Every February, Canadians participate in Black History Month events to celebrate the heritage, traditions, and culture of Black people in Canada. This year, the theme for Black History Month is “Ours To Tell”, which represents both an opportunity for Black Canadians to share their own stories, as well as a commitment to learning more about the stories Black communities in Canada have to tell us about their histories, successes, and sacrifices.

As a community-based feminist organization, which operates within an anti-racist, anti-oppression framework, Black History Month is an opportunity for us to recommit to listening and sharing the stories of Black Canadians. At Nellie’s, we are dedicated to creating social change through education and advocacy to achieve social justice for all women and their children.

This year at Nellie’s, we kicked off our own Black History Month celebrations with a reading from a young Black woman named Anora, who shared a poem called “The Silent Scream of a Young Black Woman”, which she wrote when she was 16. Nellie’s amazing cooks — Sharmone, Sandra and Nichola — also joined the discussion to talk about the shelter’s menu for the month of February. Throughout the month, they will cook dishes from Africa and the Caribbean, and share stories and discussions about the recipes.

We encourage all Canadians to learn more about Black communities in Canada, and how their stories continue to help shape our country’s history. Here are a few ways you can do this:

• Educate yourself about the history of Black communities in Canada: Brush up on your history with these overviews on significant events in Black history in Canada, noteworthy figures in Black Canadian history, and the legacy and impact of organizations led by Black women in Canada.
• Learn about the lives of Black Canadians today: The CBC website Being Black in Canada highlights the stories and experiences of Black Canadians all year round. One of their newest series is called “Black Changemakers”, which recognizes individuals who are creating positive changes in their community, from creators and community organizers, to students and entrepreneurs.
• Read: One of the best ways to immerse yourself in Black stories is to read them. The Toronto Public Library shared an excellent list of Black Canadian authors to discover, and we also love CBC Books’ list of six Black Canadian writers to watch in 2023.
• Watch: Celebrate Canadian perspectives from Black filmmakers with this extensive collection of films and documentaries from the National Film Board of Canada.
• Support: Volunteer with local Black-led charities and support local Black artists and businesses.
• Share: Help to raise awareness around Black History Month with the hashtags #BlackHistoryMonth, #BHM, or #BlackExcellence on social media.

(Andy Everson of the K’ómoks First Nation, designed this logo featuring four sets of hands encircling the words ‘Every Child Matters’ against an orange backdrop)

September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day for all Canadians to recognize the ongoing trauma caused by residential schools, and honour the children who never returned home, the survivors, their families and communities.

As a community-based feminist organization, which operates within an anti-racist, anti-oppression framework, it’s an opportunity for us to commit to the process of truth, reconciliation and justice with First Nations, Inuit and Metis. At Nellie’s, we are dedicated to creating social change through education and advocacy to achieve social justice for all women and their children.

What non-Indigenous people can do to mark the day

 “Education got us into this mess and education will get us out,” Justice Murray Sinclair, the head of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, said of the residential school system in 2015.

Public commemoration and recognition of this tragic and painful history, and its intergenerational impacts, is a vital component of the reconciliation process. Here is what you can do.

• Wear orange. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is on Orange Shirt Day, an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day that promotes the concept of “Every Child Matters”. Orange Shirt Day was inspired by the story of residential school survivor Phyllis Jack Webstad, who was given a new orange shirt by her grandmother before being taken to a B.C. residential school. The shirt was confiscated and destroyed by her teacher on the first day of class. Wearing an orange shirt is a symbol of the stripping away of culture, freedom and self-esteem experienced by Indigenous children over generations.
• Educate yourself. Visit the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation website, learn about the significance of land acknowledgements, honour treaties, read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action and the National Inquiry of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Calls for Justice.
• Read. Immerse yourself in Indigenous literature with this curated list from the Toronto Public Library.
• Watch. Discover the National Film Board’s rich online collection of Indigenous-made films and documentaries.
• Support. Volunteer for local Indigenous organizations or causes and support local Indigenous artists and businesses.
• Share. Help to raise awareness by sharing how you mark this day with the hashtag #NDTR on social media.

