Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Conference (SOGIC)
Submitted by Section Co-Chair, Preston Parsons
Summary of Meetings
Number of Meetings Held: 8
December 18, 2013
Guest Speaker: N/A
Meeting Title/Topic: Holiday Social
Synopsis: SOGIC's annual December Holiday Social event, held at Score on Davie Street. It was well attended.
January 15, 2014
Guest Speakers Zara Suleman, Suleman Family Law, barbara findlay, Q.C., The Law Office of barbara findlay, Q.C., and Ingrid Bloomfield, Vital Statistics Agency
Meeting Title/Topic: Baby Steps: Creating Queer Families and BC's new Family Law Act
Synopsis: Family law lawyers barbara findlay and Zara Suleman provided an overview of legal parentage under the Family Law Act, as it relates to children conceived by way of assisted reproductive technology; surrogacy and other preconception agreements. barbara findlay also presented on civil marriage and divorce issues.
Ingrid Bloomfield attended to discuss the role Vital Statistics plays as gatekeeper to "parent" status, and discussed the forms and processes needed, as well as provide context on potential problem cases.
February 18, 2014
Guest Speakers: Margot Young, UBC Faculty of Law, Clea Parfitt, Human Rights Lawyer, and Ryan Dalziel, Bull Housser
Meeting Title/Topic: Competition or Balance: Rights of Expression, Religion, and Equality
Synopsis: The guest speakers discussed the Rights of Expression, Religion, and Equality in recent Supreme Court of Canada decisions and how they may impact a court challenge to Trinity Western University's School of Law.
May 15, 2014
Guest Speakers: Adrienne Smith, Pivot Legal Society, Kimberly Nixon, applicant/litigant in Vancouver Rape Relief Society v. Nixon, 2005 BCCA 601, and Elizabeth Reid, Associate, Boughton Law Corporation
Meeting Title/Topic: Trans* Issues in the Workplace
Synopsis: Adrienne and Elizabeth discussed some "Trans* 101" facts, as well as the current state of the law and current developments, particularly in the workplace. Kimberly discussed her experiences and perspectives. The meeting was well attended with SOGIC members and members of the Employment Law and Labour Law Sections in particular.
June 5, 2014
Guest Speaker: barbara findlay, Q.C., The Law Office of barbara findlay, Q.C.
Meeting Title/Topic: The LSBC TWU Special General Meeting: Pre-Meeting Discussion
Synopsis: barbara led a campaign to organize lawyers to attend the June 2014 meeting called to overturn the Benchers decision to approve TWU's School of Law. This meeting was held to update SOGIC members on the progress of that campaign and to help set out what others could do to assist.
June 12, 2014
Guest Speakers: Robert Hughes, Immigration and Refugee Lawyer, and Katherine Fobear, PhD Student at the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice
Meeting Title/Topic: Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Act: Human Rights Implications for Ugandans Domestically and Abroad
Synopsis: This was a joint Section meeting held with the International Assistance Section.
Uganda recently passed legislation to criminalize same sex relations – this legislation (the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2014) includes a penalty of a life sentence in jail.
Robert Hughes, an immigration and refugee lawyer specializing in matters relating to the human rights of LGBTQ individuals, and Katherine Fobear, a PhD student at the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice whose current research involves the intersection of transitional justice and queer lives in areas of conflict, presented on the context surrounding the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Act, and its human rights implications for Ugandans, both domestically in Uganda, and abroad.
June 26, 2014
Guest Speaker: N/A
Meeting Title/Topic: SOGIC AGM and Social
Synopsis: Our Annual General Meeting, acclamation of new 2014/2015 Section Executive and Bowling event.
August 3, 2014
Guest Speaker: N/A
Meeting Title/Topic: 3rd Lawyers with Pride Float
Synopsis: Come join our final event of the 2013/2014 Section Year as we show off how "proud" we are of the profession by marching in the Lawyers with Pride, Legally Proud, parade.
Reports or Resolutions prepared by the Section
Our Section did not prepare reports or resolutions provincially. We were involved in assisting the CBA SOGIC National Executive on drafting two national resolutions, including the non-discrimination in legal education resolution and the IOC Olympic Charter resolution. We were also involved in preparing submissions and media responses nationally and provincially with respect to the Trinity Western University matter, generally under the guidance of CBA SOGIC National.
Comments and Observations of the Co-Chair
We had another robust year and are excited to see what 2014/2015 holds. We expect attendance at our events to be increased in the coming year due to the elimination of Section fees. We continually heard criticism about the additional Section fee in years past, and we feel this will be good for the health of our Section.
Our Section was looked to as leaders on the Trinity Western University matter, and our members will continue to look to our Section for developments on that front in the years to come. We provide a home for "invisible minorities" within the profession, and provide a valuable contribution to human rights substantive legal education within the CBA.
Our pride parade looks to be in great shape this year with more sponsorship than in prior years. We are looking forward to how it goes.