Ottawa shows its pride

 Photo credit: Aaron Hemens The year of 2019 marks two 50-year milestones within the pride movement both globally and Canada-wide. This year’s Capital Pride has expressed its focus on progression and development, building from the social and cultural remembrances that these anniversaries provide. It has been 50 years since the

Shangela’s exclusive interview: the Oscars, Ottawa and the queens of Drag Race Season 11

 Photo credit: Erika Wagner Growing up, young D.J. Pierce would always watch the annual Oscars. But this past Sunday, it was a dream come true for Pierce, better known by the drag name 'Shangela', to walk the red carpet at the 91st Academy Awards. “TV and film and this celebration has always

“How do they do it, Teach ?” Some thoughts about sex education in Ontario schools

 “How do they do it, Mom, boys who like boys, and girls who like girls?” If the answer to this question posed by a third grader to her mother, who is very liberal, sexually open and a highly progressive supporter of sex education in schools, does not exactly just roll

Turning the sex ed clock back to 1998 puts our youth at risk

 By: Dionne Gesink It’s now widely known that the Ontario Ministry of Education will be reverting to the 2010 sex education curriculum to teach our youth – despite widespread criticism. What’s worse is youth in grades 7 and 8 will actually be taught the 1998 sex ed curriculum.  1998 was the

The backfire from Doug Ford’s new sex-ed curriculum

 Premier Doug Ford has gone forward with a change in the sex-ed curriculum, as promised in his election platform following this year’s provincial election. These changes have caused a lot of backfire for the Progressive Conservatives attempting to bring back old curriculums. Although high school students will continue the 2015

Ottawa’s biggest and most colourful Capital Pride Parade to date

 Photos by Aaron Hemens The streets of Centretown were flooded with a wide variety of colourful scenes and individuals on Sunday, Aug. 26, as thousands of people from all walks of life came together to celebrate the 2018 Capital Pride parade, the finale to the weeklong festival of Pride celebrations.

Capital Pride’s Biggest Celebration Yet

 All photos by Aaron Hemens This year’s Capital Pride festival is shaping up to be the biggest one to date, with the week-long celebration pumping out an event everyday up until the Capital Pride Parade on Sunday, Aug. 26. Starting on Sunday, Aug. 19, sixteen signature events organized by Capital Pride

Jordan Peterson and the Cult of Genius

 Like it or not, University of Toronto professor Jordan Peterson is a cultural sensation. Over the past year and a half, Peterson has gained notoriety through his open hostility toward trans rights and feminism as well as his characterization of universities as tools for indoctrinating students into what he terms

When rights collide: Why were so many of the provincial law societies silent in the face of clear LGBTQ discrimination?

 In a society that prizes the “rights and freedoms” guaranteed to us by our constitution, sorting through what to do when rights collide can be challenging. This past week, the Supreme Court of Canada dealt with that very issue. The Supreme Court protected the dignity of LGBTQ people in Canada

Uncertainty for Ontario

 Ontario now has a majority government that believes in neither climate change nor abortion rights, has no fiscal policy, but is committed to $1 beer. Doug Ford, the new premier of the Progressive Conservative Party (PC) has laid out a platform that is vague and opaque. Many people are therefore

Will Religious Freedom in Canada Take A Back Seat to Other Charter Rights?

 It is early morning on a chilly November day. The frozen grass crunches under my boots as I make my way across the huge lawn in front of the Supreme Court of Canada. I am on my way to observe the case of Trinity Western University v. the Law Society

Violence Towards LGBTQ Communities in Other Countries

 It’s the contemporary version of twin solitudes. In Canada and the West the general assumption is that LGBTQ equality is on the advance and that it’s all getting better, often much better. Earlier this summer the prime minister attended Halifax Pride for example, the first sitting leader to do so.

Ottawa Welcomes Inside Out’s 11th LGBT Film Festival

 For decades members of the LGBTQ community have struggled with representation in media, with strong heteronormativity displayed in everything from advertisements to blockbuster productions. Despite Hollywood’s increasing display of diversity in its movies, the underground, dedicated LGBTQ film scene remains just as present as before, and is here to stay.

Ottawa Ready to Shine for Capital Pride

 Ottawa Life’s Festival City Series is back! We'll provide a unique look at some of your favourite events. We’ll go beyond the music with artist interviews, volunteer profiles, concert reviews and spotlights on the tastes, sights and sounds of the festival season.  Your city! Your festivals and events! Like a good sunscreen,

One World Film Festival Hits Ottawa’s Silver Screen

 Film junkies won’t want to miss Ottawa’s 26th annual documentary festival, the One World Film Festival, (OWFF) taking place this weekend. OWFF is Ottawa's longest-running documentary film festival, focused on raising awareness to global issues with a line-up that promises to deliver some fantastic thought-provoking movies. Friday’s focus will be

Cue the Cure!

 This time two years ago, Jennifer Mielke and Jennifer Mulligan probably felt like cancer was coming at them from every angle. In August 2013 Mielke found out that a lump in her breast was “indicative of cancer.” A month before that, Mulligan lost her mother to pancreatic cancer. Vixens' executive

Celebrate Pride With UFCW Canada and the World in Toronto

 Image by: ufcw.ca Every year, Pride is celebrated across Canada as one of the largest and most colourful festivals in the country. Citizens flock annually to street fairs, marches, parades, picnics, and concerts to participate in a fun and inclusive experience that promotes tolerance and raises awareness of the human rights

Celebrating Ottawa’s Colourful Community

 Ottawa’s queer community and its allies will be coming together and celebrating at this year’s Ottawa Pride Festival. Known as Ottawa’s most colourful festival, Capital Pride will be hosting various events and activities in celebration of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) community. “Once a year, our community has