Nov 24, 2020: Launch Day Land Acknowledgement with Hazim Ismail
Facebook Group with Call to Action Video:
https://www.facebook.com/wetsuwetenstrong/
System Fail: Landback Video
https://www.facebook.com/199700056830375/videos/270046671073633/
Wet'suwet'en Supporter Toolkit
https://unistoten.camp/supportertoolkit2020/
Film Screening by Settlers Taking Action, of 'Invasion':
The Tyee Article on Wet'suwet'en
https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2020/02/06/Wetsuweten-Raids-Canada-Chooses-Colonialism-Again/
Haven't yet registered yet? Go to this link and get your free ticket: https://rff.salsalabs.org/faithincrisis/index.html.
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Learn more on our website: https://www.rainbowfaithandfreedom.org/
Nov 20, 2020: Becoming an Elder in the Trans Community with Activist Susan Gapka
Today, I get to speak with the legendary Susan Gapka, who has fought long and hard for trans rights in Canada. With her characteristic wit and humour, Susan discusses her upbringing, early refusal of organized religion and the status quo, and her process of coming out and coming to trans politics in Toronto. Susan will join us for launch week on Thursday, November 26th to discuss spirituality and aging at 11 am on a panel with elder leZlie Lee Kam and moderated by the great Ty Sloane.
Haven't yet registered yet? Go to this link and get your free ticket: https://rff.salsalabs.org/faithincrisis/index.html
Read more about Susan here: https://ilga.org/trans-steering-committee-North-America
Like us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/rainbowfaithandfreedom
Learn more on our website: https://www.rainbowfaithandfreedom.org/
Susan Gapka is a dedicated campaigner for social justice highlighting her record on affordable housing, homelessness, mental health, harm reduction & lesbian, gay, bisexual & trans issues since coming out as a community leader 20 years ago.
As founder and chair of the Trans Lobby Group Susan helped lead a lengthy campaign to persuade the Minister of Health to fund Sex Reassignment Surgery for trans people in Ontario, helped change the Vital Statistics Act sex designation so that trans people's legal documents more accurately reflect their lived identity, and amended the Ontario Human Rights Code to include 'gender identity' and 'gender expression'. Susan also help mount a national campaign to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and Criminal Code Hate Crimes to include protections for gender identity and gender expression .
Susan has served on the Toronto Local Advisory Committee & as Toronto representative on the National Consumer Panel of the At Home/Chez Soi Research Demonstration Project, the Housing Component for the Mental Health Commission of Canada.
She also served on the Board of Pride Toronto which hosted World Pride 2014 and is past Fierté Canada Pride's Central Regional Director for Ontario.
Susan has been employed at The 519 since 2015 in the Education
Department as an Education and Training facilitator. She was elected
to CUPE Ontario Pink Triangle Committee in December 2017 and appointed
to CUPE National Pink Triangle Committee in January 2018. In June 2019
she was elected to CUPE Ontario Executive Board as the Pink Triangle
representative.
Susan has a degree in Political Science from York University & a
diploma in Community Work from George Brown College.
Nov 19, 2020: How Can Faith Communities Affirm and Validate Trans Identities? With Susan Gapka
Legendary activist Susan Gapka joins Queer Devotions on Friday, November 20th. In this exclusive clip, listen to how Susan describes faith communities can actively welcome and make space for trans folks. This includes focusing on a core part of what an organization can offer: ceremonies and memorials that commemorate people as they are.
Nov 18, 2020: Faith in Crisis: The Future of Fighting Faith-Based LGBTQ2S+ Discrimination with Dr. Brent Hawkes
Why is now the time to centralize the fight against faith based LGBTQ2S+ discrimination? In this conversation, Dr. Brent Hawkes lays out his vision for the future and the impetus for founding Rainbow Faith and Freedom.
Dr. Brent Hawkes - founder and executive director of Rainbow Faith and Freedom, was a pastor at the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto for 40 years. Brent has been at the forefront of ministry to the LGBTI community. On January 14, 2001, he officiated at the first legal same sex marriage in the world. He received the Order of Canada, the Order of New Brunswick and three honorary degrees for his stand on social justice and human rights for LGBTI communities. In February 2019, Brent was appointed to the governing Board of Regents of Mount Allison University. He is the Founder of Rainbow Faith and Freedom, which is working to confront and decrease religious-based LGBTI discrimination around the world.
Register for our Faith in Crisis week here: https://rff.salsalabs.org/faithincrisis
Like us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/rainbowfaithandfreedom
Learn more on our website: https://www.rainbowfaithandfreedom.org/
Nov 16, 2020: Teaser: Decolonizing Gender with Hazim Ismail
Hazim Ismail came to Canada to study psychology at the University of Winnipeg and ended up in the middle of international media storm when they were outed by tabloids in their home country – not only as gay but as an Atheist.
Hazim’s story captivated the LGBTQ2S+ community in Canada as they fought for refugee status, which was eventually granted.
We are lucky to have Hazim joining us for our #FaithInCrisis Launch Week, November 24th to 29th.
Check out this clip from an upcoming RFF podcast in which Hazim Ismail discussions misconceptions of religion and gender – and make plans to join us for #FaithInCrisis Launch Week by registering for free at http://rff.salsalabs.org/faithincrisis/
Nov 13, 2020: A Pastor in the Fight for LBGTQ2S+ Justice: Who is Dr. Brent Hawkes?
Meet Dr. Brent Hawkes - founder and executive director of Rainbow Faith and Freedom, who was a pastor at the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto for 40 years. Brent has been at the forefront of ministry to the LGBTI community. On January 14, 2001, he officiated at the first legal same sex marriage in the world. He received the Order of Canada, the Order of New Brunswick and three honorary degrees for his stand on social justice and human rights for LGBTI communities. In February 2019, Brent was appointed to the governing Board of Regents of Mount Allison University. He is the Founder of Rainbow Faith and Freedom, which is working to confront and decrease religious-based LGBTI discrimination around the world.
Register for our Faith in Crisis week here: https://rff.salsalabs.org/faithincrisis
Like us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/rainbowfaithandfreedom
Learn more on our website: https://www.rainbowfaithandfreedom.org/
Nov 5, 2020: Teaser: What Inspired Rainbow Faith and Freedom? With Dr. Brent Hawkes
Rainbow Faith and Freedom Executive Director and founder, Rev. Dr. Brent Hawkes, talks about the origins and goals of the organization.
These goals have led to the development of our “Faith In Crisis” resource portal which will be introduced during our Launch Week program starting on November 24th.
Register now for our virtual Launch Week programming at https://rff.salsalabs.org/faithincrisis/ and learn more about us at https://www.rainbowfaithandfreedom.org/