For a woman experiencing violence, leaving her situation is often a difficult decision. Now imagine that same woman lives with a disability; leaving that same situation can feel like something she is unable to do. She may feel trapped in her abusive situation and trapped by her disability.

At Nellie’s, we recognize the need to find ways to work with and create accommodations for every woman who needs us.

“When someone with a disability comes to Nellie’s — any disability at all — we want her to know that regardless of her situation, we are going to work with her. We are here to help,” says Karen Sterling, a member of Nellie’s Social Justice and Accessibility Committee.

The goal of the committee is to develop a work plan based on our social justice priorities to guide activities and inform the Board of Directors of social justice and accessibility issues to ensure that the principles of feminism, anti-racism, and anti-oppression are consistently reflective and active across the entire organization. The committee is comprised of staff and community volunteers who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience in areas such as feminism, anti-oppression training, counselling, education, advocacy, business, law, program management and journalism.

Karen, who has been a member of the committee for about five years, is a part-time relief counsellor at Nellie’s. She is also legally blind. When she first started working at Nellie’s, she requested a number of accommodations, such as access to large print materials. From there, she became passionate about ensuring that her clients had access to the accommodations they needed — in whatever form that may be.

“If a woman comes in who is deaf or hard of hearing, for example, we need to make sure that we have the proper lighting (for her to see others or visual aids clearly) or bring in an interpreter for her,” says Karen. “But we also need to make sure that Nellie’s staff understands how to work with her. For example, when speaking with a woman who is deaf, you look at her when you speak, not the interpreter.”

Nellie’s recognizes that the positioning of particular bodies and ways of functioning as the norm is discriminatory to women with disabilities and Deaf women. This discrimination is a form of systemic violence. “Disabilities” include visible and invisible disabilities such as, but not limited to:

• Deaf, deafened or hard of hearing
• Mobility disability, chronic pain and/or illness
• Visual disability or blindness
• Conditions such as Epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis
• Mental Health disabilities
• Environmental, Cognitive and/or Developmental disabilities

Nellie’s new shelter will be renovated with accessibility in mind. The move to the new shelter is scheduled for the fall of 2020.

Nellie’s Position on Accessibility: Women with Disabilities and Deaf Women was published in 2013. It is one of a half dozen position papers produced by the committee. The paper views “Accessibility” as a range of strategies aimed at reducing the barriers faced by these marginalized communities. Every so often, Karen and other committee members conduct an accessibility ‘check in’, with staff and board members, often running role play scenarios to help educate and inform staff, volunteers and students.

“We need these position papers to be out there on our website so people know that at Nellie’s we support you. Regardless of your situation, Nellie’s is going to work with you,” says Karen.

As huge crowds converged on downtown Toronto for Canada’s largest pride weekend, Nellie’s played a part in the joyful celebrations.

All weekend long, Nellie’s had a bright and cheery booth at the street fair on Alexander Street where we handed out information and flyers, accepted donations and took the time to mingle and laugh with everyone who stopped by. And on Saturday, along with more than 45 women from our community (and even some of their children and grandchildren), we were colourfully decked out as we chanted, celebrated and marched with thousands of others in Toronto’s annual Dyke March.

“I was surprised to see how many people came to support us. Especially since many of the community members were older women, it meant a lot to have them come out on such a hot day, and march with us to the end,” says Sarah Pynisky, Nellie’s Community Support & Outreach Worker.

“We had some women from the shelter march with us as well. Afterwards they told me they had gone around to many booths and explained who they were, what organization they were with, and proudly supported us. We provided fun costumes and things to wear during the march, as well as Nellie’s Flags, and Nellie’s t-shirts. It was lovely to see all the women from both the shelter and community come together with their support.”

Pride organizers estimated that it was the largest turnout in the march’s history.

Having an information booth at Pride weekend is also a long-standing tradition for us at Nellie’s. We advocate for all women experiencing oppressions, such as violence, poverty and homelessness so it’s important to us to celebrate Pride with the LGBTQ2+ community.

