Gloria Allred on Jenna Talackova, John Travolta and Barack Obama

US civil rights lawyer in Toronto for Miss Universe Canada pageant

US women’s rights lawyer Gloria Allred was in Toronto on May 19 for the Miss Universe Canada competition. She was here to support her client Jenna Talackova, the first openly transgender contestant in the pageant.

“These cases have come to me, and I have felt from the beginning that this was a minority who was stigmatized, who was stereotyped, who was being excluded,” Allred says.

Xtra asked Allred about the John Travolta cases and US President Barack Obama’s recent support of the US gay-marriage movement.

For more on Talackova, watch Xtra‘s video interview here.


On occasion, the number of editors and other staff who contribute to a story gets a little unwieldy to give a byline to everyone. That’s when we use “Xtra Staff” in place of the usual contributor info. If you would like more information on who contributed to a particular story, please contact us here.

Read More About:
Video, Culture, News, Canada, Coming Out

Keep Reading

What the Barry Neufeld tribunal ruling means for trans rights in Canada

A former Chilliwack school trustee has been ordered to pay $750,000 after years of anti-LGBTQ2S+ posts
A side by side of drag king and lesbian performer Gladys Bentley and a flyer for one of her shows

The drag king provocateur of the Harlem Renaissance

Gladys Bentley was a beloved and successful gender outlaw, but the world would ultimately fail her

NBC apologizes after misgendering Olympic skier

Swedish freestyle skier Elis Lundholm made history as the first openly trans Winter Olympian
Black and white images of Dorothy Arzner and Marion Morgan, who were crucial to Hollywood history

This lesbian power couple ruled the Golden Age of Hollywood

Director Dorothy Arzner and choreographer Marion Morgan were collaborators and life partners for over 40 years