Toronto vigil draws hundreds

They came from all facets of queer life, hundreds of people gathered at the corner of Church and Wellesley streets tonight to stand vigil against homophobic violence.

Watch our video report:

Starting shortly before 8pm, the crowd soon spilled into the roadway. After a series of moving speeches, well documented by mainstream media, the crowd devoted a moment of silence to gay and lesbian people who have died because of homophobia.

The crowd then marched peacefully to Queen’s Park, chanting “End the silence on homophobic violence.” Police stopped traffic.

It happened after a series of recent reports of suicides among young gay people in Canada and the US, including those of Jeanine Blanchette and Christine Dube, who died this past weekend in Orangeville.

Keep Reading

Xtra Explains: Trans girls and sports

Debunking some of the biggest myths around trans girls and fairness in sports

How ‘mature minor’ laws let trans kids make their own decisions

Canadian law lets some youth make medical or legal decisions for themselves, but how does it work?

To combat transphobia, we need to engage with the people who spread it

OPINION: opening up a dialogue with those we disagree with is key if we want to achieve widespread social change

Democrats are done taking the high road

OPINION: Speakers were fired up at this week’s Democratic National Convention. For queer and trans people, that’s meant a more consistent defence of our rights