LGBTQ

(Okanagan Regional Library/Submitted)
(Okanagan Regional Library/Submitted)
Renee Merrifield, MLA for the Kelowna-Mission riding and gender equity critic for the BC Liberal Party, is under fire for transphobic Twitter activity. (Black Press Media file photo)

BC Liberals’ gender equity critic called out for promoting transphobic content on Twitter

Renee Merrifield liked a post about transgender bathroom bans, retweeted a post from Jordan Peterson

Renee Merrifield, MLA for the Kelowna-Mission riding and gender equity critic for the BC Liberal Party, is under fire for transphobic Twitter activity. (Black Press Media file photo)
Taliban security personnel carry a damaged bus after a roadside bomb blast in Mazar-e Sharif, the capital city of Balkh province, in northern Afghanistan, Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022. A Taliban official says that a roadside bomb went off near a government bus in northern Afghanistan, killing several people. (AP Photo)

Refugee group says Ottawa will help bring 600 LGBTQ Afghans to Canada

Immigration department would not confirm the move, citing security risks

Taliban security personnel carry a damaged bus after a roadside bomb blast in Mazar-e Sharif, the capital city of Balkh province, in northern Afghanistan, Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022. A Taliban official says that a roadside bomb went off near a government bus in northern Afghanistan, killing several people. (AP Photo)
St. Paul's United Church will host new group aimed at helping LGBTQ2+ connect. (Courtesy of St. Paul's United Church)

Sidney church to host support group for LGBTQ+ seniors

St. Paul’s United Church aims to fill gap in providing LGBTQ+ seniors with resources and information

St. Paul's United Church will host new group aimed at helping LGBTQ2+ connect. (Courtesy of St. Paul's United Church)
Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly speaks during a news conference to announce Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy, in Vancouver, on Sunday, November 27, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Joly seeks reprimand of Russian ambassador as embassy tweets against LGBTQ community

Embassy posted images of a crossed-out rainbow flag and Orthodox icons of Adam and Eve

Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly speaks during a news conference to announce Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy, in Vancouver, on Sunday, November 27, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Host Brooke Lynn Hytes is pictured with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who made an appearance on the Friday, Nov. 25 episode of “Canada’s Drag Race: Canada vs. the World.” THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Bell Media/Crave
Host Brooke Lynn Hytes is pictured with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who made an appearance on the Friday, Nov. 25 episode of “Canada’s Drag Race: Canada vs. the World.” THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Bell Media/Crave
People take photos with the official FIFA World Cup Countdown Clock on Doha’s corniche, in Qatar, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. Carrie Serwetnyk, the first woman inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame, is in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup and says the tournament is “still trying to find its joy.” THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Nariman El-Mofty

LGBTQ and other rights issues at World Cup a ‘huge blemish’ on FIFA: Hall of Famer

‘I also think the Middle East deserves a World Cup’: Serwetnyk

People take photos with the official FIFA World Cup Countdown Clock on Doha’s corniche, in Qatar, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. Carrie Serwetnyk, the first woman inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame, is in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup and says the tournament is “still trying to find its joy.” THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Nariman El-Mofty
Protesters and counter-protestors shared their polarizing views on the contentious SOGI 123 curriculum at the B.C. Legislature in 2018. (Keri Coles/Black Press file)

What really is the SOGI 123 resource in British Columbia schools?

Q&A on the LGBTQ anti-bullying program with ARC Foundation’s national program manager

Protesters and counter-protestors shared their polarizing views on the contentious SOGI 123 curriculum at the B.C. Legislature in 2018. (Keri Coles/Black Press file)
Crime tape is set up near a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colo. where a shooting occurred late Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert)

Gunman kills 5 at U.S. gay nightclub, subdued by patrons: police

Shooting marks 6th mass killing this month in U.S.

Crime tape is set up near a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colo. where a shooting occurred late Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert)
(Ted Eytan/Flickr)

Advocacy groups raising concerns about ‘anti-trans’ school board trustee candidates

More candidates than usual spreading divisive rhetoric, groups say

(Ted Eytan/Flickr)
FILE - This Netflix logo appears on a tablet in North Andover, Mass., Jan. 17, 2017. Gulf Arab countries on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022, asked Netflix to remove “offensive content” on the streaming service, apparently targeting programs that show gays and lesbians. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)

Gulf Arab nations ask Netflix to remove ‘offensive’ videos

Saudi state television aired a segment suggesting Netflix could be banned in the kingdom

FILE - This Netflix logo appears on a tablet in North Andover, Mass., Jan. 17, 2017. Gulf Arab countries on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022, asked Netflix to remove “offensive content” on the streaming service, apparently targeting programs that show gays and lesbians. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces federal funding for LGBTQ communities in Ottawa on Sunday, August 28, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle

