MESSAGE FROM OUR INCOMING CHAIR
On my 10th anniversary of volunteering with both the OBA/CBA, it is my pleasure to serve as CBA SOGIC’s Chair for the upcoming term along with a passionate and dedicated Executive Committee.
When I moved to Canada from Iran in 2006, I was ecstatic about rebuilding my life in a free and equitable society built upon the rule of law. However, never did I imagine, in my wildest dreams that I would have the opportunity to impact my profession and community as a proud gay man. And what a journey it has been!
As we look towards the coming year, I am delighted to announce that we will be hosting our first virtual symposium LGBTQ2S+ Rights in Canada: The Past, The Present, The Future. We also have several ongoing advocacy initiatives which you will hear about in due course. I invite all of you who can, to please make an effort to attend this year’s programs.
Moreover, I look forward to collaborating closely with CBA President, Steeves Bujold and supporting his priorities including work on improving diversity within the legal community and addressing the needs of the members of the LGBTQ2S+ community, in particular non-binary and trans people.
I would be remiss not to salute the many brave women and men who have taken to the streets across Iran to peacefully protest the many injustices they face and demand freedom, equity and justice, including the elimination of the inhumane death penalty imposed on members of the LGBTQ+ community.
2021/2022 HERO AWARD RECIPIENTS
The CBA National SOGIC Section has selected two co-recipients for its annual Hero Award for the 2021/2022 term! The award recognizes legal professionals who are members of the LGBTQ2SI+ community and who have advanced the cause of equality for those communities through their work and who, through excellence in their profession or community, have served as a role model for other members of the LGBTQ2SI+ community.
Professor Samuel Singer is a trans lawyer, researcher, educator, and advocate who is deeply committed to advancing trans justice in Canada. Professor Singer’s advocacy work includes public and judicial education, founding and supervising the Trans Legal Clinic in Montreal, and serving as a co-plaintiff in the ground-breaking Quebec human rights case, Centre for Gender Advocacy v. Attorney General of Quebec. He was the co-editor of the Canadian Journal of Law and Society’s special issue, On the Margins of Trans Legal Change. His article, “Trans Rights Are Not Just Human Rights: Legal Strategies for Trans Justice” won the 2021 Canadian Law and Society Association English Article Prize.
Assistant Professor Tuma Young is a survivor of Indian day schools and became the first Mi’kmaq-speaking lawyer in Nova Scotia. Tuma spearheaded successful efforts to modernize the supplies of the American Red Cross in Maine’s Migrant Blueberry Camps as an HIV/AIDS outreach worker during the 1990’s, helped create and foster a safe space for difficult discussions regarding HIV/AIDS for the Union of Nova Scotia Indians, and co-founded the Wabanaki Two Spirit Alliance. Tuma prefers the use of nekm, a Mi’kmaw word meaning he and she, rather than English pronouns.
SAVE THE DATE – FEBRUARY 3, 2023, SOGIC SYMPOSIUM
The Section is pleased to announce that it will be putting on a one-day online symposium.
Right now, we are working to finalize a list of speakers and topics for an excellent program, so make sure to mark February 3rd in your calendars for this sure-to-be-awesome event! If you are interested in volunteering, please reach out.
REGISTER NOW →
DON’T FALL BEHIND ON YOUR PD
You can search webinars by series to pick the best programs that meet your needs. And be sure to check out the CBA’s new Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Series, which is free for CBA members!