. While tangential to the antigay pogrom, further reports say that Badr Brigade members also are killing people perceived to have violated Islamic law—for example, unveiled women and people who don Western dress or listen to Western music.

Why is the Bush administration, which rushed to the defense of a single Christian convert threatened with death in Afghanistan, not saying anything about the antigay pogrom in Iraq? We know that Bush himself is hostile to LGBT equality. We can also presume, with reasonable assurance of accuracy, that Bush’s true salient preoccupation is protecting the production-sharing agreements he procured for U.S. oil companies operating in Iraq, despite all his fine talk about democracy and freedom.

Yet one very major reason the U.S. media and the Bush administration are silent on the subject of the antigay pogrom in Iraq is that LGBT Americans are not bothering to speak out on this issue. I know it can be hard to believe, given the realities of the Bush administration, that the United States is a democracy. But it is. And one of the curious aspects of any democracy is that the most important people in it, the people, have a responsibility but not an obligation to influence the course of their nation.

Presidents, cabinet members, and members of Congress have no choice; they are elected to do a job, and they must fulfill the responsibilities of their posts or suffer the consequences. The people, by contrast, are at liberty not to put one iota of their energy into giving direction to the government. There is no penalty of any sort for not writing to one’s elected representatives, apart from that of waking up one day to find that one’s country has been transformed into a hellish monster.

In the past six years, evangelical Christians have influenced the United States out of all proportion to their numbers, in ways that are even in conflict with our country’s constitution. That has not happened merely because the Republican Party meticulously cultivated evangelical leaders; it has happened because grassroots evangelicals do not hesitate to communicate their views to their elected officials.

More people than I care to think about justify their criminal laziness when it comes to communicating their views to elected officials with preposterous defeatism. The recurring theme of that preposterous defeatism is, “They aren’t going to listen to me.”

Well, guess what? A single message from one constituent will not likely produce results, but the same message received from 500,000 constituents certainly will. Every senator and member of the House has an office e-mail address. The messages sent to it are reviewed by office staff, and what they learn from the messages is regularly discussed in strategy meetings. If senator Clinton’s office receives 30 messages about the antigay pogrom in Iraq, the matter will be considered too unimportant among the people to count for anything.

Like many career politicians, senator Clinton stands for nothing except her own drive to remain in power. If 500,000 constituents sent to her office an e-mail saying that the pogo stick had to be declared the official means of transportation in New York State, we would be that much closer to such a ridiculous declaration. If 500,000 constituents sent her a message saying that the antigay pogrom in Iraq must be addressed with red hot urgency, it would be.

Traditional paper mail is a distinct tool for communication with elected officials. Unlike e-mail, a letter generally receives an acknowledgement, often a form letter but sometimes an explanation of the official’s position and record on the relevant matter of concern. Like e-mail traffic, paper mail registers on the recipient’s agenda. Can you imagine if, on top of 500,000 e-mails protesting the anti-gay pogrom in Iraq, senator Clinton received 500,000 paper letters on the subject?

The antigay pogrom in Iraq is profoundly disturbing. That Bush-approved language for the Iraqi constitution making the indiscriminate killing of gays a legal activity is galling beyond all measure and beneath contempt. But it also is a call to Americans to fulfill their duties within our democracy. Beyond the tragedy befalling Iraqi gays lies the one befalling American LGBT people. If you don’t speak up to let them know you are there, they will act as though you are not.

Link to original article http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid30412.asp

April 28, 2006 | 8:35 AM Comments  2 comments


Austria Grants Refugee Status to Gay Man From Iran
Related to country: Australia

VIENNA, April 27, 2006 – A gay Iranian has been granted asylum in Austria on appeal, after having his application initially turned down.

The un-named man had applied for refugee status in Austria on the grounds of sexual orientation in his home country and resulting persecution.

“We are very happy that Austria is granting asylum to gays and lesbians persecuted on the grounds of sexual orientation,” Kurt Krickler, secretary-general of Homosexuelle Initiative (HOSI) Wien, Austria’s largest gay and lesbian organisation, said today.

“The only problematic issue here is that it seems that an appeal is always needed to get a positive decision. We have the impression that negative decisions are done on a routine basis in the first instance to put off applicants, and only those who insist and appeal are successful, being granted refugee status in the end.

“It almost looks as if in the first instance the authorities are instructed to automatically refuse asylum,” he suggested.

“Austria has a long tradition to accept refugees who flee persecution for their homosexuality. Our first successful case, again an Iranian, dates back to 1984, and only last June a gay couple from Iran was granted asylum in Austria, just a month before the appalling execution by hanging of two young men in Iran.”

Mr. Krickler added that in all the previous cases, initial applications were turned down, and reversed on appeal.

Web link to article http://www.ukgaynews.org.uk/Archive/2006april/2702.htm

April 27, 2006 | 2:27 PM Comments  1 comments


A SAFE PLACE FOR GAY REFUGEES
Related to country: Austria

by Lyndon Barnett

GAY AND LESBIAN REFUGEES SEEKING ASYLUM IN AUSTRALIA ARE STILL HAVING TROUBLE CONVINCING THE GOVERNMENT OF THEIR PERSECUTION.

On Easter Saturday, gay and lesbian rights group Community Action Against Homophobia (CAAH) plans to protest at Villawood Detention Centre in a bid to raise awareness of refugees seeking asylum on the basis of their sexuality.

While most detainees will have been moved from Villawood due to an asbestos scare, the protest will go ahead as it’s an the issue that can no longer be overlooked, Simon Margan, co-convenor of CAAH, believes.

“Our aim is to raise community awareness about queer-identifying people incarcerated simply for fleeing persecution based on sexuality,” Margan said.

“There are 77 countries around the world that carry some form of punishment for homosexuality. Clearly these refugees have a case for persecution.”

The issue of gay and lesbian refugees gained national prominence in December 2003, when the High Court made a landmark decision to overturn the Refugee Review Tribunal’s claim that if Bangladeshi applicants were discreet about their homosexuality in their home country they would not face persecution.

“The 2003 decision meant that no longer could the Tribunal say the refugee would not be persecuted if they put up and shut up in their home country,” Jenni Millbank, senior law lecturer at the University of Sydney said.

Millbank predicted in 2003 that 40 new cases each year would benefit from this High Court ruling. But while it was a positive step forward for gay and lesbian refugee claims, two-and-a-half years on there has not been an increase in successful claimants.

The trend now is for the Tribunal to place a greater emphasis on determining whether the applicant is actually gay or lesbian, Millbank told Sydney Star Observer.

“It seems to me that there are far more decisions not accepting evidence of people being gay,” she said.

In April 2005 the claim of a Bangladeshi man was rejected because the Tribunal was not satisfied the applicant’s claims concerning his religion or his homosexuality were credible, Millbank explained.

Similarly, in October 2004 a Pakistani was rejected because, amongst other reasons, “the Tribunal did not accept that the applicant was a homosexual”.

Greens senator Kerry Nettle, who was recently involved in a Senate inquiry into the Migration Act, said some homosexual detainees had made their asylum claim on the basis of other forms of persecution rather than their sexuality because they didn’t think it would help their cause.

“Queer persecution remains largely unrecognised,” CAAH’s Margan said.

“Perhaps with a greater recognition of the problems facing queer-identifying people will come more established and reliable methods for authenticating persecution on the grounds of sexuality.”

The country of origin also has a bearing on a successful determination, Millbank believes. Refugees from the Middle Eastern region have a higher success rate than claimants from Asian countries.

“The Tribunal takes country information into consideration. It is not just the grounds of claim which are taken into consideration but also a view of the country,” she said.

Nettle said the government seemed to be very slow in making decisions about the cases of Chinese asylum seekers.

“Australia has a very strong trade relationship with China and hopefully this is not influencing the seeming reluctance of the Australian government to recognise the asylum seekers fleeing persecution in China,” she said.

The immigration department denies country of origin has a bearing on the outcome.

The department’s website states, “Decisions are made on the individual circumstances of each applicant’s claims. There is no blanket approval or refusal of applications based on broad assumptions, for example about the safety of particular countries.”

Of all the cases finalised between July 2005 and February 2006, the Tribunal did not grant asylum to any refugee from Thailand, South Korea or the Philippines, of which collectively there were 83 applicants.

On the other hand, refugee claims from Iran and Iraq totalled 391 positive outcomes and 13 negative decisions.

There are no official statistics based on the grounds for obtaining asylum. To ascertain these trends it is necessary to review each individual decision.

But according to Millbank, “gay claims from Iran and Iraq are relatively successful.”

Millbank has called on the government to provide specific training on homosexuality for case managers.

“The decision makers need to be trained to be sensitive to gay and lesbian issues, including appropriate methods of questioning,” she said.

Millbank also believes the immigration department should devise guidelines to direct the Tribunal when dealing with gay and lesbian cases.

Nettle told the Star she would raise the issue of extra training with the government.

“Following the High Court decision the government should have ensured that all decision makers were informed of the consequences of the decision and provided with any additional information and training they required to implement the decision,” she said.

“If this has not occurred, it should definitely occur now

Posted here from http://www.ssonet.com.au/display.asp?ArticleID=5263

April 26, 2006 | 8:54 AM Comments  0 comments


BEST SETTLEMENT PRACTICES: Settlement Services for Refugees and Immigrants in Canada
Related to country: Canada

CANADIAN COUNCIL FOR REFUGEES

Every day hundreds of newcomers begin a new life in Canada. Some are refugees fleeing persecution, others come to join family, others again are seeking to make a better life for themselves. In all, over 200,000 people settle in Canada each year. Their backgrounds and personal histories may be widely different and each one's experience on arrival is unique. The communities across Canada into which they integrate differ too in their character and in the manner of their welcome of new members.

For many new Canadians, there are, nevertheless, certain shared experiences, as they make a home for themselves in this country. They must find somewhere to live and a job, familiarize themselves with a different society and culture, make a new network of friends and acquaintances and often learn a new language. In the process, they may experience success -- but also alienation, loneliness, frustration, xenophobia and racism. Refugees often face particular challenges in adapting -- because their arrival was not planned or a matter of choice, but a matter of survival. They may be deeply traumatized by their past experiences. They often arrive separated from their immediate families whom they have had to leave behind, perhaps in the country of origin, perhaps in a refugee camp.

It is the refugees and immigrants who themselves do the greatest part of the work of integration, finding a place for themselves with courage, patience, creativity and hope. In doing so they change and enrich the host society.

Newcomers are assisted in the process of settling into Canada by a wide range of individuals and organizations. Friends, family, new acquaintances, faith communities, Canadians with origins in the same part of the world, employers and officials of all kinds may offer new Canadians help as they establish their new lives.

In addition, Canada has developed over the years a broad network of organizations whose mission, in whole or in part, is to serve refugees and immigrants in their process of adjustment to Canadian society. These organizations have accumulated considerable depth and breadth of experience in newcomer settlement services. Many refugees and immigrants receive assistance from such organizations, some just briefly, others over a long period. Refugee and immigrant-serving organizations also play a key role in helping the host society to adapt to newcomers, by sensitizing institutions and the public to their realities.

The purpose of this document is to present an overview of settlement services and in particular to identify some of the elements that are generally agreed to make for successful settlement programs. These elements, or "best practices", flow out of our understanding of the nature and challenges of settlement and of the role of settlement services in the process. For this reason our "best practice guidelines" are preceded by a detailed account of the context in which settlement services are offered.


It is hoped that this document will be of interest to those in the field, not so much because the content will be new, but rather because they see themselves and their work reflected, and can use the document to explain their work to others. The process of developing the report has provided an interesting forum for the exchange of ideas and information. The document is more particularly intended for those in the wider community wishing to understand settlement services. Those outside Canada who are interested in the Canadian experience of newcomer integration will, we hope, also find this overview informative.