“When I was at the booth, a lot of people who stopped by were already familiar with Nellie’s so they just stopped by to say hello,” says Sarah Pynisky, Nellie’s Community Support & Outreach Worker.

“Taking part in Pride weekend is important to us, it’s just one of the really important ways we take a stand together for violence against women,” says Sarah. “And the response from everyone is always so amazing. People know us and they cheer for us.”

We had an amazing time at Pride Toronto 2019 and are already looking forward to next year’s events!

Purpose of the Social Justice and Accessibility Committee

The Social Justice and Accessibility Committee is a Policy Governance Committee, whose purpose is to develop a work plan based on Nellie’s social justice priorities to guide committee activities and inform Nellie’s Board of Directors of social justice and accessibility issues to ensure that the principles of feminism, anti-racism, and anti-oppression are consistently reflective and active across the entire organization.  We are looking for strong, dedicated, visionary members for the committee.

Currently we have two (2) vacancies on the Social Justice and Accessibility Committee. 

Responsibilities of the Committee Members:

• To participate at committee meetings every other month. Meetings held on the first Monday of the month from 6-8pm.
• To actively participate in developing annual social justice work plan.
• To make recommendations to the board on policies relating to the social justice and accessibility issues
• To act as a resource for the Board and staff on issues of ARAO, social justice and accessibility relating to women with disabilities and Deaf women.
• To participate in advocacy and community events related to Nellie’s social priorities
• To contribute submissions to external communications.

Qualifications:

• Strong Board policy governance experience
• Working from an Anti-Racist/Anti-oppression Framework
• Feminist pedagogy and practice
• Community based skills, including service delivery and / or as a service user

• Strong networking skills to establish relationships with others
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• A great communication and relationship builder

TO APPLY:  Please submit a cover letter outlining your interest to serve on the committee and how your experiences align with Nellie’s mission. Please also include a resume (if applicable) Correspondence can be sent by email to:

Janna Cheng-Brown
Admin. Coordinator
janna@nellies.org

Nellie’s is committed to the development of an agency that reflects the women it serves.  Applications from Aboriginal Women, World Majority Women/Women of Colour, Lesbians, Bisexual Women, Transgendered Women and Women with DisAbilities and/or Deaf Women, Women who have experienced Violence and Consumer Survivors are strongly encouraged to apply.

Deadline for applications: Friday September 21, 2018 by 5pm

By: Brooke Downey (Women In Toronto Politics)

The third woman we are highlighting in our Toronto the Just series is Fran Odette (1962-). We are honouring Odette for her lifelong commitment to exploring the intersections of gender and disability.

While a student at Carleton, she was the only one in her program with a visible disability. At the time, there was a lack academic work and literature discussing how gender and disability relate. Odette continued her work in this area by joining the DisAbled Women’s Network (DAWN) which spurred a commitment to both understanding the barriers that exist and working on ways to dismantle them.

Odette has served on a number of different boards and agencies across the city, working on supporting and understanding the intersections between gender, disability, and sexuality especially when as it relates to violence against women. Currently she is a faculty member of George Brown College. You can learn more about Odette’s work in the book she co-authored with Miriam Kaufman – The Ultimate Guide to Sex and Disability.

August 10 is a day set aside to remember all the men and women who have died unnatural deaths in Canadian prisons.   One such woman was Ashley Smith[1] who died by self-inflicted strangulation on October 19, 2007 while incarcerated at Grand Valley Institution for Women.  From her early teenage years Ashley had frequent run-ins with the criminal justice system, mostly for minor offences and ended up in youth custody and eventually the Grand Valley Institution for Women.  She died there at the age of 19.

