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Hamilton Spectator
26-05-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
A great day to battle bigotry in Kahnawake
It would have been difficult to ask for a nicer day for an event than last Friday's sunny summer-like weather, making it the perfect day for Kahnawake Shakotiia'takehnhas Community Services (KSCS) to host its International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) outside the Service Complex. 'Today is such an awesome day. It's been a great turnout. We have beautiful weather, we have music, we have food. Everyone seems to be in very good spirits. I think it's been a wonderful event,' said Kyla Jacobs, KSCS's team leader of primary prevention. While IDAHOBIT was on Saturday, May 17, Jacobs said the event was on the Friday to allow schools to come by the event. Along with the Rezican truck, hot dogs, and drinks, were cookies that were LGBTQ+ themed, including different Pride flags, trans rainbows, and more – and all free of charge. There was also an educational component to the event, with KSCS booths that engaged with LGBTQ+ topics through games and trivia, as well as booths run by community groups from outside the community, including Jeunes Adultes Gai.e.s (JAG) and Project 10. Dawson Horne, a KSCS prevention worker, was in charge of coordinating the yearly event this year, doing so for the first time. 'As someone who is a part of the LGBTQ+ community, it means so much to me that there's representation for Indigenous people who are part of this community,' said Horne. 'It warms my heart to see the amount of allies come out and to show their support in such a big way. It just means so much to me and to other people in this community.' Jacobs echoed Horne's sentiment in seeing the growth of support for LGBTQ+ events - and community members - in town. 'We have seen a lot of progress, but there still is work to be done, and we want to ensure that they feel recognized and included and supported,' said Jacobs. 'Kahnawake is a small community, but over the years, we've seen more and more support, and more and more people are attending events such as these. I just feel like it's such a great thing. We want to ensure a healthy community, and that includes everybody.' Horne said having outside resources come to Kahnawake to do some outreach was important for the event, to show community members who may need help that these organizations exist. 'We want to bridge the gap between the city and someone living across the Mercier Bridge, to make it a little bit easier for them to not only get knowledge, but to get services,' said Horne. Raphaël Leblanc ran the booth for JAG at the event, and they explained that while there are several different LGBTQ+ organizations in Montreal, that is not the case in Monteregie - it's just JAG, which has offices in Longueuil and St-Hyacinthe. They also said that outreach is important for JAG, as they are less known than other, larger Montreal-based organizations, and that JAG is not just for homosexual men. 'It's very, very important for us to so that we are known and people know that we exist and that we do so many different things,' said Leblanc. They said that that help includes referring people to other organizations if needed, or resources in their area that could help them on the South Shore instead of on-island, for example. Leblanc said that staying informed and well educated on LGBTQ+ rights and happenings remains very important, as bigotry continues to be on the rise in 2025, particularly online but also politically in places like the United States. 'One of the things that's been obvious is the rise in homophobia and transphobia, especially within younger men, and it often comes from these echo chambers online and this bubble of misinformation and disinformation. 'I just think it's important for us to have proper discussions on what is fact and what is feeling. Because I feel like today, we mix one with the other. We should be able to discuss it and to not have to debate if LGBTQ+ people exist,' they said, giving as an example the erasure and persecution of trans people in the United States and the United Kingdom. Horne said that no matter what, LGBTQ+ people are not going away, nor should they be forced to hide themselves. 'I just want to continue to reiterate that whatever is going on politically, whether it's good or bad, the LGBTQ+ community will never go away, and we're always going to be strong, we're always going to be loud, and we're always going to continue to love, because at the end of the day, that's all, that's all we want,' said Horne. 'We just want acceptance. We want people to see us as regular human beings that just exist in this society. We want equality.' olivier@ Olivier Cadotte, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Advertiser
16-05-2025
- General
- The Advertiser
'I didn't know the word lesbian': How LGBTIQA+ lives have changed across decades