NOTE: See the link below for the full article. Source: CANADIAN COUNCIL FOR REFUGEES http://www.web.ca/ccr/bpfina1.htm

April 22, 2006 | 11:37 AM Comments  0 comments


MCC (Metropolitan Community Church) Toronto offers FREE clothing and household goods to Refugees!
Related to country: Canada

The congregation of MCC Toronto has a volunteer managed used household goods and used clothing store that sells these goods to other congregants (THRIFT SHOP).

MCC Toronto assists refugees registered in the LGBT Refugee Peer Support Group Program http://projects.takingitglobal.org/lgbtpeer with a certificate allowing each member a one-time opportunity to shop for free at the MCC Toronto Thrift Shop for needed items that they can use.

Goods can include clothing, books and other small household appliances. Selections vary weekly. Hours of operation are Sunday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Certificates can be obtained from the MCC Toronto Refugee Team Facilitator and by attending the Peer Support Group meetings. Items are generously donated by MCC Toronto.

April 20, 2006 | 3:45 PM Comments  0 comments


EGALE Brief to Immigration Legislative Review MINISTERIAL CONSULTATIONS
Related to country: Canada

A. Introduction
Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere (EGALE) welcomes the opportunity to participate in these consultations with a view to reforming and enhancing Canada’s immigration laws and policies.

Written by EGALE March 11, 1998, Egale Canada ©2006

We have chosen to focus on four areas of particular relevance to gays and lesbians:
1. Recognizing same-sex relationships within the Family Class;
2. Protection of People Fleeing Persecution based on Sexual Orientation;
3. Medical Inadmissibility, particularly in relation to issues surrounding HIV/AIDS;
4. The Exercise of Ministerial Discretion.

It should be noted, however, that lesbian and gay immigrants are affected by the same broad range of issues as all other immigrants. Lesbians and gays come from all countries, races, and cultures, and are therefore equally affected by the other issues addressed in the Report. We feel that Canada has a proud history of immigration which has greatly enhanced and enriched Canada as a country. We note, however, that in addition to discrimination based on factors such as sexual orientation, gender, race and religion, Canadian immigrants frequently face discrimination based solely on their status as immigrants.

The short-time frame for these consultations has not yet enabled EGALE to consult with organizations representing other ethno-cultural groups, but we urge the Minister to pay serious attention to the issues raised by those groups which have expressed concern that some of the Report’s recommendations create additional obstacles which could reinforce discrimination and undermine Canada’s commitment to fair and accessible immigration policies.

In relation to the four specific areas addressed in this brief, EGALE believes that the recommendations within "Not Just Numbers—A Canadian Framework for Future Immigration" ("the Report") should be evaluated in light of:

• Canada’s obligations to protect lesbians and gays from discrimination under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms,
• Canada’s commitment under international law to provide protection for lesbians and gays fleeing persecution, and
• respect for the integrity of lesbian and gay relationships by ensuring that we are not separated from our loved ones.

B. About EGALE

EGALE is a national organization committed to advancing equality and justice for lesbians, gays and bisexuals at the federal level in Canada. With members in every province and territory of Canada, EGALE lobbies for changes in Canadian law that will ensure the equal treatment of gays and lesbians.

In furthering this mandate, EGALE has participated in previous immigration consultations, and has regularly appeared before Canadian courts in cases involving gay and lesbian equality, including recent appearances before the Supreme Court of Canada in cases involving same-sex benefits for lesbian and gay couples. EGALE’s representatives have also provided expert testimony before Canadian tribunals dealing with issues of equality for same-sex couples.

In addition, EGALE has testified before numerous House of Commons and Senate Committees on issues such as hate crimes, human rights protection and the equal recognition of same-sex relationships. EGALE representatives are due to appear later this month before a Senate Committee to address issues relating to child custody, support and family relationships.

EGALE is a member of the International Lesbian and Gay Association, and EGALE representatives have attended the United Nations World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna, the United Nations World Conference on Women in Beijing and the International Year of the Family Conference in Montreal.

EGALE takes an interest in Canadian immigration legislation and policy because lesbians and gays are truly everywhere: not only throughout Canada but also throughout the world. As Canadians we establish intimate long-term relationships with non-Canadians, as citizens of foreign countries we seek admission to Canada based on our relationships with Canadians, our employment in multi-national companies, or because of persecution based on our sexual orientation.

Lesbians and gays have benefited from Canada’s immigration laws and policies but we have also been and continue to be denied the equal enjoyment of that benefit, solely because of our sexual orientation.

EGALE’s interest in immigration law is also motivated by Canada’s history of actively discriminating and stigmatizing lesbians and gays through its immigration policies. From 1952 to 1976, "homosexuals" were members of an inadmissible class and excluded from immigrating to Canada. This prohibition remained in effect long after Canada decriminalized homosexuality in 1969.

Now that "sexual orientation" has been recognized as a prohibited ground of discrimination in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and sexual orientation discrimination is prohibited by the federal government and virtually every other jurisdiction in Canada, the time has come to follow the recommendation in the Report by ensuring that such an era of legalized discrimination against gays and lesbians "be relegated to history" (Report, p.43).

C. Expanding the Family Class

EGALE applauds the recommendation by the Immigration Legislative Review Advisory Group that the definition of "spouse" be extended to include same-sex couples. In EGALE’s opinion, such a change is long overdue. However, EGALE has serious concerns about the criteria proposed to identify a qualifying relationship, particularly the one-year cohabitation requirement.

1. Recognizing same-sex relationships equally

i. The "reality" of same-sex relationships

It is essential that Canada’s immigration policy dealing with the Family Class reflect the actual families of Canadians and immigrants, not just perceived myths and stereotypes. Actual family relationships include same-sex couples and their children. As the Report notes, "Same-sex couples are a reality."(p. 42) We form long-term intimate relationships that are emotionally and financially interdependent, involving the deepest of personal feelings, emotional commitment, broader family relations, participation in community life, and shared social networks. As couples, many of us raise children.

Canadian laws have changed to reflect the reality of our relationships. The federal government as well as the governments of British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, the Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territories provide employment benefits to same-sex couples.

Courts in Ontario have extended the definition of "spouse" in the Ontario adoption legislation to include same-sex couples, and have also ruled that lesbians and gays have obligations of support towards each other upon relationship breakdown. British Columbia has also enacted legislation enabling same-sex couples to adopt children. In most provinces, gays and lesbians can and do adopt children as single individuals.

Most recently, British Columbia passed legislation to include same-sex couples within the definition of "spouse" in the province’s Family Relations Act. The effect of this amendment is to extend to same-sex couples all the rights and responsibilities associated with child custody, maintenance and access. The changes will also allow both common-law and same-sex couples to enter into agreements to be bound by the Act’s provisions relating to property division.

British Columbia and Ontario have also enacted legislation enabling gays and lesbians to make medical decisions when their partners are incapacitated.

Therefore, EGALE submits that the opposite-sex definition of "spouse" in Canadian immigration law is outdated. Ironically, non-Canadians in some provinces now have the right to health and other important benefits based on their same-sex relationship with a Canadian, and also the obligation to provide spousal support for their same-sex partner, yet they have no right to apply for Canadian residence based on those relationships.

ii. Injustice in the current processing of same-sex couples

Because same-sex couples have no right to apply for permanent residence in Canada based on their relationship, their only recourse is to make an application on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. The acceptance of such applications is considered by Immigration to be "exceptional" and "discretionary" and such applications are decided on a case-by-case basis.

Currently, the disposition of such applications is inconsistent and arbitrary: some couples are landed quietly based on unpublicized Operations Memoranda, others are refused based on the opposite-sex definition of spouse in the legislation, then forced to litigate only to have the case settled in their favour after considerable time, expense and hardship on the relationship. Those who don’t have resources to initiate court action are forced to accept the refused application and the forced separation from their loved ones. In either case, the years of strain and stress placed upon the individuals involved and the relationship are unacceptable, and completely avoidable.

Furthermore, many do not even initiate an application, because they are explicitly excluded from the family class by the opposite-sex definition of "spouse" and have no means of knowing that same-sex relationships are often accepted on unpublicized criteria based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. EGALE has even received inquiries from gays and lesbians who have made inquiries of Canadian consulates and been directly advised that there is no provision for a same-sex partner of a Canadian to immigrate to Canada.

In short, Canada’s immigration law and policies offer limited avenues for same-sex couples, but these are kept hidden and quiet. Same-sex couples that do receive the benefit of our immigration law are ushered in quietly, through the back door. Criteria are arbitrary and subjective. This situation directly contradicts the Report’s insistence on consistency and transparency in immigration law and policy. It also runs against the rapid evolution of Canadian law toward the equal treatment of same-sex and opposite-sex couples.

iii. The international situation

Over the years many countries have changed their laws to allow immigration rights to same-sex couples, including the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. In the case of Toonen v. Australia, the United Nations Humans Rights Committee ruled on March 31, 1994 that States have an obligation under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to treat lesbians and gays equally. Canada is a signatory to the International Covenant. Canada has also taken a leading role at international conferences such as the United Nations World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna and the United Nations World Conference on Women in Beijing in calling upon all countries to end legalized discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The current review of Canada’s immigration laws affords an ideal opportunity to lend credence to our international position by practising at home what we preach abroad.

iv. The likelihood of a Charter challenge if the opposite sex definition of spouse is maintained

The Supreme Court of Canada has now recognized that the failure to treat same-sex couples equally constitutes discrimination in violation of the equality guarantees contained in the Charter of Rights.

Speaking for a majority of the Supreme Court of Canada in Egan v. Canada [1995] 2 SCR 513, Cory J wrote:

"Sexual orientation is demonstrated in a person’s choice of life partner, whether heterosexual or homosexual. It follows that a lawful relationship which flows from sexual orientation should also be protected. ... The definition of ‘spouse’ as someone of the opposite sex reinforces the stereotype that homosexuals cannot and do not form lasting, caring, mutually supportive relationships with economic interdependence in the same manner as heterosexual couples. The appellants’ relationship vividly demonstrates the error of that approach. The discriminatory impact can hardly be deemed to be trivial when the legislation reinforces prejudicial attitudes based on faulty stereotypes. The effect of the impugned provision is clearly contrary to s.15’s aim of protecting human dignity, and therefore the distinction amounts to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation."

The Supreme Court then went on to hold that ultimately it is up to Governments and Legislatures to take responsibility for bringing discriminatory legislation into line with the equality guarantees in the Charter of Rights.

The Egan decision has now been applied by many other Courts and Tribunals. In Moore & Akerstrom v. Canada, [1996] CHRD No. 8 (CHRT), a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal held that the federal government was required to extend same-sex benefits to federal employees. The three-person Tribunal unanimously ruled:

"It is now crystal clear that the law is that denial of the extension of employment benefits to a same-sex partner which would otherwise be extended to opposite-sex common-law partners is discrimination on the ground of sexual orientation.

It is equally clear from the reading of these cases that the inclusion of a definition of ‘spouse’ which excludes same-sex partners in legislation or collective agreements or regulations by the government so as to deny such benefits offends the Charter and the Canadian Human Rights Act and constitutes discrimination prohibited by both."

Similar conclusions were reached in Vogel v. Manitoba (1995), 102 Man.R.(2d) 89, in which the Manitoba government was held to have discriminated for failing to extend equal relationship benefits to lesbian and gay employees.

In Kane v. Axa Insurance and the Attorney-General for Ontario, decided on October 1, 1997, the Ontario Court of Justice ruled that the definition of "spouse" in s.224(1) of Ontario’s Insurance Act must be extended to include gay and lesbian couples. In his judgment, Judge Coo stated that excluding same-sex couples from the protection of the Act was unconstitutional, saying:

"There has been an historical group disadvantage suffered by the homosexual community. The denial of equal benefit contained in the legislative provisions is deliberately based only on sexual orientation and runs against the preservation of human dignity and self-worth for part of our society. ... The declaration simply carries forward and nurtures now-abandoned stereotypical concepts that have no place in the fabric of our community."

