We’re so excited to bring you a BONUS episode of Queer Devotions!
Today in the first unofficial episode of our series, “Resisting the Script: 25+ Years of Queer Activism”, LeZlie Lee Kam community organizer and founder of the OUT of the CLOSET Lecture Series, joins the podcast to speak about why this project matters, how queer seniors' experiences are marginalized within LGBTQ2S+ conversations and the often-invisible impacts of COVID-19 on the community.
We invite you to enjoy this “Fighting The Good Fight 45 Years Later” episode HERE and be sure to subscribe to Queer Devotions on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts!
International Day of Remembrance for Victims of Slavery
Today, March 25th, we pause to recognize the International Day of Remembrance for Victims of Slavery.
For centuries, an estimated 15-million men, women and children were the victims of perhaps the darkest chapter in history – the human slave trade.
Today is an opportunity to remember and honour the countless victims of this tragic part of our past, during which millions paid with their freedom and their lives. The intergenerational trauma inflicted by the slave trade is still felt today and we cannot ignore or forget this impact or its root causes.
We also pause today to recommit ourselves to eliminating all forms of human trafficking, as well as the racism, prejudice and persecution that are still pervasive in our society.
Queer Devotions: Resisting The Script
We are so pleased to present “Resisting the Script: 25+ Years Of Queer Activism”, a special Queer Devotions series in partnership with Out of the Closet Lecture Series and New Horizons for 2SLGBTQ Older Adults.
Through this podcast we hope to introduce you to unwritten histories of queer organizing in Ontario, the people who are central to these histories and direct witness to them.
The voices in this series include Nicole Tanguay, activist and poet; Rev. Dr. Cheri DiNovo, C.M., politician and reverend; Cait Glasson, community organizer and translator; and Anthony Mohamed, policy specialist, among many others. This work has been graciously funded by the Michael Lynch History Grant through the Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies, as well as RFF.
We’ve been working with a wonderful team to make this series possible - Angela Stanley, Stephanie Jonsson and Hannah Maitland, with special thanks to Westley Pawliw-Fry for designing our lovely music. We launch next week with our special episode with Nicole Tanguay!
Enjoy a sneak peek trailer HERE for this exciting series and be sure to subscribe to Queer Devotions on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts!
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
On March 21st, 2021, Rainbow Faith and Freedom joins with allies, partners, and friends around the world to recognize International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
We can pause to recognize the work that has been done to date – but we must also acknowledge the essential, inclusive work that still needs to be done and recommit ourselves to ensuring a future that is safe and equitable for those of all races.
At RFF, we continue to advocate for those who experience discrimination and persecution at individually-experienced intersections of race, faith, gender, and sexual identity. This is not an effort we take lightly and one to which we are fully committed.
We encourage all in our communities to stand up together against racial discrimination and to move forward in their lives with a commitment to values of respect, diversity and inclusion.
The Vatican's Comments on Same-Sex Unions
We are disappointed to learn of the statement issued this week by the Vatican, with the assent of The Pope, that the Catholic Church cannot bless same-sex unions.
While we applaud the assertion that this statement does not preclude providing blessings to 2SLGBTQ+ individuals, we find it unfortunate and disheartening that the loving relationships and unions of so many in our community who have struggled with the intersection of their faith and their sexuality “cannot be considered licit.”
The statement further asserts that blessings cannot be given to those in relationships and unions outside the Church’s traditional definition of marriage, regardless of their sexuality. We must all come to recognize that loving relationships take many forms and should not be discounted for non-adherence to particular traditions.
The statement issued by the Vatican raises concerns about the use of these words to potentially further discrimination and persecution against those in same-sex relationships and unions, both by religious institutions and traditionally-minded organizations and communities. In particular, referring to one’s relationship as a “sin” can only serve to drive a more powerful wedge between LGBTQ2S+ people of faith, their families, and their religious communities.
We implore the Vatican and leadership and members of the Catholic Church, as well as all other institutions of faith and worship, to recognize and celebrate the lives and the love of LGBTQ2S+ people throughout the world.
Queer Devotions: Queer Pedagogies with Hannah Maitland
Hannah Maitland, a York University PhD student and activist, is on the podcast this week to talk about queer pedagogies and to offer actionable steps which enable to hear each other better and learn from our mistakes in tough conversations!
Hannah has another role with the Queer Devotions podcast - she is helping to produce our special series, Resisting the Script 25+ Years of Queer Activism, which we are very excited to share with you soon!
You can listen to the full episode on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. THANK YOU for supporting Queer Devotions!!!
Resisting the Script: 25+ Years of Queer Activism - COMING SOON!
We have no new Queer Devotions podcast episode this week … because we’re busy working on something major!
RFF is proud to announce our partnership with OUT of the CLOSET Lecture Series and New Horizons in joint support of the special series, "Resisting the Script: 25+ Years of Queer Activism," as part of our Queer Devotions podcast.
In the coming weeks, we will hear from queer activist icons about how they first came to activism and went on to build networks of political change.
Subscribe to Queer Devotions on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts, and stay tuned for episodes with such special guests as Rev. Dr. Cheri DiNovo, Anthony Muhammad and Nicole Tanguay!
