TORONTO, June 25, 2013 – British colonial laws that criminalize sexual minorities, and recent changes to Canadian immigration law that impact LGBT asylum seekers, will be discussed by a panel of experts during Pride Week, at the 519 Church Street Community Centre.
The June 26 event, Sexuality, Repression and the Law: Resistance and Asylum, was organized by York University Professor Nancy Nicol as part of her international research and film project Envisioning Global LGBT Human Rights will bring members of the project together with contributors to a new book Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in the Commonwealth: Struggles for Decriminalisation and Change, which will be launched at the event.
Co-editor Matthew Waites, a senior lecturer at the University of Glasgow will participate in the panel discussion, joined by Professor Gary Kinsman (Laurentian University); Monica Tabengwa (Human Rights Watch, Nairobi, Kenya); Professor Nicol and Professor Nick Mulé of York University; and a representative of Pride Uganda Alliance International in Toronto.
Excerpts from Botho! Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals of Botswana, a documentary film in the making by Nicol, will be screened at the event. The research and film project is funded by a Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada Community University Research Grant.
WHAT: Sexuality, Repression and the Law: Resistance and Asylum: (panel discussion, video presentation and book launch.
WHERE: 519 Church Street Community Centre, 519 Church Street, Toronto (Ballroom on 2nd Floor)
WHEN: Wednesday, June 26, 2013, 6:30-9:00pm
York University is helping to shape the global thinkers and thinking that will define tomorrow. York U’s unwavering commitment to excellence reflects a rich diversity of perspectives and a strong sense of social responsibility that sets us apart. A York U degree empowers graduates to thrive in the world and achieve their life goals through a rigorous academic foundation balanced by real-world experiential education. As a globally recognized research centre, York U is fully engaged in the critical discussions that lead to innovative solutions to the most pressing local and global social challenges. York U’s 11 faculties and 28 research centres are thinking bigger, broader and more globally, partnering with 288 leading universities worldwide. York U's community is strong − 55,000 students, 7,000 faculty and staff, and more than 250,000 alumni.
Media Contact: Gloria Suhasini, York University Media Relations, 416 736 2100 ext. 22094, suhasini@yorku.ca