When Laura Martinez, 27, introduced her girlfriend to her family, they welcomed her with open arms, a stark contrast to what coming out was like in years past. Cheryl Szollosi, 62, who stayed closeted for 10 years to keep her job in the Air Force, said she found it amazing that young people today could just be themselves. "They are so lucky - I wish I could have done that at my age," Ms Szollosi said. "It's just a sign of the times." ACM masthead, The Courier spoke with three people from different generations about their experiences growing up LGBTQA+. Helen Watson, 77, grew up in a small country town near Shepparton, VIC. "I didn't know anyone who was LGBTQ+. It's not to say they weren't there, but I didn't know them," Ms Watson said. "I think a lot of people lived quietly and out of sight." Ms Watson realised she was different in her early 20s, around the 1970s. "I didn't know the words, lesbian, gay, trans. None of those were part of my vocabulary. None of them were part of what I understood," she said. But Ms Watson's father told her a story about a family in Melbourne who were extremely well-known. "The tragedy that befell them happened when the daughter had left her husband and gone off with another woman. It was very clear. That was bad," she said. The 77-year-old said she spent years finding a community for her to belong to. "It was not easy. I was in my late 40s to find one," she said. Ms Szollosi knew "there was something wrong" when she was in primary school. "I just knew I was different, but don't know what it was," the 62-year-old said. "Then I joined the Air Force. This was in the 1980s when it was illegal to be gay. So I had to be closeted for 10 years. "I was just mortified that I could lose my job just for being who I was." Ms Szollosi finally came out and told her mum when she was 33 years old. "My mum never spoke to me after I came out to her," she said. Ms Martinez started talking to her friends about being queer when she was 15 years old. "For me, I think it just means how I choose to live and who I choose to be with, and it's just different from the norm," the 27-year-old said. "I had a very close community of friends who we flocked together - some of my friends were queer or some were straight, but very comfortable with everyone. "It's a very diverse community as well. I just think it's free to be whatever you want to be." Last year, Ms Martinez first introduced her girlfriend to her family. "[They] were all fine with it. Some of them said that it was not new information to them," she said. Ms Martinez said each year she would do something with the community to celebrate the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) on May 17. It was the day that homosexuality was removed from the World Health Organisation's list of psychiatric diseases in 1990. Having witnessed society's changing attitudes toward the LGBTIQA+ community, Ms Szollosi said things were getting better and better. "Now, we have got equality rights, marriage rights. But we are still a minority," Ms Szollosi said. "As a community, we all bond together. We look after each other." When Laura Martinez, 27, introduced her girlfriend to her family, they welcomed her with open arms, a stark contrast to what coming out was like in years past. Cheryl Szollosi, 62, who stayed closeted for 10 years to keep her job in the Air Force, said she found it amazing that young people today could just be themselves. "They are so lucky - I wish I could have done that at my age," Ms Szollosi said. "It's just a sign of the times." ACM masthead, The Courier spoke with three people from different generations about their experiences growing up LGBTQA+. Helen Watson, 77, grew up in a small country town near Shepparton, VIC. "I didn't know anyone who was LGBTQ+. It's not to say they weren't there, but I didn't know them," Ms Watson said. "I think a lot of people lived quietly and out of sight." Ms Watson realised she was different in her early 20s, around the 1970s. "I didn't know the words, lesbian, gay, trans. None of those were part of my vocabulary. None of them were part of what I understood," she said. But Ms Watson's father told her a story about a family in Melbourne who were extremely well-known. "The tragedy that befell them happened when the daughter had left her husband and gone off with another woman. It was very clear. That was bad," she said. The 77-year-old said she spent years finding a community for her to belong to. "It was not easy. I was in my late 40s to find one," she said. Ms Szollosi knew "there was something wrong" when she was in primary school. "I just knew I was different, but don't know what it was," the 62-year-old said. "Then I joined the Air Force. This was in the 1980s when it was illegal to be gay. So I had to be closeted for 10 years. "I was just mortified that I could lose my job just for being who I was." Ms Szollosi finally came out and told her mum when she was 33 years old. "My mum never spoke to me after I came out to her," she said. Ms Martinez started talking to her friends about being queer when she