International Women's Day 2021
On March 8th, 2021, Rainbow Faith and Freedom joins in the celebration and recognition of International Women’s Day.
Today is about recognizing, elevating and advancing the social, economic, cultural, political and personal achievements of women around the world.
As we recognize this important day, we emphatically join the call for gender equality and a future for this world’s women that is free from stereotype, misogyny and violence.
We ask everyone, today and every other day of the year, to continue their efforts to create workplaces, social settings, cultural hubs, homes and houses of worship that are equitable and inclusive, recognizing the achievements and contributions of women everywhere.
This year, in particular, we celebrate with gratitude the countless women around the world who have been on the frontlines of the battle against COVID-19 as scientists, doctors, educators, caregivers and decision-makers. We further recognize that many of these women have made invaluable contributions with compensation significantly lower than that of their male counterparts. We call for a future where this disparity is no longer a reality.
We believe women. We stand with women. We support women.
LGBT+ Rights Centre Raid & Closure in Ghana
Rainbow Faith and Freedom’s Statement on the LGBT+ Rights Centre Raid & Closure in Accra, Ghana
In recent days, a newly opened community centre for LGBTQ2S+ people in Accra, the capital city of Ghana, was forced to close after governmental and religious pressure led to protests and police raids.
The “LGBT+ Rights Centre” in Accra opened its doors in January of this year and last week was raided and shut down by security forces for being “at variance” with Ghana’s laws prohibiting same sex relationships and activities.
Traditional leaders in the area have threatened to burn down the facility and Ghana’s Catholic Bishops’ Conference issued a statement, calling on the country’s government to shut down the centre and condemning “all those who support the practice of homosexuality.”
RFF joins the growing chorus of international voices that is calling for change and equality in Ghana. We strongly believe that the rights of all citizens in all nations, whatever their gender identity, sexual orientation, or religious beliefs, must be protected and ensured. Every member of the LGBTQ2S+ community in Ghana should be entitled to feel safe and accepted.
We call on the Ghanaian government to amends its outdated and prejudicial laws that unjustly target members of the LGBTQ2S+ community in Accra and throughout the country.
You can follow #GhanaSupportsEquality on social media for updates on the evolving situation in Accra.
Religious-Based Homophobia and the Role it's Playing Around the World
While it is certainly true that discrimination against LGBTI people has existed in every segment of society, e.g., the legal, medical and educational professions, political leadership, and faith communities, we make this point to emphasize that religion alone has not been the problem. However, all of the world’s major religions share compassion as a major value and it would be reasonable to say that religion should be held to a higher standard. We need to practice what we preach.
In Canada, public opinion polls have shown that historically there have been two groups opposed to LGBTI human rights, and therefore LGBTI inclusion. The first is people who say they don’t know anyone who’s gay or lesbian, and because they don’t know anyone, they can believe the stereotypes and the lies. However, as people come out to family and friends and co-workers, the percentage of people who say they don’t know anyone who is gay has gone down, and our support has gone up. This reinforces the importance, and indeed, the power, of coming out, and it emphasizes the contribution that each brave individual has made to the advancement of human rights and inclusion. I once spoke to a group of grade 7 and 8 students and was asked by a young girl, “how can people say they don’t know anyone who is gay, there’s Will and Grace and Ellen.” This indicates how important public figures are in addition to family members, friends, and others who are known to be LGBTI. The second group that has historically been opposed is people who are opposed for faith-based reasons. The challenge faced by the world’s major religions is that they base their faith on sacred writings that were written thousands of years ago when there was not the depth of understanding of sexual orientation, gender expression or gender identity that we have today. Can you imagine if we based our legal or medical system on books written two thousand years ago?
Opposition to LGBTI human rights and inclusion in Canada is now predominantly faith-based. Research done by Outright Action International suggests that opposition to LGBTI inclusion in faith-based communities exists in almost every part of the world, although there are some regional variations, such as in Asia, where it’s more due to “family honour” and culture rather than religion or faith. (https://outrightinternational.org/reports/global-reach-so-called-conversion-therapy)
But, as I’ve talked to activists from many parts of the world, very consistently and very loudly, they say that the main opposition is religious-based homophobia. Rather than fighting for legislative change, which is important, RFF will be focusing on changing the hearts and minds of people of faith who are opposed to LGBTI human rights and inclusion because of religious based teachings. Our goal is to make families and local faith communities safe.
Queer Devotions: Catholics In Recovery with leZlie lee kam and Lila Pine
This week we are reissuing a very special episode of Queer Devotions!
In the fall of 2020, Brigitte spoke with facilitator and storyteller, leZlie lee kam, and academic and artist, Lila Pine, two elders and dear friends who came to know each other through a performance in the Youth Elders Project at Buddies in Bad Times in Toronto.
Describing their shared experiences of being schooled in Catholic institutions and the violent colonialism enacted upon both of their communities, leZlie and Lila reflect on their dual processes of reclaiming spirituality and rejecting the shame of institutionalized Catholicism.
Be sure to enjoy the full episode on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts!