New research finds implications for two groups affected by HIV and AIDS—women and gay men
New research presented at conferences in Victoria and Vancouver this month have highlighted several challenges related to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment in the province of British Columbia. The findings are particularly important to the well-being of two groups that have often been described as particularly vulnerable to HIV infection: gay and bisexual men; and women. (more…)
Transgender Canadians have won a few significant victories in the ongoing struggle for acceptance and recognition
Canada’s transgender community, after lengthy struggles with discrimination and bureaucratic obstacles, is now celebrating a series of significant victories, reports the Montreal Gazette. Montreal’s Concordia University has become the second university in the country to allow transgender students to use their chosen name in class and on their ID. Passport Canada is considering making passports genderless. And, with considerable media attention, Jenna Talackova was given permission to compete in the Miss Universe Canada, held in Toronto. (more…)
Advocates challenge the government to move farther in the attempt to protect young people from bullying violence
The West Coast Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund is calling on the British Columbia government to implement a province-wide anti-bullying policy that specifically addresses homophobic and transphobic bullying in schools. Research has found that gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans and queer kids experience bullying at a much higher rate than other students. Two thirds of LGBTQ students report that they feel unsafe at school and more than 1 in 5 are physically assaulted or harassed due to their sexual orientation. Suicide rates are also high among LGBTQ students. (more…)
David Weekley’s “journey in from the wilderness” continues as he and others face institutional efforts to exclude them
Rev. David Weekley stepped into the pulpit of the Epworth United Methodist Church in Portland, Oregon in 2009 to share his story as a transgender person for the first time. After he spoke, the congregation burst into applause. Earlier this year, David shared his experiences in a book called “In from the Wilderness.”
David is a transgender man and an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church who quietly served his congregations for twenty-eight years before sharing his full personal story and spiritual journey with his congregation, denomination, and the world. But the struggle for inclusion of transgender people continues, as the United Methodist Church prepares for a debate about “compatibility” with Christianity. (more…)
Verbal, physical, and sexual harassment is reported by gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual, and queer school students
The terms “homophobia” and “transphobia” signify a great deal of unnecessary misery in the lives of Canadian students. Knowledge of their distress and a determination to bring it to the consciousness of educators and parents motivated members of the Education Committee of Egale Canada to conduct a ‘climate survey’ of Canadian schools. University of Winnipeg professor Catherine Taylor launched the survey in December 2007, eventually collecting information from over 3,700 students across Canada. (more…)
A candid account of one person’s transgender experience, grounded in faith, pilgrimage, and hope
“In from the Wilderness” is the story of a transgender man who has been an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church since 1984 and has quietly served his congregations for twenty-eight years before sharing his story and spiritual journey with his congregation, denomination, and the world.
Rev. David Weekley stepped into the pulpit of the Epworth United Methodist Church in Portland, Oregon, on August 30, 2009, to share his story for the first time. When he finished his message, the congregation burst into applause. Now, David shares his story in a new book from Wipf and Stock Publishers. (more…)
