pride of the prairies
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The Canadian Museum for Human Rights, seen here in rainbow col- ours, overlooks the Pride Festival site at The Forks. Photo by Aaron Cohen
“ Stories of violation, survival, resistance and inspiration encourage learning from past and present to enter into an emerging rights conversation about the future.
Some of the gallery highlights for visitors interested in LGBT issues include: • Protecting Rights in Canada: Explorations of rights issues in Canada’s legal system include the Supreme Court of Canada case of Vriend vs. Alberta, centred on a teacher who lost his job because of his sexual orientation. • Examiningthe Holocaust: Includes an exhibit about the persecu- tion of homosexuals in Nazi Germany, and the brutality of their treatment in concentration camps. •Turning Points for Humanity: Includes gender and sex- ual diversity rights, with introductory narration by Quebec pro-diversity researcher David Risse. This gallery includes Arsham Parsi’s story and the Blue Diamond Society’s work for gay rights in Nepal. • Actions Count: Includes the creation of Pink Shirt Day for action against bullying and homophobia in schools. An interactive table game poses a scenario about establishing a Gay-Straight Alliance school group. • RightsToday: A human rights defender tapestry includes the story of Jamaican Canadian human rights defender Gareth Henry, who has risked his life to support those threatened by homophobia or living with HIV/AIDS. • Canadian Journeys: An exhibit alcove focuses on the fight for same-sex marriage rights. Illuminated wedding photos contributed by couples from across the country form a stylized wedding cake and digital stories. The niche also features artifacts from two pioneering same-sex marriages, including Winnipeg’s Chris Vogel and Rick North.
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