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Journalism
Xtra Articles
These appeared in Xtra!, a gay and lesbian newspaper based in Toronto. http://www.xtra.ca Their publisher is Pink Triangle Press.
- Queer Wiccans 101: Not a course at Hogwarts
I think it was a Bisexual Women of Toronto party that gave me the idea. We were sitting around discussing our plans for the week and someone mentioned they had a ritual coming up. Then several others chimed in with their ritual plans and their coven's activities and they started chatting about Witch Camp, and who planned to go. I realized that I knew a lot of bisexual Wiccans.
I wanted to write an article that would use my religious studies skills and also present Wicca in a way that my Wiccan friends would feel was accurate, positive, and respectful. I was extremely pleased with the responses the article elicited. - I's the Bi: Bisexuals get blatant for Pride
This was just my attempt to publicize the activities of the Toronto Bisexual Network during Pride Week. The Bi Pride Committee had received a bursary from Pride Toronto that year and our groups were going to be more visible in the parade and the Dyke March. We rented a u-haul truck, speakers, and sound system and played bi-themed music. We marched in bi t-shirts, bi pride sarongs and carried a 15-foot bi pride flag.
For those who don't understand the title, it's a play on a Newfoundland folk song "I'se the b'y," which roughly translates to "I am the boy." Canadian kids generally learn this song in school. I'm not a fan of such plays on words, but since it reminds me of home I don't mind so much. - Stuck In The Middle With You: Dating trends — why bisexuals prefer their own company
This was written because I noticed that many couples in the Toronto Bisexual Network had met through the group. I think I was also hoping to encourage bisexuals to date one another instead of disappearing into "gay and lesbian" couples. Once again I scoured my friends for quotes and photos. I don't like the title Xtra! gave it, but I didn't really feel secure enough as a writer to complain. - The Mayor's Mouthful: What it took to change the city's Pride
Proclamation
I wrote this article as an attempt to get revenge. When I was co-chair of the Toronto Dyke March I had an annoying experience at the flag-raising ceremony (you can read about it in the article). In attempting to avoid a replay of the experience I called the Protocol Office of Toronto City Hall. Thus began a week of frustration. They were extremely rude to me, and gave me no indication that they would even consider changing the wording to include bisexuals, transsexuals or the transgendered. I faxed a letter to everyone I could think of in City Hall.
This article was originally about how the Protocol Office refused to change the wording. One week before we went to press the Protocol Office changed their minds. Apparently all it took was the right people in Pride Toronto asking the right people at City Hall. That's politics for you. So at the last minute the article switched from declaring "they won't change to wording" to "they have changed the wording." I was annoyed at first that my article slant was ruined. But then I remembered that my goal had been to change the proclamation, not to write articles for Xtra!
To me the whole experience reinforced something I'd believed all along: that bisexuals need to work in solidarity with transsexuals and the transgendered. I don't know if I could have been as pushy as I needed to be if it was just about including me and my people. But I could be pushy about the exclusion of bi and trans people. Plus, I guess that since I was having such a struggle with them I didn't like the idea of some poor transactivist having to go through the same thing next year.
