Upcoming Events & Programs for Fall 2011

OPIRG York Presents: Rebel WITH a Cause Film Festival, from Mon, Oct 24th - 28th!

Past Events:

Sept 12 - 15, 2011

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Mon, Sept 12 - 1pm -3pm

Disability, Desire and Desirability

This presentation will be an opportunity for folks with disabilities and our allies to explore together the seldom talked about topic of disability and sexuality from a queer crip perspective.

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(Sorry, this workshop has been cancelled)

Mon, Sept 12 - 4pm - 6pm

HIV/Sexual Health 101 & Crocheting Condom Cases

Come join the fun and learn how to crochet condom cases while talking about HIV/Sexual Health! Facilitated by Empower Youth Toronto.

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Tues, Sept 13 - 3pm - 5pm

Safer Sex Workshop

Join us for a workshop and discussion about safer sex tips and techniques, busting myths about the meaning of safer sex, and talking to your partners about making your sex safer.

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Tues, Sept 13, 6pm - 8pm

Consent Workshop (see facebook CWTP @ York for upcoming details)

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Wed, Sept 14, 2pm - 4pm

Kink 101

BDSM often starts in the world of fantasy, but how do you make it into a reality? This workshop will explore both the private and public facets of BDSM. Kink can become a huge part of your life or an occasional escapade...Come and learn how to take the first step!

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Wed, Sept 14, 6pm - 8pm

Make your very own ShagBag!

Don't know where to keep your gloves, dental dams, condoms, lube and other goodies? Solve this problem by joining us for some sewing and decorating fun! We will make the most fabulous cases for all your sex paraphernalia!

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Thurs, Sept 15, 2pm - 5pm

Sex for Survivors

A workshop about sex for survivors. Come and talk about the ways we can negotiate our sexiness through exploring the links between sex and survivorship. Open to folks of colour, disabled, queer, trans, two-spirited, and allies to learn about negotiating with our partners in ways that are sexy and how we can love ourselves and our bodies.

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*the workshops will center queer folks and sexualities but is open (and useful) to everyone!!
*wheelchair accessible
*snacks and tokens provided
*please pre-register by emailing cwtpyork@gmail.com and let us know if
you have food allergies.
*childcare provided during workshops

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OPIRG @ YORK PRESENTS:

//DISORIENTATION 2011\\

September 22 to September 30th 2011

WORKSHOPS/ DIRECT ACTION/ FILM SCREENINGS/ PANELS
...ALL WELCOME/ ALL EVENTS FREE/PWYC & WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

DisOrientation is a radically different, politically progressive week of
events that will offer all students and community members access,
critical thought and insight into the exciting and political social
justice spheres that exist within and beyond York U.

Schedule of Events:
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*Wednesday September 14th* (Pre-DisOrientation Event)

“Slingshot HipHop”
Sunset (7pm)
York University Commons
Presented by: Toronto Palestine Film Festival

Directed by Jackie Reem Salloum, Slingshot HipHop tells the stories of young Palestinians living in the West Bank, Gaza and inside Israel as they discover Hip Hop and employ it as a tool to surmount divisions imposed by occupation and poverty. From internal checkpoints and Separation Walls to gender norms and generational differences, these young people cross the borders that separate them through music. The documentary was nominated for the 2008 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury prize.

Slingshot HipHop premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and since then, has been screened at various film festivals across the world. In Toronto, the film was screened to a sold-out theatre in the 2008 Toronto Palestine Film Festival where it also won the Audience Choice Award. We're excited to bring the film to York University as part of DisOrientation 2011. See you at the Commons!