At p.43 of the Report, the Immigration Advisory Group quotes the comments of Madam Justice L’Heureux-Dubé in the case of Mossop v. Canada [1993] 1 S.C.R. 554 that "Non-traditional families may equally advance true family values." Equally apposite in that case was the recognition by L’Heureux-Dubé J that rather than mechanically according recognition to only one family form, it is important to look to the reasons underlying society’s desire to recognize and support families, and then ensure that actual families, rather than theoretical stereotypes, may enjoy this protected status. L’Heureux-Dubé J acknowledged that the promotion of stability is desirable, but stated:

"If there is value in encouraging individuals to form stable and emotionally intimate relationships, such relationships can be forged and maintained in a wide variety of family forms. The emotional and economic safety nets forged by same-sex couples and their families were not found to be without value to society at large."

It was also recognized that there are problems which are shared by all families, such as economic pressures and coping with illness, and that these difficulties:

"... are further exacerbated in families whose legitimacy is called into question. Given these pressures and responsibilities, it would seem that it is in society’s interest to improve conditions to enable families to function as best they can, free from discrimination."

The only reason that Canadian courts have not yet ruled on the constitutionality of the opposite-sex definition of "spouse" in Canada’s immigration laws, is because the Government of Canada has systematically undermined court cases which have raised this issue, usually by granting permanent residence to the lesbian or gay person involved once legal proceedings have been launched.

If the current opposite-sex definition of spouse is maintained, EGALE believes that a successful Charter challenge to the definition will be inevitable. The possibility of a class action or representative action involving organizations like EGALE and LEGIT would enable the broader policy issues to be addressed, without being rendered moot by the granting of permanent residency to individual claimants.

In EGALE’s view, it is an abdication of legislative responsibility to allow these matters to be decided by the Courts. Rather than waste public money defending discriminatory laws before the Courts, it is submitted that it is more responsible for Parliament to take the lead and comply with its obligations under the Charter of Rights, by ensuring that the provisions of the Immigration Act apply equally to same-sex and opposite-sex couples. In fulfilling this responsibility, Parliament will ensure the internal coherence of legislation, as well as its consistency with other federal and provincial laws.

2. Concern over the "cohabitation requirement"

While EGALE fully supports the extension of the family class to recognize same-sex spouses, we have very serious concerns about the proposed criteria for identifying a qualifying relationship.

i. Family Class: Tier One

a. The Problem

The Report recommends (p.44) that cohabitation for at least one year be required before a same-sex couple would qualify as spouses under tier one of the family class.

While EGALE appreciates the need to have objective criteria for both same-sex and opposite-sex relationships, EGALE is concerned that the requirement of one-year’s cohabitation, particularly if strictly construed, will wholly exclude many bona fide same-sex relationships. Some obvious examples include:

• In some countries, due to prohibitions on same-sex relationships, social taboos, or homophobia, cohabitation is not a realistic option for same-sex couples yet the relationship may still be genuine. EGALE is concerned that the cohabitation requirement recommended in the report will unjustly exclude those same-sex couples who are in genuine longstanding relationships but for whom one-year cohabitation was not an option. If implemented, the cohabitation requirement will benefit mostly same-sex couples from northern western nations where restrictions on same-sex cohabitation are less severe.

• Many Canadians meet and develop genuine, intimate and long-standing relationships with non-Canadians while residing abroad or while the non-Canadian is visiting Canada. For many of these couples, the one-year cohabitation requirement is simply not an option because they are citizens of different countries and are not likely to be able to remain temporarily in their partner’s country for one year. Couples will be in a cruel Catch-22 position if they are separated by immigration difficulties and thereby precluded from fulfilling the one prerequisite they need to overcome their immigration difficulties. Many of these couples are currently admitted to Canada on humanitarian and compassionate grounds and, ironically, would be worse off under a regime where they are disqualified from the family class and may also be disqualified under humanitarian and compassionate grounds if the Report’s recommendations for narrowing the scope of this discretionary class are implemented (see Part F, below).

• Some couples may be resident in Canada, but unable to cohabit together for legitimate reasons, such as the need for one partner to study in a different city, to work elsewhere or to attend language training in a different part of the country. It would be wholly unjust if couples maintain a bona fide relationship and take every opportunity to spend weekends and other time together, but are precluded from meeting the requirements of the family class by a rigid prerequisite of cohabitation.

b. The Solution

The goal of Tier One of the family class is surely to identify legitimate relationships of emotional interdependency, whether same-sex or opposite-sex, and develop criteria which can be readily applied by immigration officers to identify bona fide qualifying relationships. A rigid application of a one-year cohabitation requirement is not rationally-connected to that goal, since it will exclude many relationships which otherwise ought to qualify. In EGALE’s view, such a requirement would inevitably be subjected to a Charter challenge.

There are a number of alternative solutions, which are fairer and just as easy to administer:

• In its brief, the organization LEGIT proposes that the emphasis be placed upon establishing a bona fide relationship, with a number of criteria identified to help determine whether a given relationship is or is not bona fide. EGALE concurs that Immigration Canada’s primary responsibility is to identify bona fide spousal relationships under the family class. The type of evidence which would be adduced by applicants under this proposal is very similar in any event to the type of evidence that would have to be adduced to demonstrate one year’s cohabitation, so the proposal would not be significantly more onerous to administer.

• Alternatively, if one year’s cohabitation is to be maintained as the sole criterion, it is essential that "cohabitation for one year" be interpreted expansively—as it often is in provincial family law—to mean "maintaining a relationship for one year". Thus, where "cohabitation" is a prerequisite in family statutes, courts have often recognized that some couples may live under the same roof while not in fact cohabiting in a qualifying relationship, and, conversely, other couples may not live under the same roof but are nonetheless "cohabiting" by maintaining a spousal relationship. To avoid confusion, EGALE would prefer that the term "cohabiting" be avoided in favour of a more general expression, such as "maintaining a spousal relationship", but at the least it should be made clear that cohabitation is intended in its broader sense. Most couples maintaining such a relationship would be able to adduce ample evidence in the form of letters, photos, phone bills, evidence of visits etc to establish a one-year relationship, and thus satisfy the need for objective verification.

• A further alternative is a hybrid approach, pursuant to which evidence of a marriage certificate or one-year’s cohabitation might prima facie qualify a couple for admission under Tier One of the family class, while couples unable to demonstrate one year’s cohabitation would be permitted to adduce other evidence to establish the bona fides of their relationship and secure admission under Tier One.

• Finally, the very least that can be expected is that if the Government is going to insist upon cohabitation under the same roof for one year, the non-Canadian partner must be entitled to a provisional visa, with rights to work, to permit him or her to enter Canada and satisfy the cohabitation requirement. Anything less would disqualify a broad range of legitimate applicants while denying them the capacity to meet the otherwise narrow criterion.

ii. Family Class: Tier Two

A further issue arises under the proposed Tier Two of the family class. Under the current proposal, a heterosexual couple who meet none of the prerequisites for Tier One can nonetheless become engaged to be married and qualify under Tier Two. They need not have been in a relationship for any particular period of time, and need demonstrate nothing other than their mutual pledge in order to qualify. No allowance is made for same-sex couples in like situations.

EGALE believes the Report is inconsistent in recommending that same-sex couples should be included in the definition of spouse under Tier One, without recommending that same-sex couples be similarly included under Tier Two. Just as opposite-sex couples are processed based on their promise to marry, EGALE recommends that same-sex couples be processed under this grouping on evidence of a mutual commitment to meet the requirements of Tier One.

iii. The need for explicit reference to same-sex relationships

Whatever solution is adopted, it is essential that those in same-sex relationships know that they have the right to apply. One major difficulty with the current regime is that many lesbians and gays are not aware of their right to apply, and are sometimes even misinformed by visa officers.
For this reason, there are two important steps that need to be taken to ensure transparency and accountability:

a. In defining the family class, the legislation and/or regulations need to explicitly state that those in same-sex relationships qualify. For example, a references to a "spousal" relationship is not in itself sufficient, since many gays and lesbians from other countries may assume that this is intended to refer to heterosexual relationships only, and this view may be reinforced by visa officers. The problem can be simply addressed by explicitly referring to "a spouse, whether of the same or opposite sex" or to "a relationship, between two persons of the same or opposite sex" or some similar phrase to reflect the terminology chosen.

b. The Report recommends that plain language User Guides be developed and made publicly available (Report, Recommendation 8, p.18). It is important that these User Guides explicitly identify the ability of gays and lesbians to sponsor a same-sex partner under the family class.

D. Protection of People Fleeing Persecution Based on Sexual Orientation

To varying degrees all over the world, lesbians and gays have been targeted for persecution throughout history because of our sexual orientation. Perhaps the most dramatic example is the mass internment and execution of lesbians and gays by the Nazis during the Second World War. Today, in many countries around the world, the persecution continues. In Iran, gays and lesbians face the death penalty by stoning or hanging, in Romania we are imprisoned, in China we are sent to labour camps.

While other countries struggle with the question of whether people fleeing persecution based on sexual orientation are entitled to protection under the international Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board began recognizing these claims in 1992. This approach was explicitly confirmed by the Supreme Court of Canada in 1993 in the case of Canada v. Ward.

EGALE believes that people fleeing persecution due to their sexual orientation are among the most vulnerable refugees for the following reasons:

• the Convention refugee definition does not enumerate sexual orientation as a separate ground for recognizing refugee status and therefore the person fleeing persecution may not be aware of his or her right to claim refugee status based on his or her sexual orientation;

• lesbians and gays from countries where there is persecution or strong social taboos against homosexuality are reluctant to disclose their sexual orientation, particularly to authority figures from a foreign country. Further, they may not know that the refugee determination process in Canada is confidential and information regarding their sexual orientation will not be made public;

• due to the fact that homophobia transcends national boundaries there is a dearth of information regarding the persecution of lesbians and gays and therefore claims based on sexual orientation may be difficult to substantiate by documentary evidence;

• it may be difficult for lesbian or gay refugee claimants to find sources of support within Canada during the refugee determination process because they are estranged from their national communities or must maintain secrecy within their communities; further, due to cultural differences, there may be obstacles to connecting with the Canadian lesbian and gay communities.

Therefore, there are significant obstacles faced by people who need Canada’s protection from persecution based on their sexual orientation. EGALE has serious concerns over a number of recommendations in the Report which would make it difficult or impossible for lesbian and gay refugee claimants to obtain the protection they need:

1. Timelines

Given the complexity and unique nature of refugee claims based on sexual orientation, EGALE believes that the timelines for the processing of claims (10 days to file a claim, a determination hearing within 6 weeks) are extremely unrealistic.

It is unrealistic to expect that people who have hidden their sexual orientation all their lives as a matter of survival will be able to identify and build a case for protection based on their sexual orientation within 10 days. Moreover, a lack of documentation of persecution of homosexuals by mainstream human rights organizations combined with a general mistrust by courts of information produced by lesbian and gay organizations makes it virtually impossible to provide reliable evidence of persecution within 6 weeks. For example in the 1993 case, Re Muniz, an Immigration and Refugee Board adjudicator rejected evidence from the credible international organization IGLHRC (International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission), saying:

"[T]he documentary evidence submitted by counsel is from sources which are self-serving in nature. All this taints their objectivity."

The exceptions to the timelines proposed in the Report (serious illness or change of country conditions) would be of no benefit to lesbian and gay refugee claimants. Appeals would not catch these claims either because the Report recommends that the only new evidence that can be presented on appeal is evidence which did not exist previously.

EGALE believes that if these timelines are implemented, most people with well-founded fears of persecution based on their sexual orientation would not even be afforded an opportunity to have their claims heard in Canada.

2. Safe third country proposal

The Report recommends that refugee claimants who travelled through a "safe" third country before coming to Canada be returned to that country to pursue their refugee claim. The Report recommends that Canada establish a list of such "safe" countries based on compliance with international standards for protecting refugees.

Where people fleeing persecution based on sexual orientation are concerned, what countries would be considered "safe"? As mentioned above, it is well established in Canadian law that people fleeing persecution based on their sexual orientation are entitled to claim refugee status based on their "membership in a particular social group". In other countries, including many European countries, this is not the case. In the United Kingdom, for example, there is a strong line of authority from the Immigration Appeal Tribunal (IAT) holding that homosexuals as a social group are not entitled to advance a claim for refugee status. In Germany, several decisions have held that claims for asylum based on homosexuality can only be successful if the "non-reversibility" of the claimant’s sexual orientation is demonstrated.

