Articles 2022

Aujourdʼhui
Aujourdʼhui
photo of Sebastian Commock

A Place to Belong: justice for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities

  • 24 février 2023
  • Kirsti Mathers McHenry (she/her)

The 519 has been a beacon for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities for decades. Offering programs, space, and leadership, The 519 supports and cultivates our communities in myriad ways. Many of us have attended parties, workshops, planning sessions, and lectures at The 519. As Sebastian Commock (he/him), manager of legal initiatives at The 519, says, it’s a place that “feels like home – a place I belong.”

Orientation et identité sexuelles, Student Forum
Head-shot photo of David Alli

David Alli: A Beacon for Future Black Legal Professionals

  • 23 février 2023
  • Tamara J. Sylvester (one/they/them)

We’ve already made history; the Black community’s contribution to Canadian society is undeniable and indelible. The focus is on the future and ensuring that Black futures are bright. David S. Alli, Ontario’s first Black Queer legal partner, signals a new dawn, a new day, and a new light for Black students and lawyers aspiring to the upper echelons of the legal profession.

Orientation et identité sexuelles, Student Forum
photo of Aidan Johnson

Steeped in Social Justice from a Young Age, Aidan Johnson Continues to Find Inspiration Working in Ontario’s Community Legal Clinic System

  • 18 novembre 2022
  • Kirsti Mathers McHenry

In 2018, as a newly minted executive director, Aidan Johnson’s first task was to facilitate the merger of two established legal clinics into one, larger, entity that would respond to the legal needs of poverty-affected Ontarians in the Niagara region. Johnson didn’t know it at the time, but the formal merger would happen only one year before COVID-19 – and the onset of a whole new set of challenges, tied to the pandemic.

Orientation et identité sexuelles, Student Forum
photo of author Julie DeWolf

Julie DeWolf: an Unsung Legal Hero

  • 18 novembre 2022
  • Tamara J. Sylvester (one/they/them)

It is often said that “the wolf does not walk alone; she always carries her pack.” Indeed, one is left to wonder whether Julie DeWolf, the SOGIC Executive’s outgoing Chair, derives her unwavering commitment to service to the legal and broader community as well as her democratic and affiliative leadership style from her surname!

Orientation et identité sexuelles, Student Forum
Equality rainbow flag in foreground with apartment building behind and person hanging out window waving their own flag

Condos Could Give Queers the Boot! A discussion of the Single Family Rule’s discriminatory impact on the 2SLGBTQ+ Community

  • 18 novembre 2022
  • Kirsti Mathers McHenry (she/her) and Tamara J. Sylvester (one/they/them)

In this article, the authors discuss the discriminatory impact of the Single Family Rule on the grounds of sexual orientation, the HRTO’s unsettled jurisdiction over the issue, and the broader implications for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

Orientation et identité sexuelles, Student Forum
OBA Pride (rainbow flag) logo

Pride Month Statement from SOGIC

  • 01 juin 2022
  • The SOGIC Executive

We note the tragic events in Buffalo, Orange County, Uvalde, and too many more around the world, and recognize the importance of focusing on the unique life experiences of those who live and practice in the far too often precarious space where sexual and racial identity intersect. We note the ongoing struggles of the trans community, particularly those facing oppressive exclusionary laws.

Orientation et identité sexuelles, Student Forum
Illustration of a young black professional holding a clipboard alongside text that reads "Welcome" and "Black Femme Legal"

The Future is Femme, Black Femme Legal!

  • 27 février 2022
  • Tamara J. Sylvester (one/they/them)

Allow me to reintroduce you to Samantha Peters (she/her/they/them) – no stranger to the spotlight. Samantha, who proudly identifies as a black queer femme, was called to the bars of Alberta and Ontario in 2020. In that short time, she has made a palpable impact on the legal profession because of her innovative and rebellious approach to the practice of law and the seemingly fearless way in which she navigates the margins that contemporary Canadian society imposes on her intersecting identities.

Orientation et identité sexuelles, Student Forum
Picture of a individuals neck with a tattoo of They Them

What’s in a Pronoun? Two human rights tribunals find that misgendering in the workplace amounts to discrimination in employment

  • 14 novembre 2021
  • Giovanna Di Sauro (she/her), Tamara J. Sylvester (one/they/them) and Nicky Kim (she/her)

This article summarizes two recent Human Rights Tribunal decisions that, for the first time, considered the issue of misgendering of gender non-conforming employees in the workplace as well as their employers' failure to address their complaints of discrimination seriously or at all. In addition to highlighting the Tribunals' key findings, the article also provides practical tips for organizations in light of these decisions.

Orientation et identité sexuelles, Student Forum

Message from your SOGIC Chair and Vice-Chair

  • 20 septembre 2021
  • Julie DeWolf and Gregory Ko

Julie DeWolf and Gregory Ko, SOGIC chair and vice-chair for 2021-2022, respectively, provide an update on the Section’s activities from last year and a preview of what they have in store this year.

Orientation et identité sexuelles, Student Forum