*Tuesday September 20th* (Pre-DisOrientation Event)

“Toronto Stop the Cuts Workshop”
3:30pm to 4:30pm
Student Centre RM 307
Facilitated by: Toronto Stop the Cuts Network

We have gone down to city hall to lodge our complaints about the city cuts slated for later this year and have been ignored by our mayor and city council. This workshop will discuss the city cuts within the context of developing a city wide strategy to fight back and keep the services our city needs!
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*Thursday September 22*

“Radical Walking Tour”
12pm – 1:30pm
Meet in front of commons fountain
Tour Guide: Imran Kaderdina

This political history tour attempts to get you on your way to uncovering and developing a historical knowledge of York. York has, is and always will be a contestable space, and is a space that will always need to be fought over. As members of York’s community we are responsible for the actions of the University and holding the University accountable for its actions. Building resistance to inequities produced by and through the university cannot spring from nowhere. The history of successful resistance at York goes back before the first buildings were built or the York University Act was introduced in 1959. Contemporary campaigns, actions, coalitions, and solidarities can be built on this tradition– or historical memory – of resistance and political organization. The tour guides will provide you with a brief history of political actions on campus to help you better understand the politics of education at York University and better strengthen historical memory. The tour will take about 1.5 hours.

“It get’s worse” Teach In
2pm – 3pm
Meet at Vari Hall for location
Facilitated by CWTP at York

This teach-in is intended to provide students with an opportunity to discuss violence on campus and to learn skills to fight back against the misogyny pervading our campus. Using the notion that violence gets worse when it goes unaddressed, the “It Gets Worse” campaign seeks to interrupt the apathy surrounding the alarmingly high number of gendered-based violent incidents occurring on campus and in particular to highlight the administration’s failure to properly address it. In addition to giving folks an opportunity to speak out against violence and the administration’s complacency, the teach-in is intended to teach folks basic self-defense skills, inspire resistance and remind us all of our ability to fight back as a community. We also plan on using the event to launch a year long, multifaceted campaign to take back our campus and confront the culture of gendered violence that currently characterizes this institution.

“Freedom Tour Movie Screening”
3:30pm - 4:30pm
Student Centre RM 307
Film Screening and discussion facilitated by: DAMN

Freedom Tour was created by People First of Canada and the NFB. The documentary was created when the government of Manitoba announced $40 Million to remake the Manitoba Development Centre – The largest institution in Manitoba for people who have been labeled as disabled. The film documents their journey across the Prairie Provinces to contact survivors of the institution and to allow them to tell their stories of life in the institution through their stories, pictures and video. After the screening there will be a facilitated discussion to talk about the history of disabled institutionalization in Canada.

“Tar Sands Kill, Pipelines Spill”
5:00pm - 6:30pm
Student Centre RM. 307

In April 2011, the Lubicon Cree First Nation community of Little Buffalo in Alberta was devastated by an oil spill - the largest spill in the province since 1975 - and over 100 forest fires in the Slave Lake region. Oil and gas development has caused irreversible ecological damage on their territory, grave health hazards, and the ongoing violation of their human and indigenous rights. This workshop will share the history of oil and gas development on Lubicon territory over the past 3 decades, the impacts of the recent oil spill, other examples of community resistance to tar sands, and the unprecedented social and ecological implications of tar sands developments. Finally, we will discuss as a group how we can show solidarity and support to tar sands-impacted communities, including Little Buffalo, from Toronto.
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*Friday September 23rd*

“Vegetarianism as an avenue for social justice”
12pm – 1pm
Student Centre RM 307
Facilitated by the Toronto Vegetarian Association

As a two-part workshop, we begin by motivating a vegetarian diet through a discussion of food security. The second part will be centered on leading a vegetarian diet at York, with recipes and tips and tricks.

“Queering Pop Culture”
1:30pm – 3pm
Student Centre RM 307

Pop culture surrounds *us* in ways that we can’t control. From billboards, to
pop-ups on the websites we surf, or in the public bathrooms we use. With some magazines, a button maker and lots of DIY attitude the presenters would like to examine the possibilities of not just consuming these pop culture products, but really transgressing the buyer-seller (consumer-producer) relationship and reconstructing these images and texts into queer, queer positive, trans, gender dichotomy transgressive, and sex positive texts that intersect with and deconstruct race, religious or class differences.
Buttons are an amazing way to create visibility and altering public space; while creating and reinforcing identity categories. Come out and enjoy an interactive workshop where we can all learn to produce creative and unique buttons. We will be discussing the process of making the buttons, the merits of such buttons and the assumptions we make about these buttons, and culture in general.

