FACL and the LGBTQ+ Community

FACL and the LGBTQ+ Community

The Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (“FACL”) is a proud supporter of 2020 Western Canadian Pride. On September 14, FACL also hosted the Pride @ Work webinar. Pride @ Work was a panel discussion regarding the intersectionality between sexual orientation and race. Jas Badyal, Legal Practitioner and Dr. Sharanpal Ruprai, Professor of Women's and Gender Studies at the University of Winnipeg, highlighted the relationship between the LGBQT+ community and the legal community at large.

FACL’s core values are inclusivity and tolerance. FACL is motivated to stand with the LGBTQ+ community in addressing the disparities at every level of the justice system. FACL strives to raise awareness of the social and economic stigma faced by the LGBTQ+ community in work and personal life. As legal advocates, we remain open minded to advance conversations regarding equal justice and opportunities for the LGBTQ+ community.

In or around the months of June to August, cities worldwide celebrate Pride events to raise awareness for the LGBTQ+ community. The first events were held in 1970 in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco to commemorate the first anniversary of the New York City Stonewall riot, a pivotal moment in the LGBTQ+ community social movement.[1] In 2019, the largest Pride event in history was held in New York City, with over five-million people in attendance.[2]

1973 marked the first Pride events in Canada with Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg hosting documentary screenings, dances, picnics, art festivals, and rallies.[3] To this day, Pride events continue to take place annually in Canadian Provinces. Although, Canada recognizes the LGBTQ+ community as a protected group, there are regular occurrences of discrimination that arise. Discrimination of the LGBTQ+ community serves as a call to action for our organization and members of the general public to continually promote equality.

We encourage you to refer to the following organizations and resources for additional information:

Edmonton