was 15 years old. "For me, I think it just means how I choose to live and who I choose to be with, and it's just different from the norm," the 27-year-old said. "I had a very close community of friends who we flocked together - some of my friends were queer or some were straight, but very comfortable with everyone. "It's a very diverse community as well. I just think it's free to be whatever you want to be." Last year, Ms Martinez first introduced her girlfriend to her family. "[They] were all fine with it. Some of them said that it was not new information to them," she said. Ms Martinez said each year she would do something with the community to celebrate the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) on May 17. It was the day that homosexuality was removed from the World Health Organisation's list of psychiatric diseases in 1990. Having witnessed society's changing attitudes toward the LGBTIQA+ community, Ms Szollosi said things were getting better and better. "Now, we have got equality rights, marriage rights. But we are still a minority," Ms Szollosi said. "As a community, we all bond together. We look after each other." When Laura Martinez, 27, introduced her girlfriend to her family, they welcomed her with open arms, a stark contrast to what coming out was like in years past. Cheryl Szollosi, 62, who stayed closeted for 10 years to keep her job in the Air Force, said she found it amazing that young people today could just be themselves. "They are so lucky - I wish I could have done that at my age," Ms Szollosi said. "It's just a sign of the times." ACM masthead, The Courier spoke with three people from different generations about their experiences growing up LGBTQA+. Helen Watson, 77, grew up in a small country town near Shepparton, VIC. "I didn't know anyone who was LGBTQ+. It's not to say they weren't there, but I didn't know them," Ms Watson said. "I think a lot of people lived quietly and out of sight." Ms Watson realised she was different in her early 20s, around the 1970s. "I didn't know the words, lesbian, gay, trans. None of those were part of my vocabulary. None of them were part of what I understood," she said. But Ms Watson's father told her a story about a family in Melbourne who were extremely well-known. "The tragedy that befell them happened when the daughter had left her husband and gone off with another woman. It was very clear. That was bad," she said. The 77-year-old said she spent years finding a community for her to belong to. "It was not easy. I was in my late 40s to find one," she said. Ms Szollosi knew "there was something wrong" when she was in primary school. "I just knew I was different, but don't know what it was," the 62-year-old said. "Then I joined the Air Force. This was in the 1980s when it was illegal to be gay. So I had to be closeted for 10 years. "I was just mortified that I could lose my job just for being who I was." Ms Szollosi finally came out and told her mum when she was 33 years old. "My mum never spoke to me after I came out to her," she said. Ms Martinez started talking to her friends about being queer when she was 15 years old. "For me, I think it just means how I choose to live and who I choose to be with, and it's just different from the norm," the 27-year-old said. "I had a very close community of friends who we flocked together - some of my friends were queer or some were straight, but very comfortable with everyone. "It's a very diverse community as well. I just think it's free to be whatever you want to be." Last year, Ms Martinez first introduced her girlfriend to her family. "[They] were all fine with it. Some of them said that it was not new information to them," she said. Ms Martinez said each year she would do something with the community to celebrate the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) on May 17. It was the day that homosexuality was removed from the World Health Organisation's list of psychiatric diseases in 1990. Having witnessed society's changing attitudes toward the LGBTIQA+ community, Ms Szollosi said things were getting better and better. "Now, we have got equality rights, marriage rights. But we are still a minority," Ms Szollosi said. "As a community, we all bond together. We look after each other." When Laura Martinez, 27, introduced her girlfriend to her family, they welcomed her with open arms, a stark contrast to what coming out was like in years past. Cheryl Szollosi, 62, who stayed closeted for 10 years to keep her job in the Air Force, said she found it amazing that young people today could just be themselves. "They are so lucky - I wish I could have done that at my age," Ms Szollosi said. "It's just a sign of the times." ACM masthead, The Courier spoke with three people from different generations about their experiences growing up LGBTQA+. Helen Watson, 77, grew up in a small country town near Shepparton, VIC. "I didn't know anyone who was LGBTQ+. It's not to say they weren't there, but I didn't know them," Ms Watson said. "I think a