“Art for Justice 101 (workshop)”
3pm – 6pm
Student Centre RM. 430

Art For Justice is a new working group of OPIRG-York that aims to bring a radical and progressive approach to art-making within student and community organizing. We utilize different sorts of art not only to provide materials for movement, but also as a movement itself. Art For Justice 101 workshop is the first workshop of the group that will provide participants with basic knowledge of banner-making, silk-screening, and stenciling among many other do-it-yourself of art techniques. This will also be an opportunity to discuss and envision the ways art can bring change at York.

All materials and supplies will provided, but feel free to bring your own. Bring any shirts and fabrics that you would like to use for silk-screening.
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*Monday September 26th*

“Bathroom Politics”
12:30-2:30pm
Student Centre RM 307
Facilitated workshop/discussion/direct action by DAMN

Public Washrooms are spaces where many assumptions of “normalcy” are played out. Typically, public washrooms are designed with cis-gendered, gender-conforming, non-disabled persons in mind. In this event we will discuss who is included and excluded from using public washrooms and then lead an art-activism exercise to challenge the assumptions that are made about washroom space. Finally, our art creations will be placed in and around washrooms on campus in order to provoke thought and dialogue to the broader campus community.

“Media Advancing Movements”
2:30pm -5:30pm
Student Centre RM 307
Facilitated by: CHRY FM

Understanding how media creates and promotes systems of oppression is key to also understanding how it can also be used to embody and promote the values of liberation. This workshop encourages participants to consider various impacts that media has had on them personally as well as on social movements in the 20th century. This workshop is interactive and hands-on!

“Spoken word/soundscape recording workshop”
6pm – 8pm
Student Centre RM. 307
Facilitated by: Lead singer Rosina and instrumentalist Nic from LAL

The workshop is an introduction to spoken word, poetry, sound scape and recording. Participants will get a chance to create a sound scape using collective voices and found sounds. This backing track will be recorded in order to provide the sonics for the spoken word piece(s). The group then will then create spoken word pieces / poetry pieces based on a theme chosen by the group. The final spoken word piece / poetry piece will be recorded over the sound scape and the participants will have an mp3 at the end of the workshop! This workshop attempts to be guided by anti-oppression and feminist philosophies. Nic and Rose also bring in their portable studio for this workshop.
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*Tuesday September 27th*

“Fabric of Violence: Fabricating Change”
12pm – 2:30pm
Student Centre RM 322
Facilitated by THRIVE: Multicultural women against violence and oppression

**THIS WORKSHOP IS FOR WOMEN AND TRANS IDENTIFIED PEOPLE ONLY**

Fabric of Violence: Fabricating Change, uses fabric to create and engage in discussions around issues of violence, freedom through women and trans people’s lived experiences. The workshop will include both a section for discussion and art making. In addition, participants will be able to choose if they would like their artwork that they created to be displayed at a gallery in Toronto on the first day of the days of activism on November 25th 2011. Wheelchair accessible, TTC tokens and Snacks provided.

“The Struggle for Genuine Women’s Liberation in Canada”
2:30pm – 4:30pm
Student Centre RM 313
Facilitated by: Ugnayan ng Kabaatang Pilipino sa Canada/Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance-Ontario

This event will expose the anti-woman, anti-worker and racist Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP), a federal government program being used as the de-facto national childcare program of Canada. It will feature two documentary films, ‘The Nanny Business’ and ‘The Call to Scrap the LCP’. The first film will show the plight of women who toil under this modern-day slavery program. The second film will present the analysis of progressive Filipino Canadian women on the need to scrap the LCP towards genuine women’s liberation.

