The three constituent parts of Peel Region, Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga, will become stand-alone municipalities in 2025, according to Ontario Premiere Doug Ford. The decision has been criticized for acting against 50 years of joined-up services such as public health and social services, and for ignoring any consultation process. An ethics commissioner has found that the leader of the United Conservative Party in Alberta, Danielle Smith, breached the Conflicts of Interest Act and the independence of the justice system when she spoke to the Alberta justice minister about the case of an alleged criminal.
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has announced that it will fly a Pride flag at Twickenham rugby stadium in support of the LGBTQ+ community in response to the inclusion of controversial former Australian rugby player Israel Folau in a World XV side. Folau’s contract was terminated by the Australian Wallabies after he posted views on social media claiming that gay people would be sent to hell “unless they repent of their sins and turn to God”. The RFU, which will also display a foreword in the match programme outlining its commitment to diversity, has called itself “inclusive to all players, staff and fans”, regardless of background.
Republicans push surge of laws targeting transgender people in US
Al Jazeera
23-05-19 16:16
Legislation has been introduced in a number of US states targeting transgender people, with many looking to restrict gender-affirming care for minors and enforcing bathroom use based on sex assigned at birth. Advocates have warned of the further marginalisation of this community and the potential threats to their health. The issue is seen as a Republican priority and a key driver of debate in the 2024 US elections, with the party looking to gain votes from the far right by portraying Democrats as out of touch with the wider population. Numbers of Republican legislation on the issue have increased significantly over the last two years.
As the stage adaptation of Annie Proulx's story "Brokeback Mountain" hits the West End, Ed Cumming takes a reflective look back on Heath Ledger and the role that made him an unforgettable talent. Prior to Brokeback Mountain, Ledger had struggled to find fulfilling work within the industry and described to Time Magazine in 2005 how he had been "spoon-fed" his career by a studio who believed they could make a product out of him. Despite tough competition for the role from the likes of Matt Damon and Joaquin Phoenix, Ledger convinced the filmmakers his more introverted and less showy nature was what made him the right choice to play Ennis del Mar. Annie Proulx even went so far as to credit Ledger for "erasing her original character" and replacing her own interpretation with something far more visceral and effective. The role took an emotional toll on Ledger and he found himself seeking reassurance from the screenwriter, Diana Ossana, during filming. Ledger died in 2008, leaving behind a career marked by incredible talent and potential.
Brittney Griner set for first WNBA game since detainment in Russia
The Toronto Star
23-05-19 15:49
WNBA star Brittney Griner will play her first regular-season game since being detained in Russia on drug charges when her team, the Phoenix Mercury, face off against the Los Angeles Sparks. Griner, who was detained in Russia in February 2022 after vape cartridges containing cannabis oil were allegedly found in her luggage, returned to the US in December as part of a prisoner exchange. Speaking out about her detention, Griner has become an advocate for Americans detained abroad and is supporting the campaign Bring Our Families Home. She is also a prominent LGBTQ+ activist.
Supreme Court of Canada dismisses defamation suit filed by former B.C. school board trustee
CBC
23-05-19 15:22
Canada's Supreme Court has dismissed a defamation lawsuit brought against a former teacher's union leader by a school board trustee who had previously attracted controversy over his views about how sexual orientation and gender identity should be taught in school. Barry Neufeld sued Glen Hansman after his former colleague accused him of being transphobic and bigoted. After granting a dismissal of the suit under a Protection of Public Participation Act, the court found the interest in protecting Hansman's speech outweighed any harm Neufeld might have suffered.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has visited New Hampshire as he makes preparations to launch his 2024 Republican presidential campaign. While meeting with GOP lawmakers in the state, DeSantis touted his aggressive agenda, which includes new laws that ban gender-affirming care for minors, restrict discussion of personal pronouns in schools, target drag shows and force people to use certain bathrooms. He also expressed support for the failed New Hampshire bill that would have required schools to inform parents if their child was being referred to as a different gender or name. Many supporters believe this and DeSantis's anti-LGBTQ+ messaging will help him gain backing in the state.
Neil Gorsuch, one of the conservative justices on the US Supreme Court, has criticised the pandemic-related restrictions introduced by federal, state, and local governments that have led to “perhaps the greatest intrusions on civil liberties in the peacetime history of this country.” Gorsuch complained that measures introduced over the past three years, including eviction moratoriums, school closures, and mask mandates, concentrated power in the hands of too few people, and gives these individuals too much control over crucial decisions affecting the lives of Americans.
Justice Neil Gorsuch, one of the Supreme Court’s nine justices, has accused local, state and federal officials of staging “perhaps the greatest intrusions on civil liberties in the peacetime history of this country” during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has called for a reduction in government power. Gorsuch, a conservative who was the first Supreme Court nominee by then-President Donald Trump, has a reputation for challenging both left- and right-wing precedents since he was elected in 2017. In his statement, Gorsuch criticised evictions, school closures and mandatory vaccine orders, among other actions, and questioned whether a singular focus on safety posed a threat to government efficacy. Gorsuch’s comments accompanied an announcement that a case relating to the Title 42 policy, which bans asylum seekers from entering the US on public health grounds, would be formally dismissed after the policy ended due to the observed decline in national COVID-19 cases.
US Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch has called the emergency measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic the biggest infringement of civil liberties since the founding of the country. In an eight-page statement, Gorsuch criticised actions taken by governments across the United States, including school closures, vaccine mandates and restrictions on church services, as well as intervening in reproductive rights, gun control and native American rights. Following the expiration of the public health emergency, the court did not issue a judgment on a planned hearing on Title 42, which prevented asylum seekers entering the country.