lot of people lived quietly and out of sight." Ms Watson realised she was different in her early 20s, around the 1970s. "I didn't know the words, lesbian, gay, trans. None of those were part of my vocabulary. None of them were part of what I understood," she said. But Ms Watson's father told her a story about a family in Melbourne who were extremely well-known. "The tragedy that befell them happened when the daughter had left her husband and gone off with another woman. It was very clear. That was bad," she said. The 77-year-old said she spent years finding a community for her to belong to. "It was not easy. I was in my late 40s to find one," she said. Ms Szollosi knew "there was something wrong" when she was in primary school. "I just knew I was different, but don't know what it was," the 62-year-old said. "Then I joined the Air Force. This was in the 1980s when it was illegal to be gay. So I had to be closeted for 10 years. "I was just mortified that I could lose my job just for being who I was." Ms Szollosi finally came out and told her mum when she was 33 years old. "My mum never spoke to me after I came out to her," she said. Ms Martinez started talking to her friends about being queer when she was 15 years old. "For me, I think it just means how I choose to live and who I choose to be with, and it's just different from the norm," the 27-year-old said. "I had a very close community of friends who we flocked together - some of my friends were queer or some were straight, but very comfortable with everyone. "It's a very diverse community as well. I just think it's free to be whatever you want to be." Last year, Ms Martinez first introduced her girlfriend to her family. "[They] were all fine with it. Some of them said that it was not new information to them," she said. Ms Martinez said each year she would do something with the community to celebrate the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) on May 17. It was the day that homosexuality was removed from the World Health Organisation's list of psychiatric diseases in 1990. Having witnessed society's changing attitudes toward the LGBTIQA+ community, Ms Szollosi said things were getting better and better. "Now, we have got equality rights, marriage rights. But we are still a minority," Ms Szollosi said. "As a community, we all bond together. We look after each other."
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
Boston hotel suspends security guard after bathroom confrontation involving same-sex couple
Boston hotel suspends security guard after bathroom confrontation involving same-sex couple A luxury hotel in Boston announced Tuesday that it has suspended a security guard who was allegedly involved in a confrontation with a same-sex couple inside a women's bathroom on Saturday. Ansley Baker and Liz Victor told Boston 25 News reporter Drew Karedes that they were booted out of the Liberty Hotel at 215 Charles Street after a security guard accused one of them of being a man. Baker said a security guard knocked on her stall and demanded to see her ID to prove her gender. 'He accused me of being a man in the women's bathroom,' Baker told Karedes. Baker and Victor were attending a Kentucky Derby party at the hotel on Saturday when they were ordered to leave the premises. 'Literally, left on the sidewalk, both of us crying and shaking,' Victor recalled. 'We even heard awful comments as we were walking out of the bathroom.' In a statement in response to the incident, a spokesperson for Liberty Hotel said that the guard involved had been 'suspended from their position' and that "mandatory retraining for all staff" was in order following the conclusion of an investigation into the 'serious matter.' 'The general manager is reaching out to the individuals involved today,' the statement said. 'The hotel is conducting mandatory retraining for all staff on inclusive practices and guest interaction protocols, with a particular focus on creating a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQ+ individuals." The hotel also plans to donate to a local LGBTQ+ organization on International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia on May 17. 'The Liberty Hotel is and always will be an ally of the LGBTQ+ community and a place where everyone is welcome and celebrated,' the statement continued. 'We will continue to educate and train our team to ensure that everyone feels safe and accepted within our four walls, and guests who do not show tolerance and acceptance towards others will be removed.' The hotel initially alleged that the couple violated a policy that forbids two adults in one bathroom stall, a claim that Baker and Victor denied. 'Once the stall door opened, and I'm the only one in there, it escalated further,' explained Baker. 'I don't think that aligns with what they're saying.' The couple told Boston 25 News that they planned to alert Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's office about their experience. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