A public forum will follow after the film screening.

“Students in the labour movement, a pivotal moment”
4:30pm – 5:30pm
Student Centre RM 313

With overbearing costs of education downloaded onto students, alongside austerity measures that continue to attack quality jobs, it is imperative for students and workers to connect their struggles. Many students also experience forms of mistreatment as workers themselves, while workers on campus are fragmented and face substandard conditions. This workshop will explore coalition strategies between students and workers and ways of mobilizing around issues that affect both groups.

“Take it over: The ballot box, the streets and beyond”
5:30pm - 6:30pm
Student Centre RM 307
Facilitated by: York Federation of Students

Whether its slash-and-burn politics at city hall or the skyrocketing costs of attending college and university, it is becoming more and more evident that communities must take action to ignite change. Whether it’s government and public institutions who are willfully ignorant to the social, economic and political ills that face us all, our collective mobilization by and for our communities. This workshop starts from the assumption that communities must organize to take back what is rightfully theirs: from the October 6 provincial elections, to deep cuts at city hall, to the February 1 National Day of Action to Drop Fees, participants will discuss why communities must begin to “Take It Over” and how we can do it!
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*Wednesday September 28th*

“Sex work decrim: get the facts”
12:30pm-2:30pm
Student Centre RM 313

In this workshop we will explore the difference between the legalization and decriminalization of sex work. Looking at current by laws and licensing structures that exist in other sectors of the sex trade we will develop an understanding of what decriminalization could look like in Toronto, it’s impact on diverse groups of sex workers, and ways we can support groups lead by sex workers who wish to take the lead on policy development. We will also provide an understanding of decrim models that currently exist in other countries and give an update on the outcome of the Bedford appeal hearing that happened throughout the week of June 13th.

“CHRY Community Radio tour”
2:30 – 3pm
Student Centre RM 449C
Facilitated by: CHRY 105.5FM

Did you know CHRY 105.5FM Community Radio is based at York U’s Student Centre?
Did you know you can be a part of it? CHRY offers the sounds, voices, music and stories left out of commercial or public radio, and offers hands-on-training to all volunteers. Come to see the CHRY studios for yourself and meet the programmers and staff that make up north Toronto’s only campus-based community radio station.

“No one is illegal: The truth and lies about Canadian immigration”
3pm – 5pm
Student Centre RM 313
Facilitated by: No One Is Illegal (NOII)

Some believe that the Canadian immigration system is fair and generous. It isn’t. And Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney are swiftly making it even worse. Come find the truth about undocumented people living in Canada, and how Canada is responsible for displacing people around the world. Learn how a grassroots group of migrant justice organizers are fighting against deportations, and for justice, freedom and dignity for all. With special guests and videos. http://on.fb.me/NOIIToronto

“Indigenous Resistances and anti-colonial solidarity: Examining race of the Left in Occupied Canada”
6pm-8pm
Student Centre RM 313
Facilitated by: First Nations Solidarity Working Group

This panel will host Indigenous activists from Toronto and the Grand River Territory, along with Indigenous solidarity activists of color. Addressing issues of ongoing colonial/racial violence(s), the panel will work to underline the need for all movements of the Left to begin with an understanding of Canada as an occupied land. Speakers will discus Canada's practices of colonial and racial violence against Indigenous peoples, and will highlight Indigenous struggles against colonialism and for self determination/sovereignty. We will also hear from settler allies who will describe their involvement in Indigenous solidarity work and anti-colonial struggles. Reflecting on the current state of Indigenous solidarity organizing, issues of colonialism, (hetero)patriarchy and racism within the movement will be explored. Presentations by speakers will be followed by a moderated discussion, and members of CUPE 3903 FNSWG will discuss their own organizing work.
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*Thursday September 29th*

“Wen-do Women’s Self Defense”
1pm – 2pm
Student Centre RM 313
Facilitated by: Wen-Do Women’s Self Defense and CWTP at York

We recognize that women and girls already have a wealth of experience in protecting their own safety. We believe that women and trans people can use their bodies effectively, as they are -- older or younger, athletic or not, disabled or non-disabled -- to resist or defuse violent situations. We aim to build on participants' prior knowledge and increase their self-confidence by teaching a variety of awareness, avoidance and verbal self- defense strategies, and simple, practical physical techniques that are designed to be effective even against a larger and stronger attacker. The space is wheelchair accessible and TTC tokens will be provided.

