March 2023
International Women's Day 2023: Women, Life, Freedom
February 2023
Re: Sentencing of Colin Harnack in murder of Julie Berman
December 2022
In Solidarity with Ontario's Drag Performers
November 2022
In Solidarity; A Community Vigil Honouring Colorado Victims and Survivors
Public Statement on Trans Day of Remembrance (TDoR) 2022
September 2022
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
The 519 Board of Management Candidates 2022/23
August 2022
Notice of The 519 Annual General Meeting 2022-23
June 2022
Call for Nominations – The 519 Annual General Meeting 2022-23
World Refugee Day: Support LGBTQ+ Refugees Every Day
Green Space Festival 2022: Neighbourhood Information
Green Space Festival announces 2022 lineup: a Pride-weekend party in support of 2SLGBTQ+ communities
Pride 2022 at The 519: Upcoming Programs and Events
April 2022
Lifting the Blood Ban: A Step in the Right Direction
March 2022
Trans Day of Visibility: Affirmations and Calls to Action
International Women's Day: Our History, Our Reality, Out Future
February 2022
The 519 Black Collective – Black History Month 2022: ‘Black Health & Wellness’
November 2021
Public Statement on Trans Day of Remembrance (TDoR) 2021
October 2021
According to the announcement, consultations will be done via an online survey, regional telephone town halls, and are to be organized by interested community members who can than submit their “dedicated submissions packages”. These consultations methods severely lack opportunities for the direct, representative participation of youth, educators, parents, community organizations and health experts. This process does not provide any opportunity for meaningful, interactive, and critical discussions, and raises questions about the reliability of the consultation’s findings.
The implementation of a cynical tip line, where parents can report teachers and others teaching the 2015 curriculum is an unacceptable, divisive move to pressurize teachers into teaching out of date, harmful material. Not only does this tip line negate work already being done by local school boards and the Ontario College of Teachers, but it also leaves teachers open to unsubstantiated attacks on their professionalism and judgement. Our school communitieshave still not been provided proper clarification on what can and cannot be discussed in classrooms, and this announcement creates an environment of fear and uncertainty, making our children and youth unsafe and our education workers vulnerable to targeted discrimination.
These consultations are focused on hearing only the concerns of parents but the curriculum should be developed with consultation from experts and educators as well. The real focus should be on the safety and well-being of our children and youth. These consultations will impact the development of the curriculum, which directly impacts the lives and safety of Ontario students. The consultations are focused on the protection of the rights of parents, and do not take into account the safety and rights of children, youth, and LGBTQ2S families, or the input of health and education experts. All people have a right to be safe from homophobia, transphobia, biphobia, sexual assault, and physical abuse. This includes Ontario's children. The consultation framework does not consider those critical human rights in its design or intention.
There is an urgent need for us to find ways to keep our children and our communities safe, today and for the times to come. It is now that we must act to have the backs of Ontario’s children, youth, and educators. We ask you to join us at www.wehaveyourbackontario.org