Articles 2022

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Today
Professional Development: A Lawyer in Recovery

Professional Development: A Lawyer in Recovery

  • October 30, 2020
  • Jessie Gomberg

In my recovery from depression and alcoholism, I found purpose in life when I once found none. Once deeply ashamed, I now hope my recovery story can help others.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law, Student Forum
Remembering the Late Master Robert Muir, Beacon of the Bench and Founding Member of SOGIC

Remembering the Late Master Robert Muir, Beacon of the Bench and Founding Member of SOGIC

  • September 20, 2020
  • Teddy Weinstein

The first openly gay Master ever appointed in Canada, Master Robert Muir is remembered by friends and colleagues as a model of professionalism and mentorship whose legacy will live on in the many members of the justice community who benefitted from his thoughtful leadership and instrumental support.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law, Student Forum
Unafraid of Controversy: An Interview with Douglas Elliott

Unafraid of Controversy: An Interview with Douglas Elliott

  • June 27, 2020
  • Teddy Weinstein

In the second article in a series celebrating SOGIC’s 25th anniversary, Douglas Elliott, one of the section’s first co-chairs, talks about his part in producing lasting change in the fight for equality, from his time working on the OBA’s report on AIDS, up to the final decisive vote in Mont Tremblant that created SOGIC’s national section.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law, Student Forum
SOGIC at 25: Reflections from Two Former Chairs

SOGIC at 25: Reflections from Two Former Chairs

  • March 13, 2020
  • Teddy Weinstein

The Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Community (SOGIC) is celebrating 25 years at the forefront of LGBTTIQ2S advocacy in Canada. Founded during World AIDS Day, 1994, SOGIC now has chapters and representatives in every Canadian Province. In the first in a series of articles featuring retrospectives of the group’s founding and work, former SOGIC Ontario Branch (OBA) chairs, Chris Ellis and Paul Saguil reflect on their involvement.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law, Student Forum
Sex Ed Reform: An Unfinished Business

Sex Ed Reform: An Unfinished Business

  • November 06, 2019
  • Marcus McCann, author; Lilia Azatian, editor

The unsettling truth is that the fight over Ontario’s 2015 sexual health curriculum was a fight over a very imperfect document. People expect a lot of a sex ed document: it’s supposed to touch on a broad range of topics, including anatomy, gender, sexual intercourse, birth control, online safety, relationships, and bullying. Some of these are sensitive subjects. Ideally, the curriculum should capture the social realities facing today’s students, and prepare them for the world they live in.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law, Student Forum
<em>All Families Are Equal Act</em>: How Did We Get Here?

All Families Are Equal Act: How Did We Get Here?

  • April 25, 2019
  • Lilia Azatian

"The Court should never be influenced by the weather of the day, but inevitably they will be influenced by the climate of the era." - Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Family Law, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law, Student Forum

Indigenous Two Spirited People: Program Review and Highlights

  • December 13, 2018
  • Alissa Saieva

On November 12, 2018, the OBA's Aboriginal Law Section and its Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Committee co-hosted a program focusing on the experiences of Indigenous Two Spirited people, bringing together a learned panel with an unparalleled level of knowledge, experience, and expertise to the program that was well received by its over 50 online and in-person attendees. The panel discussed the historical discrimination experienced by Two Spirited people, progress made, and paths forward.

Aboriginal Law, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law, Student Forum

A Clear Affirmation from the Supreme Court of Canada: LGBTQ+ Individuals in the Legal Profession Matter

  • November 02, 2018
  • Adam James and Savannah DeWolfe, authors; Lilia Azatian, editor

In June, the Supreme Court of Canada reinforced the importance of equitable access to legal education in its highly anticipated decisions Trinity Western University v Law Society of Upper Canada and Law Society of British Columbia v Trinity Western University. These decisions reaffirmed the Court’s role as a defender of LGBTQ+ rights.

Constitutional, Civil Liberties and Human Rights Law, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law, Student Forum

Trans inmates: It’s all about respect

  • July 04, 2017

Correctional Service Canada is reviewing its policies relating to gender identity and expression and the CBA’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Community Forum, along with the CBA Criminal Justice Section, made a submission in June to respond to CSC’s proposed policy amendments.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law