"People's Journalism, building an alternative to capitalist media"
2:30pm to 4:30pm
Student Centre RM 313
Facilitated by: BASICS Free Community Newsletter

We know what capitalist media isn't focusing on internationally. But we sometimes forget what's happening right here in Toronto, in working class and racialized communities: Police brutality, the struggles of immigrants -- and the struggles they leave back at home, class war against working people through cuts, women's struggles, racialized workers being super-exploited in low paying jobs, the ongoing colonization of indigenous peoples, and so on. But how do we cover all that? How do we try to build an alternative to capitalist media in the absence of funds? Get a brief introduction to people's journalism and learn about the different ways you can get involved with BASICS.

“York Divest from Israeli Apartheid NOW!”
5pm-7pm
Student Centre RM 313
Facilitated: Students Against Israeli Apartheid at York

Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) presents a workshop introducing SAIA and the global Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement in solidarity with Palestine. Attendees will be provided with context of the Palestinian struggle for self-determination and the history that led Palestinians to call for BDS. We will focus on the divestment campaign that was launched this past March. This interactive workshop will introduce the divestment campaign and how York is violating international law with their investments in the targeted companies. Learn the truth about Palestine, BDS and find out how to join the growing movement.
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*Friday September 30th*

“A Tribe Called Two Toes/Electric Pow Wow feat LAL and Sho Sho Esquiro Fashion Show”
6:30pm – 2am
The Orange Room - 132 Queens Quay East
19+ Event
Pay What You Can!

A Tribe Called Two Toes: is a collaborative touring effort featuring one of the most exciting music crews in Indian Country – A Tribe Called Red & the fastest rising Native Comedian working in North America today – Ryan McMahon (Clarence Two Toes). Together, they’ve formed a new collective called, “A Tribe Called Two Toes”.
Bursting forth from Canada’s capital, native DJ crew A Tribe Called Red is making an impact on the global electronic scene with a truly unique sound. Made up of three members – two-time Canadian DMC Champion DJ Shub, DJ NDN and Bear Witness – the group has created a signature style called Pow Wow Step, a mix of traditional Pow Wow vocals and drumming with cutting-edge electronic music. They’re known for creating and running the Electric Pow Wow events in Ottawa which showcased native DJ talent and urban aboriginal culture, alongside a wild party. These events, in a sense, are a direct continuation of the ideas surrounding Pow Wow culture, bringing people together to celebrate good music, dance, and most of all to have a good time.

LAL: Vocalist and poet Rosina Kazi and producer Murr, began collaborating on music as LAL in 1998, mucking about with tones of gear and wild poetics. In the early 00’s, they created two politically charged critically-acclaimed albums, Corners (2002) and Warm Belly, High Power (2004). the latter earning them the distinction of ‘2004’s Best Soul Album’ by Canadian music bible Exclaiim! Magazine. They have had extensive radio play on CBC, campus radio and many of their songs appear in Indie media, films and documentaries, including radio show and online site, Democracy Now.
Their newest recording self-titled LAL (to be released Fall 2011), is inspired by the projections of their hopes and their fears into the future. Their fears being that if we as a society keep going along the road we are currently on, we will end up in a very scary place. But their hopes keep their fears in check, and their faith is rock solid in the ability of the human spirit to keep creating midst of struggle. Their dynamic live show is a testament to the glorious exploration of the depths of humanism - building community while ripping apart words, notes, and rhythms, eyes open to the injustice that burrows deep into the fabric of society, and hearts burning with the fire of justice for all.

