Trans Teen Makes Vancouver 50 Most Powerful People List

I keep saying that our trans younglings are going to do some amazing things if just given the opportunity and the chance to live their lives to the best of their ability. In some cases, they are role modeling for their trans elders the courage and leadership it will take to make trans human rights laws, trans acceptance and recognition of our humanity a reality.

More evidence of that is coming from north of the border in Vancouver.

Vancouver magazine recently published their 15th annual list of the 50 most powerful people in the city. On this list that includes CEO's, politicians, labor leaders, First Nations leaders. and other movers and shakers in the city, at number 20 is 12 year old trans teen Tru Wilson

“I didn’t expect to be on posters and people recognizing me and making a difference for other kids,”says Tru. “I just wanted to be me.”

But that's exactly what happened.   Because Tru and her family refused to take no for an answer from the Catholic school  powers that be and pushed for her humanity to be recognized, the successful human rights complaint forced the Vancouver Catholic school system to develop policies for trans students like herself that the Vancouver Public Schools were already working on.

Global TV was also telling their story at the time, and since that successfully mediated BC human rights complaint Tru has continued speaking out about transgender issues with a bigger goal in mind.

What's that goal?   To have a chat with new Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about getting trams people's human rights ensconced into federal law in the Great White North.

Congrats Tru!  So proud of you and looking forward to seeing if you get to have that meeting with not only Premier Christy Clark in your home province of British Columbia, but the one with PM Trudeau as well.

Justice For January Rally Tonight

I posted about January Marie Lapuz, one of the girls like us in the Vancouver area who was loved and respected in the community being murdered in her New Westminster, BC home on September 29th of last year.  
Charles Neel, the person who is alleged to have committed the crime was arrested on December 5 and charged with her murder. 

Later today the Vancouver trans community and their allies will have a rally starting at 4 PM PST in support of January.  They will gather at the New Westminster City Hall and march to the New Westminster Provincial Courthouse in a call for justice for January Lapuz and in opposition to the release of Charles Neel.   

Activists at this rally will call on the Canadian federal and British Columbia provincial governments to immediately enshrine human rights protections at the federal and the provincial level in BC for all gender variant, transgender, transsexual, two spirit, intersexual, and other individuals.  

They will also call for general reform and improvement of BC's Trans Health Program, and ending the mistreatment of Canada's transgender and gender variant citizens.

Good luck and hope you have a sizable turnout for this event.

12-1, Renee: USA! USA! USA!

The back to back world champion and number one ranked Team USA played their first game in this 2010 women's Olympic hockey tournament versus China.

Team USA unleashed 61 shots on goal and took a 5-0 lead after the first period concluded enroute to tying an American Olympic record with their 12-1 victory.

The game was played in front of a flag waving crowd that included Vice President Joe Biden and his wife and 1980 USA Olympic hockey captain Mike Eruzione.

Jenny Potter scored three goals in only 22 minutes to become the all time leading scorer in US Olympic history male or female.

“You don’t ever like to beat a team, 12-1,” Natalie Darwitz, the American captain, said, adding, “I think we got a little sloppy there in the middle and the end. It’s kind of a tough game when you’re controlling the play and it gets to be about goals and points. You get away from doing the little things.”

Team USA's next Group B game will take place on Tuesday against the Russians, who lost to Finland 5-1 in their opener.

One down, four to go

The Vancouver Games Begin

They got off to a sad start with the unfortunate death of a Georgian luger during a practice run at the Whistler Sliding Centre Friday morning, but the XXI Winter Olympic Games are underway.

So is the athletic competition that we'll be enjoying for the next two weeks. As a matter of fact, the ski jumping prelims took place before the opening ceremony.

With the start of these games, Vancouver with a population of 2 million now has the distinction of being the largest city to ever host a Winter Olympic games. This is also the first time that an opening ceremony was held indoors as well.

Governor General Michaelle Jean declared the games opened as the honor of the lighting the cauldron fell to hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, NBA baller Steve Nash, and Olympians Catriona Le May Doan and Nancy Greene Raine.

The ceremony went flawlessly until it was time to light the indoor cauldron, and one of the four arms failed to lift, leaving Catriona Le May Doan holding her torch as the other three pillars were lit.

Today was a drama filled day, but let's hope that the only drama from now until the February 28 closing ceremony is focused on the competition.

Can Vancouver Top Beijing's Olympic Opener?

The Winter Olympics opening ceremonies will take place later tonight. The question that people around the world are asking is what will Vancouver do to top the awesome spectacle Beijing put on to open the 2008 Games.

It seems since 1992 the torch lighting ceremonies have gotten more spectacular from an archer being used to light the Olympic flame cauldron in Barcelona to Li Ning sky walking his way to the Beijing one.



That's the gold standard so far. Here's the one for Torino 2006.



So the big questions being asked are not only who will be the person or persons from Canadian Olympic history be who will light the Olympic flame, but how will they do it?