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Libby Davies talks about Vancouver Pride and the Outgames

July 27, 2011
Xtra! News
Libby Davies talks about Vancouver Pride and the Outgames"I’ve often said that to me, the Pride parade reminds me of what the Peace Walk in Vancouver used to be in the '80s when upwards of 50,000 people would come out. The expression of love and positive feeling toward each other is what I find incredible at the parade, and it’s fun. People have water guns, and things happen spontaneously. The NDP will have a big contingent in it this year. Jack has been often in the past. He won’t be there this year, and I’m going to be thinking of him when I'm there."
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The NDP's Statement on the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia

May 19, 2011
Site News

Hi Friends,

Below is the NDP’s statement we released on Tuesday to mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. The NDP remains committed to working to promote the rights and freedoms of all LGBTT Canadians; we plan to continue Bill Siksay’s work and put forward his bill to establish full human rights protection for transgender persons in the upcoming session of Parliament.

Sincerely,

Libby

INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA AND TRANSPHOBIA

On this International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia, New Democrats stand in solidarity with members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and transsexual (LGBTT) communities in the movement to transform our society to one free of homophobic and transphobic prejudice and violence.

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Statement on the passing of David Kato

January 31, 2011
Updates from Libby

I offer my sincere condolences and sympathy to the family, friends, and supporters of David Kato, who was brutally murdered in his home on January 26, 2011.

David Kato embodied the GLBTT rights movement in Uganda through his work with the group, Sexual Minorities Uganda. His work led to the Uganda Human Rights Commission's October 2010 statement on the unconstitutionality of Uganda's draft "anti-homosexuality bill" and the Ugandan High Court's January 3 ruling safeguarding all Ugandans' right to privacy and the preservation of human dignity which prevents the “outing” of GLBTT persons.

His action on behalf of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered community remind us all that GLBTT rights are human rights that should be recognized by all people. His courage stands as a testament to the international struggle for human rights that continues still to this day.

David Kato strived to create a Uganda that recognized the equality, freedom and dignity of all people, and for that he will be remembered. Kato’s activism in the face of threats to his personal safety highlight that we as Canadians cannot stand by and watch the violence against and persecution of Uganda’s GLBTT community. We must speak out.

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Where are all the lesbians in federal politics?

October 19, 2010
Xtra.ca
Where are all the lesbians in federal politics?It's 2010 — where are all the out lesbians in federal politics? Currently, there are only two out lesbians in Parliament — NDP MP Libby Davies, and Conservative Senator Nancy Ruth — while there are four out gay MPs, and a number of others for whom their sexuality is an open secret on the Hill. Why so few lesbians?
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Libby calls for release of LGTB rights activist in Russia

September 21, 2010 Open Letters to Ministers & Public Officials

His Excellency Ambassador Georgiy Enverovich Mamedov
Embassy of the Russian Federation in Canada
285 Charlotte Street
Ottawa ON
K1N 8L5

Dear Ambassador Mamedov,

I am writing to express my concern over the arrest and detention of Nikolai Alekseev. Mr. Alekseev is a prominent human rights activist, and I am concerned about the ongoing persecution of him and other lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) activists in Russia.

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Libby Speaking out for Trans Rights

June 7, 2010 Speeches in Parliament

The NDP celebrated a historic vote yesterday. MP Bill Siksay's Private Member's Bill to amend the Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code to include gender identity and gender expression as prohibited grounds of discrimination, passed through second reading in the House of Commons.

Libby spoke to the importance of the bill in Parliament.

HANSARD
HOUSE OF COMMONS
June 8, 2010

Ms. Libby Davies (Vancouver East, NDP):
Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to rise in the House today to speak in support of Bill C-389. I would like to thank the member for Burnaby—Douglas who has been an outstanding critic for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and transsexual issues for our party and in fact for all Canadians.

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International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia

May 16, 2010 Press Release

STATEMENT BY NEW DEMOCRATS ON THE INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA AND TRANSPHOBIA

OTTAWA—On this International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia, New Democrats stand in solidarity with members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, trangender and transexual (GLBTT) communities in the movement to transform our society to one free of homophobic and transphobic prejudice and violence.

“New Democrats have long supported the full equality and security of GLBTT people, here in Canada and around the world. That's why we've placed trans rights firmly on Parliament's agenda with our bill to add gender identity and expression to the Canadian Human Rights Act, and to the hate crime and sentencing provisions of the Criminal Code. It's also why we sponsored a motion that received unanimous support in the House of Commons denouncing the ‘Anti-Homosexuality Bill’ being considered by the Ugandan Parliament,” said Bill Siksay, New Democrat Critic for GLBTT Issues.

Siksay's Private Members Bill (C-389), which would establish full and explicit human rights protection for transsexual and transgender Canadians, was debated on May 10th and will likely come to a vote in the House in June.

“Observances like International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia give us the opportunity to take stock of our progress, and recommit to a country and world where acceptance is the reality and violence and hatred are not tolerated,” added New Democrat Leader Jack Layton.

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