Shannon Vanraes

A bat mitzvah for two

After finding a home at Temple Shalom, one lesbian couple has taken a spiritual plunge together, and it doesn’t involve saying “I do” It’s a bat mitzvah.”I think that a Jewish lesbian couple having a joint bat mitzvah is not the norm, and what we want to do very quietly is to show the community that it can be done,” says Sara Raymond, who had a joint bat mitzvah (known as a b’not mitzvah) with her partner, Neire Mercer, on November 19.

Andrea Ritchie isn’t shy about her thoughts on the American justice system, or lack-there-of when it comes to the LGBT community. The New York-based police misconduct lawyer, and co-founder of INCITE! Women of Colour Against Violence, has recently co-authored a book on the subject and was in Winnipeg this summer to speak at the International Copwatch Conference about the role of law enforcement and its impact on LGBT communities.

For too many kids, it feels so good to be bad

Tellis Buenviaje is in the minority — not because of her sexual orientation, but because she is an LGBTQ student who feels safe at her high school. “Occasionally I would get insecure if people said something,” said the 16-year-old Maples Collegiate student, “but I’ve got a really great group of friends and I do feel like my school is safe.” But while Tellis may feel safe at school, she hasn’t been immune to verbal harassment.  “A few people might glare or someone yell out lezbo if they see me holding hands,” the Grade 11 student says.