Following a lengthy inquest into her death, a coroner’s jury returned a verdict of homicide and provided 104 recommendations to the coroner which included recommendations on how the Correctional Service of Canada could better serve female inmates and inmates suffering from mental illness.[2]

What is clear from the publicity surrounding the inquest and the jury’s findings is that prisons are poorly equipped to deal with mental health issues.  In his annual report for 2013-2014, the Office of the Correctional Investigator was critical of the Correctional Service of Canada for failing to follow up on the jury’s recommendations to the coroner and his own recommendations for dealing with the growing number of incidents of self-injury among federally sentenced women offenders.[3]

In the same report, the Correctional Investigator notes that a large percentage of the women in the federal correctional system experience symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder and eight in ten women have a history of substance or alcohol abuse.  His most troubling finding is that the number of self-injury incidents among federally sentenced women is increasing at an alarming rate noting that in 2013-2014 there were 559 incidents of self-injury among women offenders, a 40% increase from the previous year. He stressed the importance of moving these women to outside treatment centres.[4]

The Correctional Investigator’s concerns are echoed in a newsletter published by the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund in 2014.[5]  The newsletter notes the failure of the corrections system and provincial health care in providing women such as Ashley Smith with appropriate care and goes further to consider the issues related to the situation of women in prisons:

Women in detention are an extremely marginalized group who are often in prison as a result of larger systemic reasons.  While the jury recommendations are welcome, the root causes of women’s detention such as poverty, racism, colonialism, and violence – fundamental issues affecting women’s equality that start outside prison walls- must be addressed in order to prevent women being incarcerated in the first place.

As the October 2015 Federal election approaches ask your candidates what they would do to prevent other deaths like Ashley Smith’s before another woman dies in prison from a self-inflicted injury.  And this Prisoner Justice Day, take a moment to reflect on the short and troubled life of Ashley Smith and her avoidable death in prison.

[1] Born January 29, 1988 and died October 19, 2007

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashley_Smith_inquest

[3] Annual Report 2013-2014 of the Office of the Correctional Investigator, pp. 30 -31

[4] Ibid, p.45

[5] http://www.leaf.ca/seeking-accountability-by-the-correctional-service-of-canada-csc-for-its-treatment-of-women-with-mental-health-concerns/

Photo by Adriana Pelayo Rubio

While volunteering at Nellie’s booth at Pride this past weekend, more than once we received the comment “Thank you for being here.” While the comment could be have been chalked up to sticking it out in the heavy rain that ‘damp’ened (but did not dampen) celebrations, it was said and received within a much larger context of ‘sticking it out’ in the struggle for equity and empowerment. Nellie’s was there to advocate and in solidarity, rather than for the gratitude, but the importance of giving and receiving thanks was not lost on us.

Pride is an opportunity to celebrate community(ies) and connection but also to acknowledge the work that continues year round to create safe spaces and experiences. This is the work of places and communities like Nellie’s. Pride also provides an opportunity for pause amidst the celebrations to give thanks to the growing community of change makers and advocates, who acknowledge the history of Pride and continue to lead change. To those change makers, we say thank you.

Thank you for being part of an inclusive community.

Thank you for being willing and active participants in feminist action and education.

Thank you for continuing to speak up against homophobia, racism, sexism and classism.

Thank you for being catalysts for change within your communities.

Thank you for educating, for engaging in conversations and advocacy, and for building inclusive spaces.

Thank you for your patience and your practice.

Thank you for being here.

Here, in both the struggle and the celebration.

As this year’s Pride celebrations come to an end, Nellie’s continues to celebrate equity, feminism and a collective commitment to change. We recognize the strides being made, for example, last week’s US Supreme Court’s ruling on marriage equality, while standing firmly committed to breaking down the barriers that continue to exist for many in our community(ies). We do this willingly and whole-heartedly and with ever more gratitude for those who join us.

In solidarity and with much thanks,

Nellie’s

Toronto is a city famed for Diversity.  On any given day you can leave your home and hear the sounds of four or five different languages as you make your way to your destination.  You can look around and see the representatives of these cultures in the traditional dress of their countries mixed with Western garments to ward off the Canadian winter or breathe in the spices of different world cuisines competing with hamburgers and fries as you walk through a food court.

