20 years ago women in Canada won the historic right to abortion on demand. While the vast majority of Canadians support this right, it is still a choice that often stigmatizes women. These simple portraits show women who have made the choice to have an abortion for what they are: sisters, mothers, neighbours, lovers, friends. These portraits and stories give women voice in a society that so often keeps them silent.

Portraits by Kathryn Palmateer
Opening: May 15th, 7-10pm
Tinto Coffee House
89 Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto

Dance performance by Elizabeth Dawn Snell
Musical Performance by Laura Repo
MC: Jessica Yee

The show in Toronto runs from May 11th - June 1st.

Kathryn will be travelling across Canada after the Toronto show and is still looking for participants, so if you or someone you know is interested in being part of this important project, check out the newly launched website or e-mail arts4choice@gmail.com

Come and say hello to Shameless at the Toronto Small Press Book Fair!

Spring 2008 Toronto Small Press Book Fair
Sat Jun 07, 2008/ 11am - 5pm — free!
The Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre (750 Spadina Ave)
More info: torontosmallpressbookfair.org

On May 29th at 7pm, The Toronto Cyclists Union is holding a fundraiser at the Bloor Cinema. They will be screening Pee-wee’s Big Adventure while a live Rocky Horror-style cast performs along with the film.

The cast will include members of The Hidden Cameras, Broken Social Scene, Apostle of Hustle, Kids on TV, The Old Soul, Republic of Safety, The Phonemes, and more.(more inside…)

My friend Carmelle Wolfson and Zach Pedersen, Nikki McDonald, Dagna Pielaszkiewicz and Gemma Holdway produced this short documentary profiling Dakota/Cree activist Audrey Redman on her path to healing as a survivor of Canada’s residential schools.

Indian Road documents one of the best kept secrets of the government and churches that horrendously removed culture and left a legacy of pain and destruction for us as Native peoples in Canada.

Playing:
Friday May 2nd
7-8pm
George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre
245 Church St.
Room 103

It’s not to be missed! Contact Carmelle at cwolfson@ryerson.ca for more info.

Time for a little shameless (heh heh) self-promotion (sort of): if you like your media free from corporate manipulation, remember that even free media ain’t free to run, and support your local community media outlet. CKUT, Montreal’s community radio station, is holding its annual funding drive, where the station raises money to cover its operating costs. Because they’re not backed by either large corporations or advertising, grassroots media organizations (like Shameless!) need the support of the public to exist. So if you have any cash to spare after donating to your fave feminist publication, consider helping out CKUT or an independent media outlet in your neighborhood. We need these organizations to ensure we continue to have a diversity of voices in the media landscape. And honestly, where else are you going to hear MIA and Team Dresch back to back? Clear Channel? Methinks not.

portrait of the author as a budding radio enthusiast, circa 1988

For Venus’s annual funding show, we’re going to be doing live karaoke in studio, with special guests from some of our favorite local bands, like Thundrah, Kickers, 100 Common Disasters, and more. The more pledges we get, the more we’ll embarrass ourselves! Tune in this Thursday from noon to 2 PM. Everyone wins!

There’s some science fiction workshop events upcoming at the Toronto Public Library that have some really fantastic female artists and writers involved. Definitely worth checking out if you have an interest in sci fi and fantasy! Click here for more details.

Tuesday, April 29, 7 p.m.
HOWTO write and publish genre fiction
A panel discussion with local authors Jim Munroe, Emily Pohl-Weary, Kristyn Dunnion and Paul Hong
Location: Eatonville Library, 430 Burnhamthorpe Rd.

Thursday, May 8, 5 p.m.
Learn about making a graphic novel with Emily Pohl-Weary and Willow Dawson, creators of Violet Miranda: Girl Pirate
Location: Centennial Library, 578 Finch Ave. W.

Monday, May 26, 7 p.m.
Noted feminists, poets and SF authors Candas Jane Dorsey, Paula Johanson, Sandra Kasturi and Phyllis Gotlieb read from and discuss their poetry. Q&A and book-signing to follow.
Location: Oakwood Village Library, 341 Oakwood Ave.

Want to be part of the next big FEMINIST thing in Canada???

REBELLES Waves of Resistance

On our way towards our Pan-Canadian Young Feminist Gathering!

11th, 12th and 13th of October 2008 – Montreal

Mobilize, network, energize, and deepen the roots of the young feminist movement across Canada!

For all you Torontonians to learn more about the gathering and how you can get involved, come out to our INFO SESSION:
Monday, April 21st, 6:30-7:30PM
563 Spadina Avenue, Rm. 100 (Centre for Women and Trans People at UofT)

This is a call to all young feminists, students, workers, un(der)employed women, artists, researchers, mothers, feminists of all tendencies and of all types, and of course emerging feminists…

Organizing meetings are happening across the country, so if you are not in Toronto contact info is as follows:
info@rebelles2008.org - www.rebelles2008.org - 514-876-0166 ext. 253.

(more inside…)

I am all about supporting the amazing musical talent we have in the Native community across what is now known as “North America”. And this is the kind of show you don’t want to miss out on.

The Trail of Broken Mics tour features a number of incredible musicians who are trailblazers in their genres and are representing their communities with pride. The tour will begin on April 18 in Tempe, Arizona with stops in New Mexico before making it’s way to Canada on May 15 in Edmonton.

The phenomenal lineup starting in the U.S.A. includes Quese Imc - Manik - Dead Indians - Daybi - Os12 - Wab Kinew - Tactile - Lakota Jonez - Night Shield - Yaiva - DJ Abel Rock - Team Rezofficial - ill Methods - Definition Rare - and Tinsel Korey.

For more information and a full list of Canadian stops, show them some love on their MYSPACE.

This tour is going to be nothing short of WOW and showcase some of the best up and comings who are producing awesome work and changing the world while they are at it. Start listening to any one of the lyrics in any of their songs and you’ll see.

I’ll post an update as the tour winds it’s way to Canada.

Check out the cool promo video after the jump.(more inside…)

Last time I wrote about the Derby girls, it was mostly to lament the fact that there were no tournaments in my neck of the woods for months to come. Well, the snow is melting, the leaves are budding, and is that a wristguard I spy?

The Beast cometh (Montreal Roller Derby)

The Montreal Roller Derby league is about to kick off its season with a tournament of heretofore unheard-of proportions - The Beast of the East, a full day of hip-checking, body-slamming, fishnet-ripping insanity. It all goes down April 19th from 10 AM to 10 PM, at Aréna St-Louis, 5633 St. Dominique. Teams from all over Canada and the States will be playing for the title (and the admiration and swooning of the fans).

There has been some debate, on this very board no less, as to whether or not Roller Derby constitutes a feminist activity or intervention. The point has been made that, while fun, Derby delegitimizes female sports, because of the outlandish costumes, sexy undertones, and focus on performance rather than skill (though skill is obviously necessary as well. Look at that photo. Good god, would you want to mix with that if you didn’t think you had what it takes?). But I kind of think that Derby is to sports what The Cramps are to barbershop quartets; granted, the latter is more refined, more about sheer skill, discipline, and good clean living, less about showiness and attitude. But I know who I’d rather be watching on a Saturday night.

(*no, I did not some up with this title myself. I’m not that genius, okay. It’s from a fundraiser the ladies held last week to help pay their way to a tournament in San Diego.)

(more inside…)