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T U E S D A Y, J U N E 6 , 2 0 1 7
REGINA LEADER-POST
PRIDE WEEK
HUMAN RIGHTS – STILL SO FAR TO GO
BY MICHELE TYNDALL CONTENT WORKS
This January, Turing’s Law, named after the famous British WWII codebreaker, Alan Turing, posthumously pardoned thousands of gay men who were convicted of sexual offenses under a now abolished gross indecency law that targeted them. Living gay men can now seek pardons as well. And for the first time in history, Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board this month updated their guidelines for asylum seekers to respect specific vulnerabilities and cultural differences among LGBTQ minorities seeking asylum. This should ensure that these refugees will not be unfairly denied protection in Canada. The struggle for fair and equal treatment for the LGBTQ community has made great strides in recent years in many countries. Same-sex marriages are legal and binding, gay-straight alliances are appearing in more and more schools, and gay characters are showing up in more and more TV shows and movies without being just the depressed friend, sassy neighbours or local serial killer. But the fact is that for many people around the world, inequality, violence and even death are a reality faced every day because of who
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they are and who they love. In 17 countries there are bans in place to prohibit LGBTQ ‘propaganda’ which includes anything considered to be promoting LGBTQ communities or individuals. Movies with positive gay representation, advertising for local clubs or community groups, and even resources for specific LGBTQ health information is forbidden in Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Somalia, Tunisia, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria,
Lithuania and Russia. Since 2006, the number of countries who criminalize same-sex sexual acts between consenting adults has dropped nine percent. However, that still leaves 74 countries that consider this a crime punishable by fines or jail time. Just one year ago, a 29-year-old man killed 49 people and wounded 53 others in a hate crime inside Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. In the last five months, over 100
anti-LGBTQ bills have been put forth in several States, including the infamous bathroom laws forcing Trans persons to use public restrooms based on their birth certificates, not their current gender, and ‘religious freedom’ bills that would allow service providers to deny LGBTQ people everything from cupcakes to life-saving health care, purely based on discrimination. And in thirteen countries, such as Iran, parts of Iraq, Afghanistan,
Nigeria and Pakistan, being LGBTQ is punishable by death. Chechnya is the newest offender to hit the headlines. Rumours, now being confirmed more often than not, speak of camps where gay men are being detained, beaten and interrogated for the names of other LGBTQ people. In some cases the men are released to their families after they have been publicly outed, and their own family members have joined in the abuse. It’s been confirmed that at least three men have died since this campaign began just three months ago. Sexual orientation and gender identity are integral aspects of us as human beings, and should never lead to discrimination, abuse, or death. In Canada, same sex marriage is legal and many same-sex couples are raising children in honest and loving homes. The Prime Minister made a point of marching in two different Pride parades last year. And those Pride parades, like the ones across Canada, like the one happening this month in Regina, will continue as long as LGBTQ persons around the world continue to face challenges to basic human rights.
SASKATCHEWAN PRIDE NETWORK Providing Support across the Province BY MICHELE TYNDALL CONTENT WORKS
For many members of the LGBTQ community, a friendly face or a like-minded person is as close as the nearest coffee shop, university group or gay club. But in smaller communities where those resources might not be available, an LGBTQ person may feel like they are the only one in the world. Not only that, they may have to endure negative responses from a home town unequipped to support their LGBTQ residents. Enter Moose Jaw Pride. Five years ago a group of LGBTQ people got together in Moose Jaw and discovered they all shared a vision for their small city—that it become a thriving community for all sexual and gender diverse people. Moose Jaw Pride was born and it quickly began looking for ways to support and empower their community. After several successful Pride events, the group in Moose Jaw noticed that they were attracting the attention of LGBTQ people in places like Regina and Saskatoon, two large cities with well-established Pride associations. But more and more they were hearing from individuals in small towns with no resources available to them. Individuals who felt that a large population should not be the only
requirement for safety, pride and equality and they wanted to know more, and to do more. With a grant from the province, Moose Jaw Pride established the Saskatchewan Pride Network, a project whose mandate is: to support and empower LGBTQ people living in smaller communities across Saskatchewan. “I think the Saskatchewan Pride Network is important to LGBTQ people because it educates people and also gives LGBTQ people the chance to be around people like themselves. It shows them that
and Humboldt. In some cases, pride organizations were already established, or had been active in the past but were no longer providing events or resources to their communities. As the Saskatchewan Pride Network, Moose Jaw volunteers reached out to contacts in each of the small cities to discuss ways they could assist those LGBTQ communities. Resource connections, diversity training and community events were all brought up and a tentative schedule for the work was designed. Unanimously, local
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Pride Network teams engage members of businesses, organizations or groups of like-minded individuals in interactive work that gives them important information about the
I think the Saskatchewan Pride Network is important to LGBTQ people because it educates people and also gives LGBTQ people the chance to be around people like themselves. It shows them that they aren’t alone and that they do belong. MOOSE JAW PRIDE VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR JAMES SZWAGIERCZAK.