sho sho esquire: is an Aboriginal fashion designer, artist, and youth worker who's passion is for self-expression through art and fashion. Her clothing has innovative style that blends native american culture with urban life. Her use of vibrant colors and strong passion for hip hop make her work one of a kind. sho sho incorporates recycled fabrics, leathers, furs and every piece is original. Her custom clothing has been worn by various hip hop artist's from immortal technique to indian rights activist and singer song writer buffy sainte marie. sho shos been featured in fashion shoWs and fashion exhibits across north america.


////////////////DISORIENTATION 2011\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

All Welcome! All events are free/pwyc and wheelchair accessible.

For childcare and Accessibility inquiries please email aruna@opirgyork.ca
For more information about OPIRG and DisOrientation: www.opirgyork.ca

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Trans Day of Remembrance:

TRANS DAY OF REMEMBRANCE EVENTS THURSDAY NOVEMBER 18TH 2010
Thursday November 18th from 12pm-6:30pm join us for a day of events on commemorating folks who have been killed by trans phobic violence, condemning transphobia on our campus and celebrating folks who've fought for trans rights! Join us for a round table on trans organizing on campus with Trish Salah, Syrus Ware, Savannah Garmon and Ruth Bramham, an afternoon of crafting and food where we will be making white flags for the vigil and the vigil.

*ROUNDS TABLE DISCUSSION of Trans Organizing on Campuses, Thursday November 18th, 12-2pm*

Location: VANIER COLLEGE SENIOR COMMON ROOM, York University, accessible space
Time: 12-2pm

(scroll down for more information on the round table)

****LUNCH AND CRAFTING, Thursday November 18th, 2-4pm**********
Location:  ROOM 322 Student Centre
Time: 2-4pm

Come help us make flags for the trans day of remembrance vigil!!

****TRANS DAY OF REMEMBRANCE VIGIL, Thursday November 18th, 4:30pm *****
Location: Outside Vari Hall
Time: 4:30pm

Join us as we read the names of those who were killed by transphobic violence, share stories of transphobia that were submitted to us by folks in our community and have an open mic where folks can share experiences, thoughts and feelings. If you want to submit your own experiences in writing email cwtpyork@gmail.com or go to  wwww.transdayofremembrance.wordpress.com.

In addition to commemorating these murders and other acts of violence against trans people, we will be asking folks to make commitments to fighting transphobia on campus by signing up for a trans 101 training offered by the Centre for Women and Trans People or by joining our Trans Ally Committee or Trans Committee to help advocate for more rights and recognition for Trans folks at York.

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Trans Day of Remembrance Round Table

Vanier Senior Common Room, 12-2pm

Join us for a round table discussion on trans organizing in university settings with Trish Salah, Syrus Ware, Savannah Garmon and Ruth Bramham as they discuss their experiences, work and thoughts! Trish Salah is speaking about her experience organizing with the Trans Feminist Action Caucus with CUPE 3903 and the work she's done in creating policy to protect trans union members and to create the Trans Fund Committee. Syrus Ware is talking about his experience working at the CWTP at U of T and transitioning there before the Centre itself had transitioned. Ruth Bramham is discussing her experience as a long time York employee and trans activist and  Savannah Garmon is talking about her experience negotiating many different campuses as a trans woman, and the need for unity and solidarity amongst trans activists. Following their talks we will have a moderated discussion on the current state of trans organizing on campus and how to continue advancing our struggles.

A bit about our speakers!

Dr. Trish Salah: is a Montreal-based writer and a teacher at the Simone de Beauvoir Institute, Concordia University and in the Department of Sociology at Bishops’. She writes poetry, fiction, and criticism and her work has appeared in a wide range of publications, including most recently, Sexing the Maple: A Canadian Source Book, and the online journal Drunken Boat. Recent performance credits include Le Mois de la Performance, GenderCrash, The Scream in High Park: Her Poetics, Cabaret In Transit and Poets Against the War. Her first book of poetry, Wanting in Arabic, was published by TSAR Books in 2002 and she has writing forthcoming in Atlantis and in Canadian Theatre Review.

