Good Day Community! 👋   Today marks International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. This day aims to raise awareness of violence, discrimination, and repression against 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and all those who do not conform to majority sexual and gender norms.     The World Health Organization officially made the decision to declassify homosexuality from its list of diagnosis on May 17th, 1990. This day is celebrated in more than 130 countries including in 37 where homosexuality is still illegal. It is an opportunity to celebrate sexual and gender diversity, and we're proud to show our support as we build an inclusive culture for all our teams at Rogers.   While progress has been made, those in the community are still often still stigmatized. Everyone has the right to feel safe in being their true self and expressing their gender and sexuality freely. The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia gives us an opportunity to reaffirm the equality of 2SLGBTQ+ persons. Every year there is a different theme and this year's theme is "No One Left Behind: Equality, Freedom and Justice for All"   How will you be commemorating this day?   Yours in Community,   FidoJo ... View more

Hello Community!✌   Ensuring that you utilize ones pronoun is the best way to show your support to them and to validate their gender identity. The same way you use a name, a pronoun is a way to affirm your identity and your gender.   By using pronouns, it is a sign of respect. It is important to provide the opportunity to state the current pronoun as it is integral to who we are. Assuming someone's pronouns on factors like appearance can be harmful.   Gender should not be a rigid binary rooted in the sex a person was assigned at birth. We deserve to be validated and using the incorrect pronouns is a form of hostility, also known as a micro-aggression. Gender exists on a spectrum. By using the correct pronouns, it has a direct impact on well being and belonging and can raise one's self-esteem.    Below you will find some examples of pronouns (there are a plethora) that may be used to affirm one's identity:      Knowing and using ones correct pronouns fosters inclusion and makes one feel seen and valued. Gender-neutral pronouns means you are not making assumptions about another person's gender and and or job roles. While pronouns are for everyone, with commonly used pronouns, (he/she) the impact on queer, gender non-conforming, non-binary and transgender people, these pronouns may not fit and cause discomfort, stress and anxiety.   Lets ensure we do our part in making sure that everyone feels heard, seen and respected.   Yours in Community,   FidoJo ... View more

Greetings Pride Community!      On April 10th we invite you to wear pink in solidarity with the 2SLGBTQ+ Community to take action against homophobia, transphobia, discrimination and bullying. The Day of Pink was started in 2007, by two high school students in Nova Scotia who witnessed another student being bullied for wearing a pink shirt. The bullies harassed the boy and threatened to beat him up. The two students, Travis Price and David Shepherd then purchased 50 pink shirts and encouraged peers to arrive at school wearing pink. This act of solidarity spearheaded a change to make their school a safe space for all identities.     Tomorrow, people around the world will wear pink shirts to show their support to the 2SLGBTQ+ Community while we continue to fight for acceptance, equality and inclusion to curate a more diverse world. This story further reminds us to amplify our voices by creating awareness and a call to action to drive change.   Will you be wearing a pink shirt tomorrow?   Feel free to post, comment and join the conversation below!   Yours in Community,   FidoJo ... View more

Hello Pride Community! 👋   In commemoration of Black History Month and International Women's Day, I'd like to shine the spotlight on Ms. Marsha "Pay it no mind" Johnson. A self proclaimed drag queen, and prominent advocate for gay rights. A revolutionary figure in the Stone Wall Riots of 1969.         Born on August 24th, 1945 in Elizabeth, New Jersey to Malcom Michaels Sr and Alberta Claiborne. Johnson was raised alongside 6 siblings. Marsha migrated to New York at age 17 with $15 and a bag of clothes, moving to Greenwich Village in 1966.   A true activist -Johnson was one of the very first drag queens to go to the Stonewall Inn after they began taking business from women and drag queens. Following the Stonewall Riots , she joined the Gay Liberation Front.   On June 28th, 1970, Johnson marched in the first Gay Pride rally. In August 1970, she staged a sit in protest at Weinstein Hall at New York University alongside other GLF members after a dance was cancelled due to it being sponsored by gay organizations.   Marsha established STAR House- a shelter for homeless gay and trans youth alongside Sylvia Rivera in 1970 and paid the rent for it with the money they made themselves as sex workers. She worked to provide food, clothing, emotional support and curated a family for young drag queens, trans women and gender nonconformists and gay street kids.   Johnson's life ended in 1992, during a time when anti-LGBT violence was at a peak in New York City. Marsha was one of the activists who had been drawing attention to the issue, participating in marches and other activism to demand justice for victims, and requesting an inquiry into how to stop the violence.    Let us take the time to remember an icon, a tremendous activist and advocate for human rights.    "No Pride for some of us without liberation for all of us." -Marsha P. Johnson   How did you commemorate Black History Month and or International Women's Day? Feel free to share, comment or post!    Yours in Community,    FidoJo  ... View more

Happy 2024 Pride Community! 👋🎉I hope everyone had a great Holiday Season and that your year has started out just as you envisioned.  With such a long history in Canada, and Pride starting with grassroots protests, my hope for the Pride Community is to ensure the spirit of Pride is present and thriving year round. This bodes the question: What is the History of Pride in Canada? A vital topic to explore, I'd like to highlight some major Canadian events that took place to ensure our liberation in the movement that has come to be.     August 28th 1971:   The very first protests for Gay rights took place in Ottawa and Vancouver amassing roughly around 100 people from Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto and the surrounding areas in the pouring rain at Parliament Hill for Canada's first Gay Liberation Protest and march. Due to the discriminiatory federal laws and policies concerning those in the community, a list of 10 demands for equal rights and protections were made and pursued for decades until the demands were met.   By 1973, Pride events started being held in several Canadian cities including Montreal, Ottawa, Saskatoon, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg. Toronto's Pride weekend is now among the largest Pride events in North America. The first Pride Parade in Canada was unofficially held in Vancouver in 1978. However, it was not until 1981, that the official municipal Pride Parade was held in Vancouver. Vancouver and Montreal hosted the first two official Pride marches and festivals in the country.   June 20th, 1996:    Bill C-33 was passed adding "sexual orientation" to the Canadian Human Rights Act to include sexual orientation among the Act's prohibited grunds of discrimination.   May 19th, 1999:    The Supreme Court rules that same-sex couples have rights to equal treatment and that the Ontario Family Law Acts definition of "spouse" as a person of the opposite sex is unconstitutional.    June 10th 2003:    Michael Lesner and Michael Stark became the first same sex couple to be issued a marriage license and marry in Toronto Ontario after a ruling by the Ontario Court of Appeals. In the next two years, 7 provinces and one terriritory legalize same-sex marriage: B.C, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, New Foundland, Quebec Yukon and New Brunswick.   November 6, 2010:   Angela James, aka "the Wayne Gretzky" of women's hockey was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame becoming the first openly gay player and only the second black athlete to be inducted.    May 5, 2015:   Estefan Cortes-Vargas was the first non-binary politician to be elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta becoming one of three 2SLGBTQ+ people to be elected to the Alberta Legislature.    November 5, 2017:    Julie Lemieux was elected to become the Mayor of Très-Saint-Rédempteur in Quebec. This was the first time a transgender person was elected as mayor in any municipality in Canada.    December 15, 2017:    This day marks Kael McKenzie being appointed to the Provincial Court of Manitoba making him the first transgender person appointed a judge in Canada.    Yours in Community,   FidoJo ... View more