they aren’t alone and that they do belong,” said Moose Jaw Pride volunteer coordinator James Szwagierczak. After much research and organizing, seven communities, including Moose Jaw, were selected. The list also included Swift Current, Weyburn, Estevan, Yorkton and Melville, the Battlefords, Prince Albert
volunteers, community leaders and Saskatchewan Pride Network members agreed that the ultimate goal for each city would be to create safe and welcoming communities throughout the province by providing inclusive community events and educational opportunities. Interactive workshops were designed where Saskatchewan
LGBTQ community in a fun and engaging environment. And this year, all of the focus communities are hosting Pride activities. Moose Jaw Pride held their largest parade yet during Pride Week May 1 to 7, along with many other activities. Yorkton and Melville provided many family and youth functions as well as a parade
May 8 to 13. This was the second year that Estevan and Weyburn have held official flag raisings, but this year there was also a film night and a family friendly games night. May 27 saw the first Estevan Pride March as well. Swift Current had its first Pride March on June 3, followed by a BBQ and dance, and Prince Albert celebrated ten years of Pride from June 4 to 11. Pride Battleford is being organized by the GSA there and a march and dance are being planned for July 28 to 30. Humboldt rounds out the summer with their Pride being planned for August 21 to 27, where they will be building on last year’s first Pride March with more events being organized for the whole week. Gender and sexual diversity can be confusing, even frightening. And for communities with few resources for education, understanding and even celebrating, residents may find themselves feeling at odds with their neighbours, afraid of strangers or cut off and alone. The Saskatchewan Pride Network is sowing the seeds of inclusivity, support and understanding, one community at a time. For information on all Saskatchewan Pride Network events, visit the Moose Jaw Pride website at https:// moosejawpride.ca/skpride/ or like them on Facebook (https://www. facebook.com/MooseJawPride/ ).
Q Nightclub and Lounge Not your average gay bar BY MICHELE TYNDALL CONTENT WORKS
In 2007, Entrepreneur magazine predicted that gay bars (along with record stores and newspapers) would be extinct by 2017. With the advent of the internet, the ability to connect with other LGBTQ people became easier than ever. And as more protections and equal rights were afforded the gay community, there was less need to hide from harm. It became easier to be out in public. Some clubs did close. But others, like Q Nightclub and Lounge, rose to the challenge. Q Nightclub and Lounge is unique. For forty five years, this nightclub and lounge has been located in Regina in different parts
of the city (they now reside at 2070 Broad St, their latest and most visible home) and has not only served the LGBTQ community in Regina and surrounding area, but are in fact owned by them. The GLCR (Gay and Lesbian Community of Regina, Inc.) is a not-for-profit association that maintains Q Nightclub and Lounge with the help of a board of directors elected by the membership of the GLCR. So the community they serve is also the community that owns and operates them. “Being community owned is key. We’d have been gone a long time ago, as other clubs have, without our community, our volunteers. We are still often the first contact for young gay men and women, and
recently for many LGBTQ people coming to our city from historically anti-gay countries. We are here to help them all become who they are, through social interaction, information and specific needs that we can provide for,” said past GLCR President Cory Oxelgren. Since 1972, the GLCR has been the launch pad for many LGBTQ organizations such as the Human Rights Committee of 1985, AIDS Regina (currently APSS) the first HIV health organization, the original Pride Committee, and the RSAR, a fundraising and entertainment organization that has raised thousands of dollars for charity. Beyond that, the GLCR and Q Nightclub and Lounge take their cues from the community and
are as at home providing a venue for rave nights featuring Regina’s hottest local DJs as they are hosting family BBQs on their deck for married same-sex couples and their children. One weekend may find you at a Pride event such as the all night White Party, and the next weekend you can join your friends for a Tupperware Party and a few rounds of Bingo. Some nights involve extravagant drag shows, other nights are quiet drinks with a boyfriend or girlfriend. There might even be karaoke. Or a new local band might be playing. The LGBTQ community has been involved with the GLCR and Q Nightclub and Lounge in integral ways, from the volunteers who clean, maintain and enhance the
venue to the friend who checks your coat in the winter and sets up new plants on the deck in the spring. And the GLCR is just as involved with the community members. Birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and even funerals have all taken place inside the center. Whether it’s a space for salsa dancing, a spot for yoga instruction, or a rehearsal space for a burlesque troop, Q Nightclub and Lounge provides community members a safe place to be creative, expressive and out, and they will continue to evolve as the LGBTQ community does.
This section was created by Content Works, Postmedia’s commercial content studio.