Dr. Savannah Garmon is presently a postdoctoral researcher in the Chemical Physics Theory Group at the University of Toronto.  She has worked as a teacher and a published researcher during her career in physics.  She is also a writer and an activist on various social and political justice issues, as well as a writer of fiction.  At the University of Toronto she works as an organizer in the campus trans community through the Trans Inclusion Group at the Centre for Women and Trans People.  She received her Ph.D. in physics from the University of Texas at Austin in 2007.

As a visual artist, Syrus has been producing visual art in Toronto and Vancouver for the past 12 years. He works within the mediums of painting, installation and performance art to challenge systemic oppression and to suggest a different view of the world in which he lives. Syrus’ work explores the spaces between and around identities; acting as provocations to our understandings of gender, sexuality and race.

Syrus has a specialist degree in Art History, with a focus in Medieval Art from the University of Toronto and an Honours B.A. in Visual Studies. He holds an MA in Sociology and Equity Studies from the University of Toronto. 

Syrus has worked several years in the fields of community education and advocacy, HIV/AIDS prevention and community education within the Ontario prisoner’s justice community. He is the author of the groundbreaking study “Assessing the HIV/AIDS Service Needs of Trans Communities in Toronto”, published by the AIDS Committee of Toronto in 2004.

From 1998-2002, Syrus was the coordinator of the University of Toronto Centre for Women and Trans People, then known as the U of T Women’s Centre.

Syrus is also a founding member of the Prison Justice Action Committee of Toronto, and helps to organize the Prisoners’ Justice Film festival and Prisoners’ Justice Week. Syrus is a program committee member for Mayworks Festival, and is a past board member of the FUSE magazine.  He has helped to initiate the Trans-Fathers 2B course at The 519 Community Centre, and is a member of the Gay/Bi Trans Men’s HIV Prevention Working Group for the Ontario AIDS Bureau.

Ruth Bramham was born in Birmingham England in 1944, apparently male, by the time she was five she had realised there was something drastically wrong. Growing up in post war England was not the time to reveal she was anything but a boy, something she was sharply reminded of when caught dressing as a girl by her parents.

A verbal skirmish with the family doctor sent her deep into the closet, into marriage and emigration to Canada in 1968. The closet door did not open again until 1977. It nearly closed permanently two years later when, after 18 months of “psychotherapy” at the Clarke Institute Gender Identity Clinic in Toronto, she attempted suicide—obviously unsuccessfully.

 Since then her faith in God has strengthened in leaps and bounds. Coupled with a super-sized dose of patience, she was able to survive through the trials and tribulations of being outed in, and ousted from, her church, then losing her family and friends because she refused to give up the ridiculous notion that she was a woman.

 After a serious illness in late 1992 that nearly killed her, she threw caution to the winds and began full time transition in March 1993. Despite the efforts of the Clarke Gender Clinic to delay her, finally she was sent to the UK for her surgery, paid for by Ontario Government Health Plan, which took place in November 1995. Her journey and second rebirth was complete.

 Living in London Ontario, it was a struggle to maintain her strength and financial independence. During the 1990s recession, she spent 3 years on welfare, unable to find work. Ruth had been trained as a Construction Project Manager, work she really loves. Unfortunately after transition no one would hire her, which eventually led to opening her own business. She only met with minor success. Eventually she moved back to Toronto in 2001. Since then she has had three jobs, twice being forced out after someone discovered she was TS. Consequently, she has struggled to find affordable accommodation, eventually sharing her current home with two other TS women. In 2007 she finally found a welcoming employer in York University where she now coordinates building renovations and accessibility projects as the campus “goes green”. She is also on York U’s SexGen Committee and involved in York’s participation in Pride Toronto.

