In the halls of the academy, data suggest that conservatives are both more underrepresented and more heavily discriminated against than most other traditionally underrepresented groups (though other groups certainly may face greater barriers before they get to the academy). To kick off this week’s #DiversityJC discussion, here are some thoughts on why this is a problem for…
When Caitlyn Jenner first revealed herself as a trans-woman in Vanity Fair, the reception was resoundingly positive. She was recognized for her bravery for speaking out for a group that has been traditionally marginalized, and was promptly honoured with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award from ESPN. However, recently there has been a noticeable backlash from…
Because I live in a little bit of a feminist urban bubble, I was first shocked, then pleased, and then saddened by the news that PEI will finally make safe abortions available in the province. I hadn’t realized that women in PEI who wished to have an abortion that their provincial healthcare coverage would pay for…
In February, the Ontario government released their revised health and physical education curriculum and outlined the changes that had been made at every grade level. The most notable changes to content include: – the addition of ways to identify and respect the differences between people; – the addition of ways to use digital communications technology safely; –…
From Matt: Eliminating homelessness saves money, an in-depth study found; and Medicine Hat has successfully tried it out. The study, published last year, followed over 2000 homeless people across five major cities (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Moncton) – providing homes to roughly half of them. They found that homelessness costs roughly $100K per year for each homeless person –…
An interesting, but not well publicized measure in the Conservative budget was an amendment to the Canada Business and Corporations Act that would require all companies listed on Canadian public stock exchanges to either put a policy to promote gender diversity in place or publicly explain why they do not have one. Ontario, under Kathleen…
From Matt: ‘Shallow, selfish, and self-absorbed‘ (Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic): Despite its tongue-in-cheek-title, this article – drawing on a recent book by a similar name – provides an interesting take on why more and more people these days, women in particular, are choosing to not have kids. The article’s (and book’s) objective was to remove some of…
From Matt: What’s the deal with the oil spill off the coast of Vancouver? What began as a small bunker fuel spill last Wednesday in English Bay, near Vancouver, is quickly becoming a fiasco. The Mayor of Vancouver and the B.C. Provincial government both allege that the response from the Coast Guard was too slow, and that…
From Matt: Starting this week with something light: How big is the average penis? (David Shultz, Science): A new study published in the British Journal of Urology synthesized the results of 17 previous studies involving over 15,000 men from around the world to ask the age old question: How big is the average penis, and what does…
–Karen B.K. Chan– Karen B.K. Chan is a sex educator and emotional literacy trainer in Toronto, Canada. This article is part of a Discussion addressing the question, ‘What changes can we make to our social, political and legal institutions to improve gender equity in Canada?’. In Canadian social policy and human service sectors, gender equity conventionally refers…
The Tête-à-Tête 