EGALE is concerned that countries like the United Kingdom and Germany would be placed on a "safe third country" list, regardless of the fact that lesbians and gay refugee claimants would not find protection there. Returning lesbians and gays to these countries would be tantamount to returning them to countries where they are at risk of persecution, and this is in violation of Canada’s international obligations.

3. Movement away from quasi-judicial decision-making

As noted above, Canada was one of the first jurisdictions internationally to recognize claims for refugee status based on persecution due to sexual orientation. EGALE believes that this was largely due to the independent, quasi-judicial decision-making refugee determination process in Canada. Other countries with refugee decisions made by civil servants, including many European nations, are still struggling with the recognition of claims of persecuted lesbians and gays. EGALE is concerned that refugee determinations which are not made by a quasi-judicial body may be more subject to prejudices against politically or socially unpopular groups, such as lesbians and gays.

Regardless of the decision-making model adopted, however, EGALE believes it is critical that anti-homophobia/heterosexism training and guidelines on sexual orientation persecution be a compulsory component of training for refugee decision-makers.

E. Medical Inadmissibility

EGALE supports the Report’s recommendation for greater clarity around the definition of "excessive costs" which would make a person inadmissible to Canada. This issue is particularly relevant to lesbians and gays given the impact that HIV/AIDS has on our community.

In defining the term "excessive costs", EGALE recommends a system that will not automatically exclude persons living with HIV/AIDS or other similar conditions from immigrating, but will take the individual circumstances of each case into account. With regard to HIV/AIDS, the situation is changing rapidly: because of new treatments, people living with HIV/AIDS lead longer and potentially very productive lives during which they can contribute a great deal to Canadian society. However the costs of the new treatments are high. Assessing the potential costs and potential benefits from allowing a particular person with HIV to immigrate to Canada will not be easy, but must be attempted. In a considerable number of cases, the benefits will outweigh the costs, and persons living with HIV should be allowed to immigrate to Canada on that basis.

EGALE believes that in some cases, such as close relationships, even when in purely monetary terms the costs would outweigh the benefits, persons living with HIV should be allowed to immigrate to Canada. In this regard, we support the Report’s recommendation that Tier One of the Family Class be exempted from the excessive cost component of the medical inadmissibility provisions.

In any system, it must be ensured that HIV and AIDS are not treated differently from other diseases or situations with potentially high costs for Canadian taxpayers.

F. Ministerial Discretion

EGALE has concerns over the Report’s recommendations which severely curtail the Minister’s discretion to process applicants or prohibit the deportation of persons in Canada on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

EGALE is aware of recent cases where landed immigrants who are very ill with AIDS have been deported from Canada despite longstanding residence and family in Canada. In such cases, EGALE believes it is inhumane to separate people from the emotional and practical support systems which may help them manage a life-threatening illness. EGALE believes that Ministerial discretion is the appropriate democratic remedy to mitigate the inflexibility of procedures which would otherwise cause hardship in these circumstances.

Last year, the European Court of Human Rights found that it would be inhuman or degrading punishment or treatment for the United Kingdom to deport a foreigner who was ill with AIDS back to his country of origin when such action would shorten his life. We believe that this reasoning is equally applicable in Canada.

Moreover, EGALE is well aware that only the exercise of humanitarian and compassionate grounds have enabled severe injustices within the current structure of the family class to be resolved on a case-by-case basis. While we applaud the extension of the family class to redress the vast majority of these situations, we believe it would be presumptuous in the extreme for the drafters of any legislation to assume that the criteria established will address every legitimate case. Clearly, the availability of humanitarian and compassionate ground will continue to be an important tool to redress individual instances of injustice on an exceptional basis.

While some criteria may be developed to guide the exercise of Ministerial discretion on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, EGALE urges that a general discretion be retained to recognize that many worthy applicants may not otherwise qualify for a variety of reasons which will be impossible to fully predict.

G. Conclusion

EGALE is supportive of the Report’s recommendations aimed at providing equality for same-sex couples. EGALE believes that changes to Canada’s immigration laws and policies which follow these recommendations are clearly overdue, given the reality of our relationships, and the legal trend in Canada and internationally. It is imperative, however, that realistic criteria be adopted to enable all those in bona fide relationships to qualify on an equal basis.

Moreover, as we strive to make Canada a more just and equitable society for our relationships, EGALE believes that Canada must follow its international legal obligation to provide protection to lesbians and gays abroad whose personal security is in jeopardy due to persecution based their sexual orientation.

EGALE makes the recommendations in this consultation in the spirit of preserving Canada’s values of equality, justice and basic human rights. We thank the Minister for providing us with an opportunity to express our views on this matter.

Written by EGALE March 11, 1998, Egale Canada ©2006 http://www.egale.ca/index.asp?item=362 a>

April 20, 2006 | 9:01 AM Comments  0 comments


Canadian Immigration: Building Canada’s Future
Related to country: Canada

A Vision for Building Canada’s Future

Global migration is a phenomenon of modern times. According to recent estimates, up to 200 million people now live outside their country of origin [note 1], either on a permanent or temporary basis. A number of factors have influenced migration in recent decades: population growth; market globalization; advances in communication technology; relatively inexpensive transportation; and political, economic and social conditions and trends at the national and international levels.

Immigration has been fundamental to the growth of Canada and to our history of achievement. From our earliest days through to the global transformations of recent years, hardworking people and their families have come to Canada from all over the world. Collectively, they have made a significant contribution to the development of our economy, our society and our culture.

Immigration will play a key role in building the Canada of tomorrow by addressing future labour market and demographic needs, and supporting the country’s international role and geopolitical presence. Looking to the future, Canada needs the talent and dynamism that immigrants bring to this country. Immigration is key to nation building and to our economic prosperity.

In economic terms, immigration supports Canada’s future prosperity by contributing to the continued growth in the country’s standard of living. Immigration will help maintain labour force growth and the necessary skilled labour supply in different sectors and regions across the country.

In social terms, immigration will enhance the Canadian approach to multiculturalism and diversity, lending social and cultural richness to communities across the country and providing a source of comparative advantage in attracting and retaining talent.

In global terms, immigration will help to ensure Canada’s influence in the world and support the ongoing humanitarian commitment to the protection of refugees.

At the same time, the international environment will increasingly challenge Canada’s ability to meet its future economic, social and cultural needs through immigration. On the one hand, as a result of local and global events, unprecedented numbers of people are on the move. There is growing recognition of the need for international cooperation to ensure the management of migration, and Canada participates in several international fora to lend its expertise in this area and to advance Canadian immigration and humanitarian objectives.

On the other hand, the global environment is also one in which competition for skill and talent will intensify with the declining population growth in the world’s developed regions and the emergence of developing countries as economic powers. Canada has an overall record of success in attracting and integrating immigrants, but challenges to remaining globally competitive are undeniable. Ensuring Canada remains a destination of choice is imperative when, within the next 10 years, our country will experience slowing labour force growth and labour supply shortages in certain regions and sectors, and all net labour force growth will come from immigration. Canada’s relative share of the North American population is also expected to decline over time.

Canada needs to prepare itself to compete in this changing and more challenging international environment and needs to move now to start putting the conditions in place to ensure more successful immigration to Canada.


Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pub/annual-report2005/section1.html

April 18, 2006 | 9:49 AM Comments  0 comments


Connecting people, and connecting with the community!
Related to country: Canada

A special thanks to Natalie for taking 4 members of the MCC –LGBT Peer Support Group on a tour of the YMCA Newcomer Information Centre (NIC) http://dantrepanier.tigblog.org/post/37080

Now that each person is registered they can use the computers, photocopiers, fax machines and access community resources. It’s a safe, friendly environment along the Bloor/Yonge subway line, that can be used daily if wanted – and access is FREE!

Register with the YMCA Newcomer Information Centre (NIC)!

What was really cool was that Natalie spoke Russian and was able to help one member, who needed Russian translation, to focus on finding volunteer work experience and make a contribution to his community.

THE NEWCOMER VOLUNTEER NETWORK

Natalie at the YMCA-NIC is very good at sitting down with newcomers to help them access volunteer opportunities. We find that many Refugees are eager to make a valuable contribution to their new community as well as develop skills and make new connections.

Newcomers settling in Toronto are faced with many challenges in adjusting to a new life in Canada. One of the key benchmarks in a newcomer’s settlement process is employment. Through the act of volunteerism, newcomers are able to practice new language skills, build social networks, gain Canadian experience and develop that integral sense of attachment and belonging to a new community.

One of the challenges for organizations working with newcomer volunteers is to ensure that the volunteer opportunities available are suitable for recent immigrants and that, they can provide personal and professional development while simultaneously ensuring the needs of their organization.

The YMCA NIC centre matches recent immigrants to the right organizations.

FOCUS ON EMPLOYMENT PREPARATION, INFORMATION & REFERRAL SERVICES.

4 group members attended the EMPLOYMENT information centre and will now connect with Colleen (an Employment Specialist) through the YMCA to begin meeting weekly for (18 weeks 2 hrs a week). The focus it to discuss employment issues; finding a job, resumes, the hidden job market, interview skills and much more!

NEW CONNECTIONS ~ PROUD LIVES: The MCCT Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Transgendered (LGBT) Refugee Peer & Mentoring Support Meetings, along with the YMCA -NIC and YMCA Employment Program results;
--Three members, in April, have begun volunteering at MCC on other mission teams.
--Two have begun volunteering at other community agencies.

Participants come together to;
--prepare 'appropriate' letters of support for their Immigration hearings
--access volunteer and work opportunities
--accessing personal counseling to deal with emotional issues
--access basic resources such as housing, clothing, food
--continue working on English skills
--be part of a SAFE environment to discuss issues
--exchange contact info with others and peer connect between meetings.

•Each member has an opportunity to share ideas and resources to support each other.

Keep up to date with what is happening
If you have not already done so, I encourage you to subscribe to this on-line group at http://groups.takingitglobal.org/LGBTissues The benefits are that you get to be part of an online community and keep in touch with others interested in looking at issues for LGBT Refugees and Newcomers in Toronto, or wanting to visit Toronto.

April 12, 2006 | 4:01 PM Comments  0 comments


Mission in ACTION for April 2006
Related to country: Canada

An update to:
Youth & Family for Gay, Lesbian Refugees & Newcomers WEB Group on TIG http://groups.takingitglobal.org/LGBTissues
and NEW CONNECTIONS ~ PROUD LIVES: The MCCT Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Transgendered (LGBT) Refugee Peer & Mentoring Support Meetings at the Church in Toronto. http://projects.takingitglobal.org/lgbtpeer

GREETINGS EVERYONE!
Let me update you on the great work many people are doing to help LGBT Refugees in Toronto!

First off more people are getting involved in our growing list of cool projects that focus on helping LGBT Refugees and Newcomers to Toronto. Go to this link to learn details: http://www.tigblog.org/group/GLBT from there you will see Web links to projects and groups that might interest you!

We are using a technology platform that makes it easy to show the many interesting projects being developed to help LBGT Refugees and Newcomers in Toronto.

The on-line technology platform we are using to ‘showcase’ our projects and groups is called TakingItGlobal (TIG). More information about TIG here http://dantrepanier.tigblog.org/post/34746

I have a BLOG (A BLOG is a web log where you can post your writing – it’s like a web journal)
Anyone can create a BLOG on TIG (Called TIGBlogs). The goal is to provide you with information on people, inspiring stories, interesting articles and featured community groups; related to LGBT Refugees and Newcomers

Go to http://dantrepanier.tigblog.org . About three times a week I try and post an interesting resource or article. Your emails inspire me to pick topics and information that might help YOU!

