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Queer Yukon Society will be holding this year’s Pride events and celebrations in August 2022, with final dates yet to be announced. In doing so, Queer Yukon joins Fierté Montréal, Capital Pride (Ottawa), Calgary Pride and others across Canada in holding a late-summer Pride festival. We recognize that June is still a very important month for our community, and we encourage community members to celebrate Pride Month and Indigenous History Month in ways that feel meaningful to them before joining us in August for the public celebration and events.
We are also saying goodbye to our Executive Director, Joe Wickenhauser. Joe joined Queer Yukon in 2020 as our first permanent employee. Since then, he has led the organization through a tremendous transformation from an all-volunteer Pride committee to an established service-providing organization. “Joe has worked tirelessly to grow this organization since the day he landed in Whitehorse,” says Mona Luxion, Queer Yukon Society Board President. “We want to thank him for the two years he has dedicated to Queer Yukon, and wish him a well-deserved rest and all the best with his next ventures.” Over the past two year, Queer Yukon has been working hard to adapt to the evolving needs of our community, begin advocacy work, and deal with the constant shifts in public health measures regarding the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. We have grown exponentially, hired new staff, and laid the foundations to further develop our programs and events. Renovations on our future community space in downtown Whitehorse are well underway. We are looking forward to taking the next few months to breathe, to complete outstanding projects, to build up our capacity, and to launch an Executive Director search for the next phase of the organization’s journey. For media inquiries, please contact: Mira Sirois (she/they) Communications Manager // Chef des Communications Queer Yukon Society // Société Queer Yukon (867) 393-1344 - mira@queeryukon.com Dear Premier Silver, Mr. Dixon and Ms. White,
We are writing to express our conditional support for Bill 304, the Act to Amend the Education Act also known as the "Safe Spaces" Bill. This bill is an important gesture of support for 2SLGBTQIA+ young people in the territory. At a time when young people in Yukon are experiencing a mental health crisis and 2SLGBTQIA+ youth are under attack globally, we believe it is urgent for young Two Spirit, queer, trans and questioning Yukoners to be shown that they are valid and valued by their government, their schools, and their community. Legislation such as this bill is one piece of the puzzle, and passing the Safe Spaces bill would give desperately-needed hope to young queer, trans and questioning students and their peers. However, passing the bill is not enough. It must be implemented in a way that prioritizes the safety and wellbeing of 2SLGBTQIA+ students. We call on all parties to ensure the law and accompanying policy support and require schools to make all reasonable efforts to ensure the activities are a helpful and constructive presence that promotes a positive sense of self, rather than causes harm. This must include proper training and adequate resources for mentors and facilitators; no tolerance for homophobia, transphobia, or other discrimination on the part of responsible adults; a safe and confidential process for students to raise concerns about the activities or responsible adult, if needed; and consideration given to maintain absolute privacy and not out any student, or share students’ participation with parents/guardians. Nor should any mentor, such as a teacher, be outed without their full consent. Finally, while our schools must be made safe for students, we believe they cannot be the only source of support for 2SLGBTQIA+ young people. We are glad to see that the current wording of the bill makes space for student-led initiatives, and we hope the final law and accompanying policy will continue to make it clear that student-led and third-party activities must not be infringed, even as the schools' role is strengthened. Sincerely, Dr. Mona Luxion (they/them) President, Board of Directors On behalf of the Queer Yukon Society |
About queer yukon societyQueer Yukon Society supports, promotes, and organizes events for the LGBTQ2S+ community and our allies in Whitehorse, Yukon. Officially incorporated in 2018, Queer Yukon has been organizing Yukon Pride since 2013, as well as many other events to bring together LGBTQ2S+ and allied Yukoners to build a strong and vibrant community. Archives
September 2023
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