CANADA
Male to Male relationships: Legal
Punishments for male to male relationships: No law
Female to Female Relationships: Legal
Age of consent: Different for heterosexuals and homosexuals
Marriage and Substitutes for Marriage: Recognized on national level
Is it possible to change your gender on official documents?: Only in some areas
Gay or lesbian able to serve in the armed forces: Yes
Vancouver, BC - On February 19th, 2010, Canada’s LGBT Human Rights Hall of Fame, Q Hall of Fame, is proud to officially launch their website and the public nomination process as promised at the inaugural event in 2009.
“This is the natural progression of a dream that started in 2009 and now the community can actively participate in that dream,” commented Paul Therien, Founder and Chair of the Q Hall of Fame. “We made a commitment to the community that our inductees would come from a public nomination process, and we can now proudly say that is happening.”
Inductees are chosen via a ‘blind’ selection committee who review the nominations based strictly on the merits of their contribution as opposed to who the nominee is.
“We mandated that the Hall of Fame would be unbiased and non partisan. Although that can be challenging, we will endeavor to adhere to that as best we can,” Therien stated. “Our goal is that all inductees are entered into the Hall of Fame based strictly on the work they have done for the community.”
Therien encourages all members of the community, no matter where they are located in the nation, to participate.
“We want to hear from all across Canada, not just people in the major centers. That is why we decided to go with a simplified online nomination process – it needs to be accessible to everyone.”
Inductees are role models. not just for members of the LGBT community, but for all Canadians. The Q Hall of Fame inductees are a true source of pride, admiration, and dignity for us all. It is through the vision and accomplishments of such pioneers that future generations may better understand and embrace our community and culture.
Over the years, inductees have become persons of great achievement in the LGBT community making significant efforts to ensure our collective freedoms. Their extensive work with human rights and charitable organizations has garnered the widespread public support of fellow citizens and tremendous admiration by their peers.
Q Ball, the official induction ceremony and black tie event will be held Sunday August 01, 2010 Westin Bayshore Resort and Marina in Vancouver.
Tickets are $100 in advance and scheduled to be released in in the spring.
For more info and to nominate your hero, please visit www.qhalloffame.ca
ABOUT THE Q HALL OF FAME:
The QHall of Fame is a national resource headquartered in Vancouver to house and commemorate the diverse history of the LGBT community. The Hall of Fame is about both honouring those who have pioneered the rights of the LGBT community and documenting and remembering the accomplishments and lives of these amazing people. Inductees are selected by an independent committee from nominations received from people across the country.
www.qhalloffame.ca
ABOUT Q BALL:
Q BALL is the annual fundraising event and Q Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Although it is being hosted in Vancouver in its first two years, it is the goal of the Hall of Fame that Q BALL travel across Canada.
As Q Ball travels across the country, its goal is to raise much needed funds for local community groups in the host city.
www.qhalloffame.ca