More about on-line groups;
If you have not already done so, I encourage you to subscribe to this on-line group at http://groups.takingitglobal.org/LGBTissues The benefits are that you get to be part of an online community and keep in touch with others interested in looking at issues for LGBT Refugees and Newcomers in Toronto, or wanting to visit Toronto.

If you join this online group the technology can keep you email address private but folks may be able to see your name here Go to http://groups.takingitglobal.org/LGBTissues/members so if you don’t want your name revealed don’t join the on-line group (or use an alias)

It is always important to PROTECT YOUR PRIVACY.
Right now the people who attend the The MCC –Toronto, Canada; Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Transgendered (LGBT) Refugee Peer & Mentoring Support Meetings are on a PRIVATE email list and not listed on the web through TIG.

MORE SUCCESS!

Sunday April 9th was the first LGBT Refugee support meeting facilitated by BrianB and DanT
•6 REFUGEES ATTENDED, (From Russia,Azerbaijan, Brazil, The Caribbean and Ukraine) learn more here Go to http://projects.takingitglobal.org/lgbtpeer/reports/?id=37462

ARE YOU CURRENTLY a Refugee or Newcomer, wanting to celebrate the diversity of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgendered) community, find a job and access resources in Toronto? Read about the THE YMCA of Greater Toronto, ONTARIO WORKS EMPLOYMENT PLACEMENT PROGRAM (OWEP)
and the Newcomer Information Centre here http://dantrepanier.tigblog.org/post/37080

POST A COMMENT... WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Have a great week and keep the faith!

Sincerely,
All of us who care!

Web Link to this update http://dantrepanier.tigblog.org/post/37465

April 9, 2006 | 6:16 PM Comments  0 comments


GAY IMMIGRANT ADVOCACY GROUP SUPPORTS HUNGER STRIKE
Related to country: United States

OiA Newsdesk

SUNNYVALE, Calif. – Love Sees No Borders announced today its unconditional support for the San Francisco Hunger Strikers for Immigration Justice, who are camping outside of the San Francisco Federal Building. Strikers are opposing draconian anti-immigration legislation introduced in Washington, D.C., which would hurt all LGBT immigrants and their American partners.

One of the measures is the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005, H.R. 4437, which was approved in the House of Representatives in December. The other is draft legislation introduced by Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, which is largely based on H.R. 4437. This measure is better known as the "Chairman's Mark" or "Specter Markup." Either version of the legislation is detrimental to all immigrant communities.

Language in these measures would make it a felony to be an undocumented alien, putting hard-working people in the same category as murders and rapists. The legislation also irrationally expands the definition of "alien smuggler" to include anyone who aids an undocumented immigrant; these could be partners, family members who share a home, churches, community-based organizations, even friends. The measures also propose "guest worker" programs that would leave undocumented workers vulnerable to labor violations and abuse, thus lowering the standards and protections available to all workers, including LGBT workers.

Anyone applying for a visa to come to the United States could have their application denied due to "secret evidence." Immigration officers would not need to explain what this "secret evidence" is, and it could very well be homophobia. Refugees and asylum seekers would be further victimized if they use false documentation to enter the U.S. seeking protection. Historically, false travel documents have been used by refugees and asylum seekers to escape deadly situations.

For the transgender community this could become a deadly situation because in many cases their documentation does not match their physical appearance. Immigrants –- regardless of status -- who fail to comply with basic change of address procedures would face new and harsher penalties, even if the error was committed by the Department of Homeland Security. This would threaten even permanent residents living with their American partners.

"It is obvious that to these legislators 'family values' means making families vulnerable and breaking them apart, rather than making them strong and healthy. They are also interested in destroying the basic fabric of American society, its workers, by making a category of people vulnerable to abuse and thus lowering the standards for all," said Leslie Bulbuk, Love Sees No Borders co-founder.

"Legislators need to stop pandering to fear and instead promote realistic and humane policy that addresses family reunification for all families regardless of sexual orientation, provides worker rights and protections, gives hard-working people a path to residency, and provides civil rights and liberties for all. The San Francisco Hunger Strikers understand this, and this is why they count with our full support," Bulbuk said.

The hunger strike starts today in front of the San Francisco Federal Building at 450 Golden Gate. The event will kick off today with a noon press conference, and a march later at 5 p.m. Candlelight vigils will take place everyday at 6 p.m., and Love Sees No Borders encourages LGBT to light a candle in support of the strikers. A National Day of Solidarity will take place on March 25, when Love Sees No Borders' co-founders will join the strikers.

The strike will end on Monday, March 27, at the Montgomery Bart Station, where strikers and supporters will be joined by U.S. veterans who are marching from Tijuana to San Francisco decrying these policies. [3/21/06]

This articled reproduced from http://www.outinsacramento.com/Home/news.asp?articleid=26324

April 7, 2006 | 11:11 AM Comments  0 comments


Refugee Assistance Sponsorship Programs:
Related to country: Canada

Two types of Refugees: Some refugees may be sponsored by the Canadian government or by individuals or groups in Canada:

1. Government-assisted refugees are Convention Refugees Abroad and members of the Source Country Class whose initial resettlement in Canada is entirely supported by the Government of Canada or Quebec.

2. Privately sponsored refugees are Convention Refugees Abroad and members of both the Country of Asylum and Source Country Classes whose resettlement in Canada is supported by groups of individuals or organizations in Canada.

Organizations or individuals in Canada interested in sponsoring refugees should consult the CIC web site at http://www.cic.gc.ca

Learn about YMCA Newcomer Services

April 5, 2006 | 12:44 PM Comments  0 comments


What it means to be gay
Related to country: Canada

It seems to me that the divisiveness about same-sex civil marriage and unions is not so much about the nature of marriage but more about the nature of homosexuality.

There's general agreement about what makes a good marriage: love, commitment, compatibility, mutuality and communication. Marriage reflects a special type of relationship -- one that is recognized by our government with certain benefits, rights, and responsibilities.

Many people think that this type of relationship can be entered only by a man and a woman. However, there is a growing body of evidence and opinion that human beings do not choose their sexual orientation; the orientation chooses the person. If this is true, then it follows that a gay person wanting to enter that special type of relationship -- with its civil benefits, rights and responsibilities -- can do so only with a member of the same sex.

Before we risk enshrining prejudice against gay people in our state Constitution, we as a society need to reach consensus about what it means to be gay.

Posted on http://www.startribune.com/
by MATT KARL, MINNEAPOLIS

April 4, 2006 | 9:24 AM Comments  0 comments


Are Gays Better Off Under Saddam?
Related to country: Iraq

By GARY LEUPP
March 31, 2006

Gays were better off under bad Saddam, one-time U.S. ally. According to Ali Hili, a gay Iraqi man recently interviewed by Amy Goodman on MPR's Democracy Now! Program, "Iraq, at the time of Saddam, was---I mean, I'm talking about as a gay Iraqi---it was not as bad as we can see now... There [were] no homophobic attitudes toward gay and lesbians.

Most of them[were] welcomed in the community and the society It's a very dark age for gays and lesbians and transsexuals and bisexuals in Iraq right now. And the fact that Iraq has been shifted from a secular state into a religious state was completely, completely horrific. We were very modern. We were very, very Western culturalized -- Iraq -- comparing to the rest of the Middle East.

Why it's been shifted to this Islamic dark ages country? [Saddam was] the worst thing that ever happened to Iraq, maybe, until we saw these religious mullahs who were brought to the government to lead this country. We were much better off in the Saddam time, although he [was] a tyrant."

This article found in
http://www.counterpunch.org/leupp03312006.html

April 3, 2006 | 9:32 AM Comments  4 comments


Murder and abuse of gays is becoming endemic
Related to country: Canada

Persecutions are spreading in countries like Iran, says Glen Murray
The Toronto Star Mar. 26, 2006. 01:00 AM

Imagine waking up in the middle of the night, the police breaking down your door. You are hauled off to jail, subjected to horrific torture, then a secret trial with little chance of any outcome but your execution. The crime? Being gay.

According to Rev. Brent Hawkes of Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto, there are 58 countries in the world where you can be incarcerated for life or worse for being identified as gay, for intimacy with someone of the same sex or even associating with "homosexuals."

The murder and abuse of gay people is reaching epidemic proportions. From Uganda to Iran, imprisonment, torture or state-sanctioned executions are increasingly common.

In Iran, article 111 of the code of Islamic Punishments states that lavat (intercourse between men) is punishable by death so long as both partners are of sound mind and have acted of free will. Foreplay between men is punishable by 100 lashes for each party and lying naked together is punishable by 90 lashes. This is a country whose leader is a Holocaust denier.

Homan, the exiled Iranian lesbian/gay rights organization, states that that since 1979 the Iranian government has executed at least 4,000 "homosexuals."

In Iran, reports of these executions in the popular media are rare. Yet last March the Iranian newspaper Kayhan reported the hangings in Gorgon of Mokhtar N., 24, and Ali A., 25, for the crime of lavat. Similar state-sanctioned executions were reported in the semi-official newspaper Etemad in Tehran.

Article 427 of the Afghan penal code of 1976, reinstated after the fall of the Taliban, prescribes long prison sentences for individuals who are convicted of having homosexual relations.

In 2004, with little press coverage, an American adviser to the Afghan government was arrested and sent to prison under this law for his relationship with an Afghan man.

This is the country that feels Abdul Rahman's choice of the Christian faith is so heinous a crime that only a plea of insanity may spare him from the death penalty.

This horrendous systemic persecution of gays and lesbians is not only ignored by the western world. Some countries like the United States and Britain have been complicit in refusing to offer safe haven to gay and lesbian refugees or denying status to gay and lesbian organizations at international tables.

In fact, earlier this year the U.S. government sided with a majority of states to dismiss the application for consultative status for the International Lesbian and Gay Association before UNESCO's non-governmental organization committee.

This reversed the long-standing position of the U.S. to recognize these mainstream gay organizations at the UN. Moving to smother the voices of gay and lesbian international organizations in the face of these horrors is unfathomable.

Only a few voices in the gay media are reporting these murders and western indifference.

The most recent issue of the British gay news magazine Attitude reported on the suicide of Hussein Naseri, 26, who shot himself in the head while seated in his car. Beside him was a 2-week-old order deporting him to Iran. Israfil Shiri, who received the same news, poured petrol all over his body and set himself on fire. He died an awful death but his actions did not spur a change in the British government.

The article describes humiliating and homophobic comments by a British judge in the deportation hearing of another young gay man and the brutal prison assaults, rape and torture of gay men who survived incarceration in Uganda's prisons.

Human Rights Watch is leading a campaign to stop the government of the usually liberal Netherlands from lifting the moratorium of sending back to Iran gay and lesbian asylum seekers.

Some 65 years ago, pink triangles were sewn onto the clothes of gay men as they were sent to their deaths in Nazi concentration camps. We can't ignore the fact that some states are executing gay people with no more justification than Hitler required.

At what point does our indifference make us complicit?
Glen Murray is a former Winnipeg mayor and urban strategist. gmurray @ navltd.com.

March 31, 2006 | 4:21 PM Comments  1 comments


CHANGE A LIFE ~ CHANGE YOUR OWN!
Related to country: Brazil

Written by Dan Trepanier
I finally sponsored a Child through World Vision!
A while back I decided to sponsor a child in Brazil through World Vision. World Vision is a Christian humanitarian advocacy, relief, and development organization active in more than 90 countries around the world, providing help to more than 85 million people each year.
If you sponsor a child your support will help to fund vital development work in their community, such as digging wells, improving sanitation and building health clinics.

This work ensures that the community will be able to provide children with the basics they need to help them grow up in a healthy environment and have a chance for a better future.
VISIT WORLD VISION @ http://www.worldvision.ca

I have attached a PDF file with information regarding the community and the work that World Vision is doing in my sponsored child’s community as well as a map of Brazil, with the general location of the community where he lives.
INFO ON MY SPONSORED CHILD’S COMMUNITY IN BRAZIL @ http://www.takingitglobal.org/action/projects/download.html/5909/WorldVisionBRA20174105

As a World Vision sponsor you are able to learn about a sponsored child and his community through each Annual Progress Report that you receive. In this case I receive an Annual Progress Report directly from the office in Brazil once a year. Each report will provides me with an updated photo of my sponsored child in addition to information on how he is doing and how my support has provided benefit for his family and community.