 Ruth has been involved in trans advocacy work for well over 25 years, usually behind the scenes and avoiding the spotlight. She served two terms as trans representative on the National Council of Affirm United, the United Church’s LGBT support network. She’s now back for a third term as a director.

 Currently she is working to raise the issues of discrimination and ostracism that occur in some congregations of the United Church. The goal is to have the church formally recognize trans people, just as the church recognized and embraced gays and lesbians in 1988. She has been appointed to the Trans/Gender Identity Task Group set up by the UCC General Council last year (2009). Ruth represented Affirm United at the 2007 and 2008 Transgender Religious Summits held at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley California, and again in Washington in 2009. She recently returned from Berkeley having this time represented the United Church at the 2010 conference.

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Leter of apology regarding a performer at the Re-Orientation Cabaret

As some of you may know, The Centre for Women and Trans People (CWTP) at York University hosted a cabaret event (Re-orientation Cabaret: My Sex is Beautiful) on Friday October 1st.

We want to address and apologize for one of our performers’ poetry. One of
the artists performed material that we (and a large portion of the audience and
performers) found offensive, dehumanizing and undermined the theme of the
show, the CWTP’s mandate and many of our constituents. We apologized for
letting this material make it to the stage and for the effects it had on our
audience members and performers.

While we take absolute responsibility for not properly screening our performers
and making sure their work fit our mandate, we want to clarify that the
performer in question participated in the cabaret because he responded to our
open call for performers; he was not actively solicited by the CWTP. Following
this event the CWTP is instituting a practice of going over all performers’
material before they go on stage. We are deeply sorry we failed to do this for
Re-Orientation.

The Centre for Women and Trans People is committed to being trans positive and
anti-racist, and we understand that Re-Orientation failed to uphold this
commitment. We know and believe that trans women are women, not “fallen gay
men,” and we celebrate and respect the diversity of positions and roles trans
women and trans men take in our communities and in society at large, including
those who do sex work, are on welfare, are homeless, and/or use drugs. We also
believe that the adherence to gender norms can be just as radical as their
rejection and neither ought to be policed and/or disparaged. Knowing that
fighting transphobia in straight as well as queer communities is an on-going
battle for trans folks and their allies, we want to acknowledge and apologize
for allowing our show to reinforce transphobic notions. We also want to
underline that we are committed to fostering queer communities that see people
of colour as central to these communities and all their creative processes and
not as exotic add-ons to be put on display and consumed for white pleasure. In
recognition that we live within a white supremacy, we want to acknowledge and
apologize for yet another event that hosted a performer who reinforced the
notion that white people are at the centre of queer communities and people of
colour are to be fetishized and sexualized. While we understand that in
allowing the poetry discussed here to be part of last Friday’s event the
CWTP undermined its commitment to trans positivity and anti-racism, the notions
present in the poetry are not ones we espouse or value, in fact they are ones
we fight against.

We are aware that this incident was deeply triggering for people. We are open
to dialogue, debriefing and generally talking about the event and its
consequences. We offer peer-support at the centre, though we understand some
may not feel comfortable accessing it and we appreciate this. We are also more
than happy to actively support you in seeking appropriate alternatives.

The organizing committee is taking steps to attempt to put into practice our
anti-oppressive mandate and hold the above mentioned performer accountable. We
are in communication with the performer, we are posting this letter of apology
far and wide, (and asking others to forward it to any list-serve that may
service folks who attended the event) and we are not sharing door money from
Re-Orientation with the performer in question.

Once again, one behalf of the Re-Orientation organizing committee and the
Centre for Women and Trans People at York, we apologize. If you attended the
show and do not understand why the poetry in questions is being described as
transphobic and/or racist, please be on touch with us and we will happily
discuss this or provide further reading.

Thank you for your patience in reading this note and thank you for forwarding
it far and wide.

CWTP York, 416-736-2100 x 33484 or
cwtpyork@gmail.com