For many people of many cultures Toronto is home, a refuge for those fleeing war or poverty or just looking for the freedom to not only survive but thrive in a new world.  We welcome different religions and celebrate different cultures cheering on the Chinese Dragon boat races or moving to the beat of the Caribbean festival as the brightly clad dancers hit the streets.

For members of the LGBTTIQQ2SA* community Toronto is also home.  They come from all cities of Canada and the world, also seeking inclusion in a Diverse community allowing them the freedom to be treated equally with the same rights and freedoms as everyone else.  They come from countries where living their personal truth is not only illegal but can lead to imprisonment and death.  They come from cities where their human rights are often ignored and communities where admitting to who they are can lead to being cast out of the family.

Every year for one week in June the LGBTTIQQ2SA* community celebrates Pride Week, coming together to celebrate who they are, their histories, their struggles, their families and friends, their losses and gains.

Toronto’s first Pride Parade had its beginnings in February 1981, when police raided four bathhouses and arrested 300 men as “found-ins”.  This sparked a march of 3,000 people on Toronto’s 52 Division and led to the establishment of Toronto’s Lesbian and Gay Pride Day in Toronto, which attracted 1,500 participants.  This year the parade is expected to attract 1.5 million participants.

As the Pride Parade has grown, the rights of the LGBTTIQQ2SA* community have expanded in Canada. In 1995, the Supreme Court ruled that Section 15 of the Charter — which guarantees the “right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination” — should include sexual orientation and in 1996, sexual orientation was added to the Canadian Human Rights Act, which covers federally-regulated activities.  It was not until 1998, that the Supreme Court ruled that Alberta’s human rights legislation must be considered to cover sexual orientation.

In 1999, the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples must be afforded the same rights as opposite-sex couples in a common-law relationship. In 2002, the Ontario Superior Court ruled that prohibiting same-sex marriage was a violation of Charter rights. In 2003, the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld the ruling, and Michael Leshner and Michael Stark became the first same-sex couple to marry in Canada.

In 1998, Glenn Murray was elected mayor of Winnipeg, becoming the first openly gay mayor of a major city in North America.  In 2013 Kathleen Wynne became the first openly gay or lesbian premier as leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, then the first openly gay or lesbian premier elected to office in Canada.

May 17^th was the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia and the statement issued by President Obama, reaffirms the human rights of the LGBT community to live “free from fear, violence, and discrimination, regardless of who they are or whom they love.”  In Toronto there was a proclamation by mayor John Tory promising “working to create and secure communities in which all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, two-Spirited and intersex people can live their lives free from any form of homophobic, biphobic or transphobic discrimination and be empowered with dignity and respect.”

In 2015 the struggle for equality and acceptance continues to address violence and discrimination in the community, at work and at school. Bullying continues in schools although publicly-funded schools are lawfully required to accept student-organized gay-straight alliances. Many still experience verbal threats, sexual and physical assault and hate crimes because of their identity. Trans people are struggling for the inclusion of gender identity in existing legislation and continue to face stigma, harassment, and discrimination when seeking stable housing, employment, health or social services.

Worldwide, seventy three countries still have laws criminalizing homosexuality with punishments from fines and imprisonment to whipping, castration and execution by stoning.  This was the focus of 2014 World Pride in Toronto, which included a human rights conference with international Gay Activists Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, Frank Mugisha and Edie Windsor.

This year, come out and join the LGBTTIQQ2SA* community to celebrate Pride Week from June 19^th to June 28^th.  Nellie’s will be at the Dyke March on Saturday June 27^th and as always we will have a booth where you can learn more about Nellie’s and take photos to celebrate your Pride. We celebrate the amazing courage, determination and strength of the LGBTTIQQ2SA* community and through education and advocacy, we support their right to be treated with equality and respect.

* Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer/Questioning, 2 Spirited, Allies

Sources:

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/lesbian-gay-bisexual-and-transgender-rights-in-canada/

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/05/16/statement-president-international-day-against-homophobia-and-transphobia

http://ontario.cmha.ca/mental-health/lesbian-gay-bisexual-trans-people-and-mental-health/

http://visiwww.pridetoronto.com/