The best way to communicate with a sponsored child would be through writing letters. Communicating with sponsored children this way really adds to the personalized side of child sponsorship and World Vision is told that the children love receiving the letters.

MY SPONSORED CHILD’S LIFE IN BRAZIL
What is Brazil like?

Brazil is the largest country in South America and it occupies almost half of the continent. Brazil is primarily an agricultural country. Most of the 157.8 million Brazilians live in the densely populated areas of eastern Brazil. The country has an extremely inequitable distribution of income, where the wealthiest 2% of the population controls over 40% of national income. The chronic poverty of the semi-arid northeast is aggravated by periodic drought. Many Brazilians migrate to the cities from rural areas in search of opportunity and hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom are children, roam the streets homeless.

Life in my sponsored child’s community

My sponsored child lives in Tapera, one of the poorest regions of the semi-arid northeast of Brazil. Many things are being done to address my sponsored child’s immediate needs and to promote lasting changes, which will strengthen the community. These changes include improving:

Health

My sponsored child receives health check-ups and follow-up treatments as required.
My support improves the quality of drinking water, including better water sources and appropriate storage.
My support also improves the basic sanitation conditions in the community.

Education

My sponsored child is given school uniforms and schools supplies.
My support enables students to participate in after school programs that are focused in the local area, to foster a stronger sense of community.
My monthly gifts provide additional training for public school teachers to improve the quality of education.

Families’ Futures

Local farmers are taught how to improve the quality of their crops and maximize production, especially in arid conditions.
My monthly gifts provide leadership and management training for people in the community.
My support helps set up local micro-enterprises to increase job opportunities and family income.

I am grateful to offer my gifts. I know they are helping to change a child’s world.

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization reaching out to a hurting world

March 31, 2006 | 10:14 AM Comments  0 comments


ARE YOU IMMIGRATING TO CANADA AS A SKILLED WORKER?
Related to country: Canada

Skilled workers have education, work experience, knowledge of English and/or French and other abilities that will help them to establish themselves successfully as permanent residents in Canada. Applying to come to Canada as a Skilled Worker is not difficult. Consult this section to find all the information and forms you need to make your application. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/skilled/index.html

THE EMPLOYER'S ROLE
As an employer, you must make a job offer before a foreign national can apply for a work permit. In most cases, you will likely need to work with Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) to get confirmation of the job offer. You should keep in touch with the foreign worker that you wish to hire. Let them know when you have received confirmation and that they should now apply for their work permit. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/employer-1.html
Jobs Exempt from Work Permit Requirements go to http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/exempt-1.html

The real challenge is to find an employer who is willing to make you a job offer. I get many requests from people wanting assistance in getting job offers from Canadian employers. I wish there was a simple answer to this.

DETAILED CANADA IMMIGRATION ELIGIBILITY REPORT.
Obtain a free Canadian immigration eligibility report for the Skilled Worker program, including your score on each of the Skilled Worker selection factors, the rationale for such scoring, hints and tips on how to ensure that you earn this score, and National Occupational Classification (NOC) descriptions of your stated occupation so that you can verify that you have eligible experience.
Details here http://www.diycanadaimmigration.com/Assessment.aspx

This site is dedicated to providing you with the necessary tools, knowledge, and resources to submit and manage your Canadian immigration application yourself. There is a lot of valuable information here http://www.diycanadaimmigration.com/sitemap.aspx Go check them out! I have never used this service so I can not make any comments on the quality of their offerings but their web site looks good!

DO YOU WANT TO STUDY IN CANADA?
More than 130,000 students come to study in Canada every year. In addition to this number are many more that come to Canada to learn English or French. Foreign students bring a rich culture to our classrooms. Your knowledge and skills are welcome in our schools.
Details here http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/index.html

DO YOU WANT TO VISIT CANADA?
Every year more than 35 million people visit Canada. Canada welcomes these visitors as tourists, students or temporary workers. As a visitor, you will enjoy the many opportunities Canada has to offer.
Details here http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/index.html

ARE YOU THINKING OF MOVING TO CANADA TO OBTAIN LEGAL IMMIGRATION STATS FOR YOUR SAME SEX PARTNER?
Contact Michael Batista and read information here http://dantrepanier.tigblog.org/post/36028 and here http://www.jordanbattista.com/immigration.htm

THIS IS WHERE WE CONNECT ON TIG TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE Save this Url http://www.tigblog.org/group/GLBT/

March 29, 2006 | 10:10 AM Comments  0 comments


YMCA NEWCOMER INFORMATION CENTRE (NIC): Toronto
Related to country: Canada

ARE YOU NEW TO TORONTO?
Do you need information about employment, housing, health, schools, credential assessment, English language classes, volunteer opportunities and more?

Come to the Newcomer Information Centre!
A settlement program for newcomers to Canada

Download YMCA Toronto NEWCOMER INFORMATION CENTRE (NIC) Flyer (PDF file 632.6 KB )

Our Services
--Up-to-date information and referral to help you settle in Greater Toronto Area (GTA)
--Information Sessions:
--Canada: Culture, Society and People
--Employment Services Information Session
--Canadian Workplace Culture
-- Newcomer Network
--Are you new to Canada?
--Your Financial Rights and Obligations
--Guest speakers for Internationally Educated Professionals & from other sectors in the community
--Free access to resource library, computers & Internet access
--Free access to fax and photocopier
--Friendly, multi-lingual staff
--Volunteer opportunities


NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY. PLEASE DROP BY!
Download Map YMCA Toronto NEWCOMER INFORMATION CENTRE (NIC) Flyer (PDF file 632.6 KB )
Where we are
42 Charles St. East, 3rd floor
Toronto 416-928-6690
www.ymcatoronto.org

Hours of Operation
Monday through Thursday
9 am to 8 pm
Friday
9 am to 2 pm
Saturday
10 am to 2 pm

March 28, 2006 | 8:59 AM Comments  3 comments


Are you interested in other cultures? Volunteer in the Host Program.
Related to country: Canada

The Host Program matches volunteers with newcomers just starting their lives in Canada. While friends and family greet some newcomers, many others arrive without anyone to welcome them. You can be a friend and help them adjust to a new way of life.

You will be carefully matched with a newcomer or family. They may have similar interests to you and might work in the same profession. In addition to helping them, this is an opportunity for you to make new friends and learn about other cultures.

How much time do you need? How much money will it cost?
Joining the Host Program costs you nothing but a little of your time. A few hours a week for up to a year is all it takes to make a difference. Enough time to see a movie — or go for a walk in your community. There are organized activities for all to enjoy, such as social events, chat sessions and other get-togethers. As you get to know one another, you can plan your own activities and make your own schedule.

Be a guide to your community.

By volunteering just a little time each week, you can show your newcomer friend(s) how to do the things you do everyday. Share your experience by helping them learn how to use the transit system, open a bank account, use a bank machine, where to shop or even how to find a job. You can help them become part of your community and an active member of Canadian society.

The Host Program benefits Canadians. The Host Program benefits you.

In addition to making new friends, you will get to participate in an exchange of cultures. Like your new friends — you will also learn about other cultures and ways of life. And through the eyes of newcomers, you may even learn things you didn’t know about the Canadian way of life.

Join the fun and volunteer in a Host Program near you. For more information, contact an immigrant-serving organization in your area or call the CIC Call Centre.

Learn More about The Host Program go to
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/newcomer/host%2D1e.html /a>

March 25, 2006 | 2:56 PM Comments  0 comments


Michael Battista: Specialist in Immigration and Refugee Law.
Related to country: Canada

Michael's expertise in immigration and refugee law in addition to focus on the gay and lesbian community means that he is uniquely equipped to successfully deal with issues that are challenging for other immigration practitioners.

Are you thinking of moving to Canada to obtain legal immigration status for your same sex partner?

Michael Battista is certified by Ontario’s Law Society as a Specialist in Immigration and Refugee Law. A partner at Jordan Battista LLP, he leads the firm’s services in immigration/refugee law.

Since becoming a lawyer in 1992, Michael has been practicing immigration and refugee law exclusively. He has assisted clients on all immigration issues with a particular focus on issues related to gay men and lesbians, including applications based on same-sex relationships, refugee claims based on sexual orientation/identity, and skilled worker applications by American citizens seeking to obtain Canadian permanent residence for them and their same sex partners.

Michael appears regularly before Canadian tribunals and courts dealing with immigration/refugee matters. In 2001 Michael represented Amnesty International before the Supreme Court of Canada in a case involving the international standards prohibiting torture. In 2005 he made submissions before the United Nations Committee against Torture on Canada’s compliance with international human rights obligations.

Visit Michael at http://www.jordanbattista.com
The http://projects.takingitglobal.org/mccnewcomers is so fortunate to have someone with Michael’s expertise to guide them in developing their program. Thanks Micheal!

Canada is one of the few countries worldwide that recognizes same sex relationships on an equal basis as opposite sex relationships. If neither you nor your partner is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, your relationship will be recognized by Canada’s immigration laws if you have lived together for at least one year. Depending on who is more qualified, you or your partner could apply to immigrate to Canada and include the other in the application as a family member, and you will both be processed simultaneously for Canadian permanent residence.

The only obstacles in the application would be a criminal record or a serious health problem, depending on the severity of each. Contact Michael to find out whether you or your partner qualifies for permanent residence.

Are you a Canadian citizen or permanent resident in a relationship with someone from another country?

You may be able to sponsor your partner for Canadian permanent residence.

Join the On-Line Group at TIG http://groups.takingitglobal.org/LGBTissues and help make a difference!

February 28, 2006 | 9:02 AM Comments  1 comments


The Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI)
Related to country: Canada

Advocate for the Immigrant-serving Sector and Expert on Immigrant and Refugee Issues.

OCASI acts as a collective voice for immigrant-serving agencies and to coordinate response to shared needs and concerns. OCASI is a registered charity governed by a volunteer board of directors. Its membership is comprised of more than 170 community-based organizations in the province of Ontario.

The Mission of OCASI is to achieve equality, access and full participation for immigrants and refugees in every aspect of Canadian life. As a council of autonomous community-based agencies which serve the immigrant communities of Ontario, OCASI asserts the right of all persons to participate fully and equitably in the social, cultural, political and economic life of Ontario.

Learn more about OCASI at http://www.ocasi.org/index.php

OCASI hosts practical projects that create access to social, economic and political participation of newcomers in Ontario. OCASE works on specific projects to provide needed services to sector workers, create collaborative initiatives and enhanced access to professional development and skills development across our sector.

OCASI seeks to create and implement innovative solutions to existing sector issues, and to provide cross-sectoral support to agencies and newcomers directly. Our overall goal is to support and maintain a strong service-delivery system that meets the changing needs of newcomers to Ontario and Canada. With our members, OCASI ensures that our projects reach a wide range of sector workers, in all areas of Ontario.

Technology and community development combine strongly in creating innovative OCASI projects. OCASI is an invaluable partner to the settlement sector, to governmental organizations and to community agencies across Ontario. Developing these partnerships, nurturing new ones, and leading the way for fair, accessible and integrated settlement services remain OCASI's objectives for many years to come.

February 27, 2006 | 10:57 AM Comments  0 comments


The International Lesbian and Gay Association
Related to country: Canada

The International Lesbian and Gay Association
is a world-wide network of national and local groups dedicated to achieving equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) people everywhere.

Founded in 1978, it now has more than 400 member organisations. Every continent and around 90 countries are represented. ILGA member groups range from small collectives to national groups and entire cities.

ILGA is to this day the only international non-profit and non-governmental community-based federation focused on presenting discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation as a global issue.

