Articles 2021

Justice Joseph Callaghan is an openly gay judge currently sitting in the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto. He has been sitting on the bench since 2022, after working in the criminal justice since 1995.

In 2023, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Rainbow Alliance Dryden et al. v Webster ruled that the word “groomer,” when used to attack the 2SLGBTQ+ and drag community, is a slur and not protected by Ontario’s anti-SLAPP laws. This article summarizes the decision and how the case accords with the recent decision of Hansman v Neufeld.

This article is an introductory primer to a lawyer's involvement in assisting individuals with their change of name or change of gender marker applications for Ontario documentation.

In 2022, Italy elected Giorgia Meloni as prime minister. Meloni ran on a platform that specifically targeted 2SLGBTQ+ parenting rights. The impact of Meloni's election demonstrates the current risk facing 2SLGBTQ+ rights globally.

In 2023, the Supreme Court of Canada considered a defamation case revolving around the public criticism of transphobic and homophobic comments made by a school board trustee. The decision of Hansman v Neufeld emphasized the importance of counter-speech and recognized the trans community is a marginalized group deserving rights and protections under Canadian law.

I sat down with Joanna Radbord, Kelly Jordan, and Shirley Levitan, three lawyers who were instrumental in developing the All Families Are Equal Act, to talk about how the Act has helped 2SLGBTQ families. Experts in 2SLGBTQ family formation and the laws governing it, they have dedicated their legal practices to understanding and evolving the definition of family in Ontario. For decades, they have helped families navigate legal mazes to secure appropriate recognition for 2SLGBTQ families.

Conversion therapy has been banned in Canada for just over one year. When the ban was introduced, it was heralded as a historic win in protecting 2SLGBTQ+ communities and was generally well-received by the public and advocacy groups. This article provides background information surrounding the criminalization of conversion therapy in Canada and explores some of the criticisms of the ban one year after its implementation.

The access to justice needs of 2SLGBTQ+ communities are significant and the services available to meet those needs vary across the province. This article explores those needs and the ways in which two community leaders and their organizations are working to meet them.