The Canadian Online Publishing Awards (COPAs) have honoured Xtra with a gold medal for investigative journalism.
Contributor and former Xtra editor Arvin Joaquin’s piece “Why is the federal government still refusing to decriminalize HIV?” received the accolade at the Feb. 13 awards ceremony in Toronto. Joaquin reported and wrote the piece, which was edited by Ziya Jones, Xtra’s former senior health editor. Jones is now the managing editor of Script, an LGBTQ2S+ health publication owned by Xtra’s parent company, Pink Triangle Press.
“In writing this piece, I wanted to show not only the tireless work of advocates, but also centre those directly harmed by these laws — like the Indigenous woman in B.C. who continues to carry the stigma of being labelled a sex offender while trying to rebuild her life, or the Ontario man who wants to move forward but remains haunted by memories of incarceration due to non-disclosure,” Joaquin says. “Their stories have fuelled me and grounded my investigation in humanity and urgency.”
The COPAs, presented by Masthead, are one of the pre-eminent awards that recognize excellence in digital publishing. Started in 2009, magazines and newspapers have competed in a variety of categories across four divisions. Xtra’s award came in the business to consumer division. Contributor Denio Lourenco’s story “This Canadian think tank is claiming ‘victory’ over anti-trans legislation”, which was edited by Xtra managing editor Tara-Michelle Ziniuk, was a finalist for investigative journalism in COPA’s media division.
Xtra is the longest-serving LGBTQ2S+ publication in Canada. For more than 40 years, it has been a dedicated voice in telling the stories of queer and trans people, a segment of the population that is largely overlooked or misrepresented by large mainstream media outlets.
Previously a print product that turned solely digital in 2015, Xtra offers fresh journalistic insight, context and background on current affairs and contemporary culture. In 2023, it became the first queer publication to join the ranks of The Trust Project, an international consortium of news outlets committed to transparency, accuracy, inclusion and fairness.
Pink Triangle Press is one of the longest-publishing LGBTQ2S+ media groups in the world.
Why you can trust Xtra