Support Amnesty International

February 25, 2006 | 7:54 PM Comments  0 comments


The Canadian Council for Refugees: HOMOPHOBIA AND HETEROSEXISM COMBATTING HOMOPHOBIA AND HETEROSEXISM
Related to country: Canada

The Canadian Council for Refugees is a non-profit umbrella organization committed to the rights and protection of refugees in Canada and around the world and to the settlement of refugees and immigrants in Canada. The membership is made up of organizations involved in the settlement, sponsorship and protection of refugees and immigrants. The Council serves the networking, information-exchange and advocacy needs of its membership.
Learn more at http://www.web.net/~ccr

The mandate of the Canadian Council for Refugees is rooted in the belief that:
* Everyone has the right to seek and enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution; (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 14.1)
* Refugees, refugee claimants, displaced persons and immigrants have the right to a dignified life and the rights and protections laid out in national and international agreements and conventions concerning human rights;
* Canada and Canadians have responsibilities for the protection and resettlement of refugees from around the world;
* Settlement services to refugees and immigrants are fundamental to participation in Canadian life;
* National and international refugee and immigration policies must accord special consideration to the experience of refugee and immigrant women and children and to the effect of racism.

The CCR has produced a fascinating Resolutions Book – November 2005: which can be found at http://www.web.ca/~ccr/resbkfall05.pdf
This booklet contains summaries of most resolutions adopted since 1992 and follow up to these resolutions. Here is an excerpt from that book

HOMOPHOBIA AND HETEROSEXISM COMBATTING HOMOPHOBIA AND HETEROSEXISM - Res.19 - Dec. 00

SUMMARY CCR members have acknowledged the negative impact of homophobia and heterosexism within our sector and membership.

