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A note on language Before we begin our study of disability justice, let’s take a moment to think about the language we are using. It is crucial that you know the difference between person-first language, and what it means to use the term “disabled”. Person-first language:  The person-first language of “persons with disabilities” is contested. Continue reading “DISABILITY JUSTICE: LESSON & BIG IDEA”

Summary: Trans women are women. Trans identity — defined broadly as a form of gender identity and expression that transcends the sex/gender binary — exists cross-culturally. That is, while the terms ‘trans’ and ‘transgender’ are relatively new terms in the Western contemporary context, there have always been people, all over the world, whose gender identitiesContinue reading “TRANS IDENTITY AND POLITICS: A SUMMARY”

Dean Spade is a leading trans legal scholar and the founder of the Sylvia Rivera Law Project (SRLP), which provides legal assistance to trans and low-income people. The SRLP is named after trans activist Sylvia Rivera who led the police resistance at the 1969 Stonewall Riots.  Associate Professor at the Seattle University School of Law,Continue reading “TRANS IDENTITY AND POLITICS: ASSIGNED RESOURCES”

LESSON: DEFINING SEXUALITY & GENDER IDENTITY Before we begin, it’s necessary to define some terms. In particular, understanding the difference between sexuality and gender identity is key for this module. While trans identity is included in the LGBTQ2S umbrella, gender identity is distinct from sexuality. Sexuality refers to attraction. What kinds of people capture yourContinue reading “LGBT RIGHTS & QUEER POLITICS: LESSON & BIG IDEA”

Are you an ecofeminist? Are you an ecofeminist? Do you favour an environmental justice approach? What does one approach offer that the other doesn’t? Or, do you believe that Indigenous feminisms have the most potential to transform human and non-human relations? Reflecting on where you sit can help you consider the differences between these theoreticalContinue reading “ECOFEMINISMS: A SUMMARY”

Before you study the assigned resources for this module, let’s pause and think about access and ableism.  Discussions of accessibility emphasize how physical barriers, such as stairs or narrow hallways, make spaces inaccessible but also how ideas or ideologies limit people’s access.  For example, the idea that disability is an impairment, a limitation, a disadvantage,Continue reading “DISABILITY JUSTICE: ASSIGNED RESOURCES”

TIMELINE: GENDER, RACE, & REPRESENTATION Below is a timeline of key moments related to gender, race, and political representation in the Canadian context. The purpose of this lesson is not to encourage you memorize particular dates, but to provide you with a “big picture” sense of the ways ‘progress’ towards equal representation has been unsteadyContinue reading “POLITICAL REPRESENTATION: BIG IDEA + LESSONS”

Summary: Black Lives Matter & Black Feminist Thought “We realize that the only people who care enough about us to work consistently for our liberation are us. Our politics evolve from a healthy love for ourselves, our sisters and our community which allows us to continue our struggle and work.” The Combahee River Collective StatementContinue reading “INTERSECTIONALITY & BLACK FEMINIST THOUGHT: SUMMARY”

You will complete two short readings for this module and watch a documentary.  First, bell hooks’s “Feminist Politics: Where We Stand” defines feminism as “a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression”.  bell hooks is a Black feminist scholar from Kentucky. Born Gloria Jean Watkins, she uses the name bell hooks in honour ofContinue reading “WOMEN’S MOVEMENTS & FEMINIST THEORIES: ASSIGNED RESOURCES”

LESSON: FEMINIST THEORIES ON THE GENDER DIVISION OF LABOUR The gender division of labour describes a system in which women tend to do the majority of unpaid labour in the home, whereas men tend to work in paid labour outside of the home.  Liberal, Marxist, and Socialist feminists each approach the gender division of labourContinue reading “WOMEN, GENDER, & WORK: LESSON AND BIG IDEA”