Delays make Canada a poor choice for queer Ugandans

I have a new story up on the main page of Xtra.ca, which was about the appearance made by University of Ottawa professor Nicole LaViolette before the Commons subcommittee on international human rights. (The story is a week late in getting posted, but you can thank my editor for that). It's another story that I've been keeping my eye on, and it's always interesting to watch it continue to unfold. Also, it was nice to interview LaViolette in her professional capacity. Previously I had interviewed her as an athlete when she was a local participant in both the OutGames and GayGames (before I was doing political reporting as a focus).

Trans rights bill uncertain in Parliamentary landscape + Thoughts From the Hill - February Edition

The February issue of Outlooks is now on newsstands, and I once again have two pieces in it. The first is a look at the issues that Bill C-389 was facing before it went into third reading, and this is one of those instances where writing for a monthly magazine has its downside. C-389 was of course originally supposed to be debated in early March, which the article would have been perfectly timed for, but as things go, it managed to trade spots on the Parliamentary calendar, so that debate and vote happened before the issue went to print, but too late to change it. Alas! The second piece is my usual Thoughts From the Hill panel, this time looking at the upcoming budget (which, it turns out, will be released in late March). This was one of those months where all of my panelists were really concise in their points, so I was trying to actually find a way to pad it out a bit more as opposed to trying to edit down. This is also the first issue where Outlooks is moving to a fully paid magazine rather than one that's largely free with a few newsstand and subscription sales. This is all part of the growth strategy, and I'm looking forward to seeing how this develops.

The C-389 piece is on page 14, and the Thoughts from the Hill panel is on page 17.

Trans bill heads to Senate + AIDS drug bill clears major hurdle

The February issue of Xtra's Ottawa edition is now out, and I have two reprinted stories in it. The first is the story about Bill C-389 passing third reading in the House of Commons, and the other is the story about Bill C-393 passing its major procedural hurdle of being transferred to Paul Dewar's sponsorship. While the first story is largely reprinted intact, the second has shortened a bit more, but that's certainly not unusual in this day and age of the print edition.

Trans bill is at bottom of Senate pile

I have a new story up on the national page of Xtra.ca today about the process that Bill C-389 is going to face in the Senate. It was a really in depth piece, as there was a lot of ground to cover, and it was a fair bit of work, but I will also add that it was a lot of fun to write. I always enjoy writing Senate stories, and this was no exception. I'm quite looking forward to getting to follow the developments on this bill as it works its way through the Senate. (And that is my photo on the landing there, which I lucked out with in terms of getting to Chamber at an hour when the doors were open).

Brison attacks government secrecy

I have a new piece up on the national page of Xtra.ca which looks at the privilege motion that Scott Brison currently has before the House. It's an important issue that I fear is being overlooked because of the focus on corporate tax cuts portion of the motion in the mainstream media, but I'm glad that because of Brison's involvement, it gave me the excuse I needed to write about it. I look forward to seeing how this develops, as it's important to our very institutions of parliamentary democracy.

Trans rights bill heads to the Senate

I have a new story up on the national page of Xtra.ca today, which is the final outcome in the Commons of Bill C-389, a story which I've been tracking through its entire lifespan. Of course, now that it's heading to the Senate, I'll be shifting my focus on the bill to there, but as an avid Senate fan, I'm quite looking forward to this process, as talking with Senators is always a pleasure.

Jennings rips into McVety as trans bill heads to vote

I have a new piece on the national page of Xtra.ca today, which followed today's debate on Bill C-389 in the House today. As this is a bill I've been following for months, this was one more update to the ongoing story, but I got some feisty commentary from Marlene Jennings today, which was a fun angle to cover.

AIDS drug bill clears major hurdle

I have a new piece up on the main page of Xtra.ca today, which was another fairly unexpected piece given that I wasn't expecting this particular development for another several weeks, but lo and behold, it happened yesterday afternoon. And unlike the Globe and Mail's piece, I did more than just retype the NDP press release and actually talked to the people involved. Shocking, I know. In fact, one of the MPs involved thanked me for all of my excellent coverage today, which was really nice to hear.

Trans rights bill gets boost from Chow

I have a new piece up on the national page of Xtra.ca today, which was the result of some negotiations between parties that moved Bill C-389 up the Order Paper. Seeing as I've covered C-389 all the way through, so this particular development fairly interesting to cover, even though the real drama won't be until next week.

Canada calls for 'thorough investigation' of Kato murder

I have a second, shorter story up on the national page of Xtra.ca today, which stemmed from an exchange during Question Period in the House today. I was fortunately able to catch both Siksay on his way out, and get a question into Bob Rae during a scrum in the Foyer afterward, and this story was born as a result.

Conservatives remain opposed to cheap AIDS drug bill

I have a new story up on the national page of Xtra.ca today, which is the outcome of yesterday's debate on Bill C-389. There wound up being a few new developments, a few new voices on the issue (like Joyce Murray), as well as further developments from my story last week on the issue. And hey, another of my photos (this one from back in September) made it into the piece, so it's always nice to see.