BE IT RESOLVED that a task group be struck to i) facilitate information-sharing on pro-LGBTQ practices and policies within the immigration and refugee sector; ii) suggest amendments to existing settlement standards to include LGBTQ issues; iii) urge CCR members to implement mandatory training and education within their agencies on unlearning homophobia and heterosexism; iv) gather evidence about the refusal rate, processes and practices of the IRB in relation to claims based on sexual orientation.
~~~~~~~~~~
ANTI-HOMOPHOBIA AND ANTI-HETEROSEXISM POLICY -
Res 1 - May 04
SUMMARY: CCR passed Res. 19, Dec. 00 on combating homophobia and heterosexism and Res. 4, May 98 on the need to develop internal policies that affirm the rights of individuals and should lead by example in combating homophobia and heterosexism.

BE IT RESOLVED that the CCR i) develop an anti-homophobia and anti-heterosexism policy to present to its membership for endorsement at the Fall 04 consultation; ii) ensure that this new policy and the existing anti-racism policy incorporate an integrated approach in implementation.

COMMENT: A draft has been developed and was discussed at the September 2004 meetings of the Working Groups.
SEE ALSO Res. 4, May 98, Settlement services to lesbians, gays,bisexual and transgendered refugees and immigrants, page 9, and Res. 17, Nov. 04, Sexual Minorities, page 58.

February 22, 2006 | 5:29 PM Comments  0 comments


S.O.Y EXPRESS - NEWCOMER & IMMIGRANT QUEER YOUTH PROJECT (Supporting Our Youth)
Related to country: Canada

Express is a safe and supportive space where newcomers and/or immigrant queer youth find a place gather, share ideas, questions, and have fun!
Learn about EXPRESS at SOY at
http://www.soytoronto.org/current/express.html

Some of the youth participating in EXPRESS are refugee claimants on the basis of their sexual orientation. The project provides significant direct support to these youth in this process as well as the personal and emotional support they receive at the drop-in meetings. Since the launch of the project more than 10 youth participants have gained their legal status in Canada with support from EXPRESS.

EXPRESS includes a weekly meeting on Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m (Eastern Standard) in Toronto Canada. The project had a number of newcomer/immigrant queer youth involved from more than 20 different nationalities and/or ethnicities since May of 2002.

What is SOY?
Supporting Our Youth (SOY) is an exciting, dynamic community development project designed to improve the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and transgendered youth in Toronto through the active involvement of youth and adult communities. We work to create healthy arts, culture and recreational spaces for young people; to provide supportive housing and employment opportunities; and to increase youth access to adult mentoring and support.

February 22, 2006 | 11:02 AM Comments  0 comments


Settlement.Org: Newcomers, info & resources to settle in Ontario, Canada.
Related to country: Canada

The Settlement.Org Web site provides newcomers with information and resources to settle in Ontario, Canada.

Settlement.Org does this in three ways:
1.Good, accurate, reliable and timely content on the site.
2.Links to excellent sites with authoritative information and necessary content – a portal to excellent information on the web.
3.Linking newcomers offline to services in their local community.

Settlement.Org seeks to improve the quality of information and services provided to newcomers. Settlement.Org provides an electronic community where newcomers can read announcements, make contacts, discuss current issues, find answers to frequently asked questions and access a directory of organizations.Settlement.Org is open to all and is accessed most frequently by newcomers, settlement workers and the general public.

February 21, 2006 | 11:22 AM Comments  0 comments


Sponsor Info Kits from the Centre for Information and Community Services, CICS Canada
Related to country: Canada

In response to the need of assuring the smooth transition of new immigrants sponsored by their families to immigrate to Canada as a result of the 2004 tsunami disaster, OCASI has produced a resource kit of information with the financial assistance of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, which is now ready for distribution to the affected communities and the general public.

Funded by the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, the Distribution Project of the Sponsor Information Kit aims to disseminate a kit that contains useful guidelines for both the newcomers and their sponsor families to follow in order to secure a successful and pleasant transition in time. The primary target recipients are those community groups that are affected directly by the 2004 tsunami, such as Sri Lankan, Somali, Thai, Indonesian and Indian. The kit is available in English, French, Tamil and Somali. New immigrants in general and their sponsor families can also benefit from this Kit.

Included in the kit is a series of 5 photo novellas that explains common mental health and substance abuse issues encountered by the communities, and the types of services available to assist those who seek help. The topics covered are depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, drugs, alcohol and gambling. They are available in English, with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder also available in Tamil.

Organizations or individuals can receive these materials, free of charge, by taking ONE of the following steps:
1) Complete the request form available online at OR
2) Download the request form, complete it and fax it to 416-292-9120

For details on the materials, please visit this website for descriptions, or contact Elizabeth Lynn at e.lynn@cicscanada.com, or call her at Toronto, Canada 416-292-7505, x116.

February 20, 2006 | 5:12 PM Comments  0 comments


SUBMIT YOUR LGBT STORY.

I need help in putting together at least 5 good questions to ask people for help them formulate their stories. Your privacy is protected if you want your story to be ANONOMOUS! -- I will not share your name or TIG member profile.

I need your ideas on what to ask people to create a cool story just like Learn TIG does here

Help others to get inspired! Read the personal stories from LGBT members from around the world.

Please send your thoughts through the TIGMessenger to Dan Trepanier

Or post a comment below in this BLOG.

Here is a little context to stimulate your thinking……
Understanding the Issues: The Context:
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender peoples are often subject to unwarranted harassment and exclusion, if not in official government laws, then by societal norms and mores. While many countries are moving toward legislating equality on the basis of sexual orientation, many governments still make it a point to state their disapproval by routinely scrutinizing or blocking the extension of some rights and privileges to such people.

Through diligent and committed activism on the part of many grassroots gay and lesbian organizations, significant progress is being made in their quest for equal rights and treatment. Recent debate surrounding the right of gay and lesbian couples to marry has sparked a contentious, often bitter, dialogue prompting many countries to seriously ponder drafting legislation legalizing such rights. Still other countries have legislated equal benefits (previously reserved for heterosexual couples) for same sex couples, including the right to adopt children or inherit property.

Despite progress in some liberal-secular societies, however, major hurdles remain in the way of gay, lesbian, and transgender rights in most countries. It is difficult for governments to advocate on behalf of their citizens living or traveling in other countries, especially when domestic laws are in contradiction with local sentiments.

February 17, 2006 | 4:44 PM Comments  0 comments
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You can MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Related to country: Canada

JOIN Our Group: Youth & Family for Gay, Lesbian Refugees & Newcomers!

Our Mission: Connecting Family and Youth to Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Transsexual (LGBT) Communities for Refugee and Newcomers Issues.
Subscribe to Our Cool TIGblog and connect to Coop People, Cool Groups and Cool Projects

Please post a comment below with your ideas and thoughts on how to make our project grow!

Regards,
Dan Trepanier



February 17, 2006 | 9:42 AM Comments  1 comments


Gay Refugee Claimants Seeking Haven in Canada
Related to country: Canada

Toronto Globe & Mail, By Marina Jimenez, From Saturday’s Globe and Mail, Saturday, April 24, 2004, Page A7

Canada is seeing a surge in the number of refugee claimants who say they are homosexuals and will be persecuted if they are returned to their homelands.

In the past three years, nearly 2,500 people from 75 different countries have sought asylum on the basis of sexual orientation, according to information released under the Access to Information Act.

It is not known how many have been allowed to stay in Canada; the Immigration and Refugee Board does not track acceptance rates by case type.

The surge in applications is being driven both by bogus claims and a growing view of Canada as a haven for persecuted homosexuals, refugee experts say.

The largest number came from Mexico, with 602, and Costa Rica, with 276—both democracies with thriving homosexual communities, annual Gay Pride Day parades and websites offering everything from gay weddings to gay tour operators.
Many claimants also come from Muslim countries, where homosexuality is outlawed, while a small number hail from Ireland, Britain, the United States and even the Netherlands, one of the few countries to legalize gay marriage.

Although claims on the basis of sexual orientation have been permitted since 1994 when the Supreme Court of Canada broadened the definition of social group to include homosexuals, immigration lawyers say they have seen a surge of cases of this nature in the past three years.

“People who come from relatively peaceful countries tend to grasp at straws in terms of advancing refugee claims,” said Max Berger, a Toronto immigration lawyer who has represented dozens of Pakistani gay claims in the past year.
“With gay cases, it is harder to disprove. If you are making political or religious claims, you need corroborating documents from a mosque or political party. But with gay cases, they rely more on oral testimony. It is easier to advance a bogus case.”

For a case to succeed, the person must first convince an IRB panel they are homosexual, and then prove they will face persecution in their homeland as a result.
Armando Ramos, spokesman for the Mexican consul in Toronto, says he has met many Mexican men who told him they lied about their sexual orientation to make refugee claims in Canada. “They are clearly taking advantage of the system, and giving Mexico a bad name,” he said. “I met with the Homosexual Latin American Association of Toronto and they are very upset about the poseurs and say immigration officials won’t believe the real gays who need protection.”

The IRB received so many cases from self-professed Costa Rican homosexuals; it issued jurisprudential guidelines last year, concluding that homosexuals do not face persecution in Costa Rica. The overall acceptance rate for Costa Rica’s 1,833 claimants last year was just 2 per cent.

The country is now the fifth-largest refugee source country, behind Pakistan, with 4,257 claims in 2003; Mexico, with 2,560; Colombia with 2,131; and China with 1,840. The overall acceptance rate for Mexicans was 27 per cent.

Of the 602 Mexican claims made between January, 2000, and December, 2003, on the basis of sexual orientation, 71 were accepted, 67 were rejected, 415 await hearings and 50 were abandoned or withdrawn.

Michael Battista, a gay immigration lawyer, says many of the gay Mexicans he has represented are HIV-positive and have trouble getting jobs and medical care back home. “These cases tend to have a higher acceptance rate,” he said.

El-Farouk Khaki, a Toronto immigration lawyer who also has a large gay Mexican clientele, says many have been granted asylum. A 2003 report by the Washington-based World Policy Institute notes that despite human-rights codes outlawing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, abuse of gays by local officials does exist in some parts of Mexico.
Other countries with a high number of claims on the basis of sexual orientation include Pakistan, with 126 claims in the past three years, Nigeria with 152 and Hungary with 94.

In Nigeria, homosexual acts are illegal and in Pakistan, those caught engaging in “carnal intercourse against the order of nature” may be stoned to death.

Mr. Berger says about half the gay Pakistani claimants he has represented in the past year have been successful. One recent client, Iftikhar Ahmad Shahbaz, fled Pakistan after a fundamental religious group called the Sipah-e-Sahaba beat him several times, destroyed his business and looted his cash box.

“I fear for my life in Pakistan where I cannot safely live as a homosexual male,” said Mr. Shahbaz, 26, a shop owner who awaits a hearing.

Robert Moorhouse, who has represented more than 60 gay refugee claimants over the years, says the area is a very complex one. “I used to call it Gay 101. Immigration and Refugee Board members ask claimants what day the Gay Pride parade was on, where the gay bars in Toronto are located and whether they were in a relationship,” Mr. Moorhouse said. “But what does that prove? Members have to have gaydar [gay radar], and rely on their gut instinct. But it is also a subjective area.”

Mr. Ramos acknowledged that Latin machismo as well as the conservative influence of the Roman Catholic Church are still pervasive in Mexico, but said homosexuals are not systematically persecuted. The beach resort of Cancun offers an annual gay festival, while a host of guidebooks offer detailed listings of gay-friendly bars and baths.

Charles Hawkins, the IRB spokesman, notes that credibility is a key issue in refugee cases, and that IRB members do not prejudge claims based on country of origin or case type.

February 13, 2006 | 4:57 PM Comments  2 comments


The YMCA of Greater Toronto
Related to country: Canada

WORKING WITH NEWCOMERS!

The YMCA of Greater Toronto is an incorporated charitable organization that has served the diverse needs of the community for over 150 years. In 1853, the YMCA was conceived as a social integrator – initially cutting across class divisions, later gender lines and religious boundaries. As societal norms have changed, the Association has changed. It owes its longevity and continued relevance to the timelessness of its mission and its capacity to reflect upon its core values within an ever-changing social context. The Association fulfills its vision – “to be a leader in enhancing civil society, where people are respectful and supportive of one another, within Canada’s most diverse community” – by forging relationships with individuals and communities in the Greater Toronto Area built on trust, mutual respect, and shared accountability.

The YMCA is very active internationally as a non-government organization with partnerships and programs in many different countries throughout the world. Many newcomer clients coming to Canada are aware of our community expertise in being an active leader in helping individuals and communities grow stronger. We believe in working together with our clients, volunteers and community partners to create strong individuals, families and communities.

The YMCA serves one of the largest and complex urban environments in Canada and is one of the largest YMCAs in North America and the world. The Greater Toronto Area is home to thousands of new immigrants and refugees, with 44% of Toronto’s population born outside of Canada. The YMCA recognizes this growing diversity and is a leader in assisting newcomers to make the smooth transition of settling in their new home. Furthermore, our current strategic plan includes a diversity and inclusion initiative that focuses on strengthening our appreciation of our diverse community.

YMCA newcomer Services

The Newcomer Services Unit has over 25 years experience working with a range of newcomers. Programs include:

 LINC Assessment Centre
 Newcomer Information Centre (NIC)
 Korean Settlement Services

The YMCA Newcomer Service’ primary location is at 42 Charles Street East, where both the LINC Assessment and Newcomer Information Centre reside on the 3rd floor for convenient one-stop service. Our Charles Street site is centrally located within 1 block of the two subway lines in Toronto. Our building is fully accessible to physically challenged people. We are in close proximity and have excellent relations with other community and human services/organizations. The Centre operates extended working hours with evenings and Saturdays and has a child friendly play area for parents with children.

The YMCA Newcomer Services has over 10 years experience working directly with GARs.
 From May 2003 to June 2004 over 15% of clients served in Newcomer Services were refugees. Specifically, 11% of these Government Assisted Refugees were from the current source countries identified.
 The top ten countries served for the same period included Afghanistan (3%) and Iran (6%) both identified as main source countries for current GARs.
 COSTI RAP participants from the Toronto reception centres also schedule monthly tours and information sessions at the NIC Centre

Newcomer Services staff members speak approximately 34 languages including Farsi, Arabic, Pushto, Tamil, Amharic, Tigrinya and other languages in addition to English and French. Through its Volunteer Program, Newcomer Services actively recruits and maintains volunteers from GAR source countries and therefore has additional resources and access to substantial linguistic and cultural expertise. The NIC Centre houses an array of multicultural resources and has delivered tours and information sessions in languages other than English. Newcomer Services also has access to interpreters through its established partnership with Access Alliance Multicultural Community Health Centre.

Because of the scope of programs and infrastructure of the YMCA of Greater Toronto, beyond the expected range of referrals to services we provide our newcomer clients, we are able to connect them internally to services that may include child care, summer camp, health/fitness and recreation programs. In the past year we have been able to implement a program for newcomers to receive a free pass to the health, fitness and recreation campus (7 of these across the GTA) in order to take advantage of programs.

Over 40,000 newcomers participated in YMCA employment and community programs in 2005 with referrals from over 1000 agencies across the GTA. YMCA Newcomer Information services work with more than 50% of the Newcomers to the GTA. It is also estimated that over 40 other agencies get some form of government funding for similar supports.

The YMCA does see a growing trend in GLBT people looking for supports (In particular from Latin American countries) and subsequently recognize the gaps in service to this community. The YMCA Newcomer Information Centre have a staff group of 14 who speak more than 37 different languages as needed while providing settlement information and referral to clients.
Link: The YMCA of Greater Toronto

Learn about YMCA Newcomer Services


January 31, 2006 | 5:31 PM Comments  0 comments


LEGT: Canadian Immigration for Same-sex Partners WEB Resource
Related to country: Canada

WELCOME TO LEGIT -- The Lesbian & Gay Immigration Task Force

LEGT, the Lesbian and Gay Immigration Taskforce, was founded in December 1991 in Vancouver, Canada by a group of Canadian lesbians and gay men along with their partners who did not have landed immigrant status in Canada. Since then, LEGIT has expanded across the country.

As a grassroots lobby and support group, LEGIT provides immigration information and support to queer, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people while working to end discrimination in Canada's immigration regulations. The group has successfully helped thousands of couples in cross-border relationships gain permanent residence in Canada. Since 1991, LEGIT has lobbied for changes to immigration process, policies and law.

The LEGIT site provides helpful information on immigrating to Canada for same-sex couples. You will find information on immigrating to Canada for couples in which:
• one partner is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and the other partner is from another country
• neither partner is Canadian and both are planning to immigrate to Canada
Our site also has basic information on applying as a refugee because of fear of persecution against you as a lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgendered, or HIV+ person.

This is a great site to learn about
--The Canadian Immigration System: An Overview
--The Immigration Process
--Canada Immigration
--Same-sex Immigration To Other Countries
--Refugee Information
--Customs And Settlement
--Queer Organizations

LEGIT is an organization of volunteers helping same-sex couples who wish to live together in Canada. Many of us are couples who have been successful in settling in Canada. We are not lawyers. We hope this information is helpful and supportive. It is not intended to be legal advice.

LEGIT, the Lesbian and Gay Immigration Taskforce, was founded in December 1991 in Vancouver, Canada by a group of Canadian lesbians and gay men along with their partners who did not have landed immigrant status in Canada. Since then, LEGIT has expanded across the country.

As a grassroots lobby and support group, LEGIT provides immigration information and support to queer, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people while working to end discrimination in Canada's immigration regulations. The group has successfully helped thousands of couples in cross-border relationships gain permanent residence in Canada. Since 1991, LEGIT has lobbied for changes to immigration process, policies and law.

From 1993 to 2002, same-sex partners of Canadian citizens and permanent residents applied under the skilled-worker class and asked for consideration on humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) grounds. The process worked but it was only accessible to those who knew about the "backdoor" procedure. Status was granted on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of individual immigration program managers.

After a decade of lobbying for Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to end discrimination against our families, same-sex partners were officially recognized as part of the Family Class on June 28, 2002. While LEGIT celebrates this positive change in the Canadian Immigration Act, there is still much work to be done to ensure that the immigration process is, in practice, equal and accessible. Contact us for ways you can help in this work.

January 31, 2006 | 4:38 PM Comments  1 comments


TakingITGlobal the platform for empowering YOUTH on GLBT issues!
Related to country: Canada

Let me tell you about this cool new site and technology platform to help support Youth & Family for Gay, Lesbian Refugees & Newcomers Initiatives like ours!

--Our initiative is powered by TakingITGlobal (TIG) and is an international organization - led by youth and empowered by technology. TakingITGlobal connects youth around the world to find inspiration, information and get involved in improving their local and global communities.

Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with a growing worldwide presence, the organization's flagship program’ TakingITGlobal.org, serves as the most popular online community for young people interested in connecting across cultures and making a difference, with hundreds of thousands of visitors each month. TIG has over 100,000 members in over 250 countries and works with global partners – from UN agencies, to major companies, and especially youth organizations – to build the capacity of youth for development, artistic and media expression, make education more engaging, and involve young people in global decision-making.

Projects like ours can use TIG’s platform to provide members and organizations with tools and features to highlight their initiatives, objectives, challenges and progress within a unique online space.

Groups are a simple and free way for each of us to communicate and collaborate around projects and shared interests. Groups provide the key tools needed to connect and sustain the activities of a team project, an active discussion group, or a network of people.

Imagine tapping into the passion and energy of tens of thousands of other amazing young people around the world who might be interested in our cause -- every member of TIG has their own profile, and you can search and find members based on interests, location, or even the languages that they speak!

TakingITGlobal - Inspire. Inform. Involve.

January 30, 2006 | 11:15 PM Comments  0 comments


MCC (Metropolitan Community Church) Toronto... a Brief History
Related to country: Canada

During the spring of 1973, a group of individuals wrote to the head office of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches in Los Angeles requesting that they send a pastor to Toronto to start a new church. In July of 1973, Reverend Bob Wolfe arrived in the city and the first worship service was held with 12 people on July 17, 1973. In 1977 Rev. Brent Hawkes became Pastor. Visit Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto

Over the years, the congregation has gathered in a variety of different buildings. We met in offices, backyards, church halls and church chapels. In 1985 we bought our first church building at 2029 Gerrard Street East and moved into it on December 8. We were the very first lesbian and gay organization in Canada to own our own property!

In 1991 we moved into our present church home at 115 Simpson Avenue. In response to our growing numbers we added the 9 a.m. service in the spring of 1994. So many people want to be part of our Christmas Eve and Pride Day services that we must move off site to Roy Thomson Hall and to Church Street for these special
services.

MCC Toronto is proud that we have assisted many other gay and lesbian groups in getting started. We helped organize the first PFLAG meeting and we paid for the telephone line in their first year of operation. We have provided office space for the Toronto Counselling Centre for Lesbians and Gays, for Lesbian & Gay Youth Toronto, Collation for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Ontario to name a few. We continue to host the Toronto District School Board’s Triangle Program for Gay and Lesbian Youth.

SOCIAL JUSTICE
Our congregation has been at the centre of many key struggles for equality. In 1986 we supported Bill 7, adding sexual orientation to the Ontario Human Rights Code. In 1994 we supported Bill 167 in favour of equal rights. In 1996 we went to the Supreme Court of Canada as interveners in support of Egan and Nesbit in the constitutional question of same sex spousal recognition under the Old Age Security Act. As a result of this case, the rights of gay and lesbian couples was recognized and sexual orientation was read into the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In 1999 Rev. Hawkes testified in the M vs. H case on spousal support provisions in family law. The ruling in this case was the first to hold that same sex couples receive equitable treatment under the constitution.

SAME SEX MARRIAGE RIGHTS
In the fall of 2000, we made a decision that the time was right for our church to take the next step in our pursuit of equal marriage rights in Canada. Our Lawyers developed a strategy that was built on a combination of The Ontario Marriage Act and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In January of 2001 we legally married two same-sex couples but the Registrar General of Ontario refused to register the marriage documents. We took the provincial government to court and our case was heard in November of 2001. The decision handed down in July 2002, declared the law unconstitutional and but provides the federal government two years to make the necessary changes. The federal government has decided to appeal this decision and a similar one made in Quebec.

February 11, 2003 | 4:28 PM Comments  0 comments




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