VIDEO: Canada invests $100M into ‘historic’ action plan for LGBTQ2S+ communities

75 per cent of the funding will go toward community organizations

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces federal funding for LGBTQ communities in Ottawa on Sunday, August 28, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle
Flanked by Coun. Carl Jensen (left) and Coun. Zeb King, Mayor Ryan Windsor cuts a ribbon July 20 to open the rainbow crosswalk near Bayside middle school. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)

LGBTQIA2S+ community receives signal of support from Central Saanich

Rainbow crosswalk at Bayside follows painting of benches at other area schools

Flanked by Coun. Carl Jensen (left) and Coun. Zeb King, Mayor Ryan Windsor cuts a ribbon July 20 to open the rainbow crosswalk near Bayside middle school. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)
Black Press was among the organizations taking place in the 2022 Victoria Pride Parade, the first in-person parade after two year of online celebrations. (Black Press Media/Facebook)

Greater Victoria marches for Pride on new parade route

First in-person parade after 2 years of online celebration saw tens of thousands of spectators

Black Press was among the organizations taking place in the 2022 Victoria Pride Parade, the first in-person parade after two year of online celebrations. (Black Press Media/Facebook)
Toronto-based graphic designer Dylan Horner is shown in this undated handout photo. Horner says a lot of the marketing campaigns he’s come across during Pride month make him cringe. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Dylan Horner *MANDATORY CREDIT*

Corporate Pride campaigns are back. But advocates want more than ‘rainbow washing’

Public displays of support need to be backed up by action in other 11 months of year, say advocates

Toronto-based graphic designer Dylan Horner is shown in this undated handout photo. Horner says a lot of the marketing campaigns he’s come across during Pride month make him cringe. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Dylan Horner *MANDATORY CREDIT*
FILE - This image released by Disney/Pixar shows character Buzz Lightyear, voiced by Chris Evans, left, and Alisha Hawthorne, voiced by Uzo Aduba, in a scene from the animated film “Lightyear,” releasing June 17. The United Arab Emirates on Monday, June 13, 2022, banned the upcoming Pixar animated feature “Lightyear” from showing in movie theaters amid reports that the film includes a kiss between two female characters. (Disney/Pixar via AP, File)

United Arab Emirates bans Pixar’s ‘Lightyear’ from showing

Animated Disney movie includes a female character kissing her female partner

FILE - This image released by Disney/Pixar shows character Buzz Lightyear, voiced by Chris Evans, left, and Alisha Hawthorne, voiced by Uzo Aduba, in a scene from the animated film “Lightyear,” releasing June 17. The United Arab Emirates on Monday, June 13, 2022, banned the upcoming Pixar animated feature “Lightyear” from showing in movie theaters amid reports that the film includes a kiss between two female characters. (Disney/Pixar via AP, File)
Tyler Green marches into Nanaimo’s Maffeo Sutton Park twirling an LGBTQ rainbow love heart flag and a Canadian rainbow flag on June 12 for the Nanaimo Pride Society’s Pride Festival. (Mandy Moraes/News Bulletin)

Nanaimo shows off its colours at Pride celebration

Walk-and-roll event leads hundreds of people to festival at Maffeo Sutton Park on June 12

Tyler Green marches into Nanaimo’s Maffeo Sutton Park twirling an LGBTQ rainbow love heart flag and a Canadian rainbow flag on June 12 for the Nanaimo Pride Society’s Pride Festival. (Mandy Moraes/News Bulletin)
LGBTQ supporters wave their flags to show support for students going to school at East Wiltshire School in Cornwall, Prince Edward Island on Monday June 14, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Morris

Police say Canadian threatened to commit mass shooting at Florida LGBTQ event

Canadian authorities have charged 17-year-old suspect with threatening to commit a mass shooting

LGBTQ supporters wave their flags to show support for students going to school at East Wiltshire School in Cornwall, Prince Edward Island on Monday June 14, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Morris
Nanaimo Pride Society president, Ajay Booth, stands at the rainbow crosswalks in Nanaimo’s downtown on May 31. The society will hold a festival at Maffeo Sutton Park on Sunday, June 12. (Mandy Moraes/News Bulletin)

No parade, but plenty more planned for Pride Month in Nanaimo

Festival celebrating acceptance and respect for LGBTQ community set for Maffeo Sutton Park June 12

Nanaimo Pride Society president, Ajay Booth, stands at the rainbow crosswalks in Nanaimo’s downtown on May 31. The society will hold a festival at Maffeo Sutton Park on Sunday, June 12. (Mandy Moraes/News Bulletin)
Greater Victoria has the highest proportion of trans and non-binary folks in Canada, home to about one million people who self-identify as LGBTQ2+. Shown is the crowd from the 2018 Victoria Pride parade. (Photo courtesy of Victoria Pride Society)

LGBTQ2+ community of 1 million in Canada continue to face serious obstacles

LGBTQ2+ Canadians three times more likely to report being assaulted in 2018

Greater Victoria has the highest proportion of trans and non-binary folks in Canada, home to about one million people who self-identify as LGBTQ2+. Shown is the crowd from the 2018 Victoria Pride parade. (Photo courtesy of Victoria Pride Society)