The Satanic Temple is holding a massive gathering in a Marriott hotel in downtown Boston which it has named SatanCon. More than 830 members bought tickets for the its late April convention and local Christian protesters have gathered outside the hotel, carrying signs warning of damnation. The Temple believes in religion being separate from the state, says Satan is a metaphor for questioning authority, and grounds its beliefs in science, rejecting the existence of a literal Lucifer or Hell. The Temple uses the symbols of Satan for rituals, for example when getting married or adopting a new name. Members are vocal advocates of abortion rights.
Nebraska lawmakers have passed a bill, which Republican Governor Jim Pillen is expected to sign into law, limiting abortion and restricting gender-affirming medical care for transgender youths. It bans abortions after 12 weeks of gestational age, allowing exceptions for medical emergencies when the mother's life is at risk, rape or incest. The bill also bans "gender-altering surgery" and restricts hormone therapy and puberty-blocking drugs for transgender people aged under 19. The state's legislature, dominated by Republicans, voted 33-15 to pass the bill.
At least 17 US states have enacted laws that restrict or ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors, and legislation has sprung not from grassroots or constituent demand, but from a handful of conservative interest groups. An Associated Press analysis found that these strongly resemble model legislation put forward by conservative groups Do No Harm and the Family Research Council. The bills allow far-right groups to spread a false narrative based on distorted science, critics say. The groups behind the bills argue that gender-affirming care poses profound risks to minors and is pushed by inadequately prepared doctors, and that state lawmakers need to intervene. Women's and LGBTQ advocacy groups, and health experts attest that gender-affirming care is safe and can lead to better mental and physical health outcomes. A year ago, a Pew Research Center survey found broad support among Republicans, but not Democrats, for restrictions on medical care for gender transitions.
Brittney Griner has returned to women's basketball after jail in Russia. The WNBA superstar played her first game in nearly two years with the Phoenix Mercury facing the Los Angeles Sparks. US Vice President Kamala Harris was present along with other notable celebrities, including tennis legend Billie Jean King, to welcome Griner back to the court. Griner scored 18 points and six rebounds but could not prevent the Mercury from slumping to a comprehensive 94-71 loss.
As seen at the G7 summit in Hiroshima last weekend, LGBTQ rights are being increasingly recognised by governments as an important issue. Although there was little said during the Weekend as to LGBTQ concerns, it was notable that the G7 communique stressed the need to “work toward creating a ‘world free from violence and discrimination regardless of gender identity or expression or sexual orientation,’” with a commitment to work with all parts of society, to bring about “ full, equal and meaningful participation of women and girls in all their diversity as well as LGBTQIA+ persons in politics, economics, education and all other spheres of society.” However, given host nation Japan is the only nation of the seven that does not recognise same-sex marriage, actual change in the short term is likely to be slow. The Japanese government has not made legalisation of same-sex marriage a priority with the public remaining split: 44% of respondents saying in an NHK poll released in May that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry; 15% saying they should not; while 37% were undecided.
An ad by Starbucks India has caused a stir after going viral, with the campaign chosen to promote inclusivity. The two minute advert shows a transgender woman meeting with her estranged family over coffee. While some critics complain that Starbucks is “imposing western culture in India,” others argue that such criticism is importing western cultural wars. Across much of South Asia and Southeast Asia, the language of gender is more fluid than it is in the West, and hijras, as the transgender Indian community is sometimes known, have been part of the country’s society and culture since ancient times.
A year after writing a LinkedIn post in which she called out misogyny and called for gender equality in the business world, Amanda Blanc, the first female CEO of global insurer Aviva, says she is disappointed by the lack of progress. Although there were tick-box initiatives such as unconscious bias training, they were simply not enough to promote women into the top positions in organisations. Blanc, who stands at the top of a £600bn firm, believes it will take until at least 2050 to achieve equal representation at the executive level. She is especially concerned about the lack of diversity, particularly regarding those from backgrounds that are not white and male. Women accounted for 21% of the executive teams at Canadian firms listed on the TSX at the end of last year, and just 5% of TSX listed organisations had female CEOs. Blanc herself has experienced "misogynistic scars" during her 30-year career, including during a meeting last year when male participants made disparaging comments about her gender.
Lauren Chan, former fashion editor at Glamour and now head of brand partnerships at Universal Standard, has discussed her views on vulnerability, feedback on coming out as a lesbian, and the importance of self-care in an interview with The Globe and Mail. Chan said that her recent experiences have made her "more vulnerable and candid", and said that being an LGBTQ individual made her expect hate and unfollowing on Instagram, although she didn't think it would be as high a number as 1,200 followers lost. Chan has also started therapy once a week and tries to make time for mediation and bodywork.
Toronto is not an uninhabitable hellhole, but rather a great place to live despite its recent problems, writes Toronto Star columnist Edward Keenan. The city is significantly safer than other major North American cities and even the Crime Severity Index shows Toronto is safer than many smaller Canadian cities. It has a strong economy and an array of fantastic community organisations, Keenan notes. A key obstacle to Torontonian well-being is the expensive rent market leading to homelessness and subsequent social crises, he adds. Indeed, homelessness will remain an issue until housing affordability is increased, which is something all mayoral candidates agree on, and it's vital everyone's attention remains focused on it, Keenan says.
A transgender girl in Mississippi refused to attend her high school graduation after a district judge ruled that the school could ban her from attending if she did not dress in male clothing. The American Civil Liberties Union had sued the Harrison County School District after the girl, referred to as L.B. in court papers, was told she could not wear a dress and heels. The district requires boys to wear a white button-down shirt, black dress pants, black shoes, and a tie or bowtie. While the school argued that graduation was voluntary, the ACLU argued that the policy was discriminatory.
