I have had the pleasure of serving as the Chair of the Section for the 2022-2023 term and as my term ends, I wanted to reflect on the year and the Section’s accomplishments.
I am very proud to report that the diversity of our 2SLGBTQI+ community was well-represented amongst our executive members and officers this term. Our members remained passionate and engaged in the various initiatives we had this term. I would like to highlight a few:
I would be remiss not to recognize the dedication and support of our amazing CBA staff: Véronique Morissette, Madison Coulas and Julie Davignon.
Last, and certainly not least, I am proud of the Section’s commitment to revitalizing the Section’s name to better reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. I look forward to continuing my work with the Section under our new banner: Sexual and Gender Diversity Alliance (SAGDA) / Alliance de la diversité sexuelle et des genres (ADSG) and I hope that you continue to remain involved.
Thank you. Merci. Miigwetch
Hossein Moghtaderi (he/him)
Join us at PRISME 2023 – August 4-5, 2023
We are excited to announce that our Section will co-host the social event at PRISME 2023, organized by the Canadian Association of 2SLGBTQI+ Lawyers (CALL). PRISME brings 2SLGBTQI+ lawyers and law students together to network, learn about pressing issues facing our communities and to share knowledge.
This year, the PRISME Conference will be held in the vibrant city of Montreal, QC. As a sponsoring partner, our Section is delighted to invite you to join us for this extraordinary event. We are proud to share that our very own Hossein Moghtaderi is scheduled to present at the conference!
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to meet in person! Join us at the conference social, co-hosted by our Section on Saturday, August 5, 2023 at l’idéal bar & contenus.
Name Change: SOGIC is now SAGDA!
CBA SOGIC is now CBA SAGDA! After lengthy consultation with our stakeholders, and approval by the CBA Board, the national executive committee of SOGIC has decided to change its name to one that more accurately reflects the diversity within the 2SLGBTQI+ legal community: Sexual and Gender Diversity Alliance Section (SAGDA) / Alliance de la diversité sexuelle et des genres (ADSG).
The Executive initially discussed issues with the current name during a national executive meeting in the fall of 2021. The key criticism was that the SOGIC name was not flexible enough to keep up with the evolving vocabulary used within our community. For example, SOGIC did not specifically include gender expression or sex characteristics. In response to this criticism, the national executive created a working group to explore options for changing the Section’s name to be more inclusive. The working group initiated a consultation process that spanned approximately 10 months.
The working group reported its progress and findings from the consultation process to the national Section executive in late fall 2022 and, together with the national Section executive, developed a ballot question that canvassed the more popular options for new names in December 2022. Voting concluded on January 20, 2023, with 19 out of 20 voting members responding. SAGDA / ADSG won with a majority (63%) on the first ballot.
The CBA Board subsequently approved and formalized our Section’s new name, which will come into effect on September 1, 2023. As an equity-seeking Section, we are proud to have a name that embraces the communities we serve and represent.
President’s Dinner: HERO Award Recipients
At this year’s President’s Dinner on June 21, our Section was proud to announce the winners for the 2022 and 2023 HERO Awards. Read more about the deserving winners below.
2022 HERO Award Recipient: Samuel Singer (pronouns: he/him)
Professor Samuel Singer has dedicated his career to advancing the cause of equality for 2SLGBTQI+ people. While many of his specific interests and academic contributions relate to transgender rights, Professor Singer consistently stands out as a leader in both the legal profession and numerous communities across Canada for his work furthering 2SLGBTQI+ rights and improving quality of life for members of our communities.
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Professor Samuel Singer with CBA President Steeves Bujold
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2022 HERO Award Recipient: Tuma Young, KC (pronouns: nekm)
Tuma Young exemplifies excellence in the Canadian legal profession. In the early ’90s, before law school, nekm worked as a HIV/AIDS outreach worker for the American Red Cross. Since then, among many laudable contributions, nekm co-founded the Wabanaki Two Spirit Alliance (W2SA), an organization dedicated to advancing the emotional, spiritual, mental and physical well-being of two spirits and other Indigenous LGBTQIA+ individuals.
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Tuma Young, KC with CBA President Steeves Bujold
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2023 HERO Award Recipient: Adrienne Smith (pronouns: they/them)
Adrienne Smith is a leader in securing systemic change. Their advocacy has led to genderless birth certificates in BC, improving access to gender affirming medical care, and establishing the precedent that deliberate misgendering of non-binary employees is an egregious violation of human rights law. Adrienne also provides invaluable support to several 2SLGBTQI+ causes, including West Coast LEAF, Trans Care BC, and the trans law clinic at the Catherine White Holman Wellness Centre.
Thank you,
CBA Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Community Section Executive