PrideHouseTO

If you haven't heard, PrideHouseTO is open and everything is happening! Plus a preview of sound installation Analog Athletes located inside PHTO during the Games. Fore more info visit pridehouseto.ca

History will be made at the Pan Am Games as women take to the baseball diamond for the first time ever at a multi-sport Games. Why did it take so long? The answer is complex and fascinating. This episode features interviews with women's baseball historians Marilyn Cohen and Jennifer Ring. Nicole Luchanski of Baseball Canada Women's National Team and former child player Sarah Buchanan talk about their experiences in baseball. For more information on PrideHouseTO visit pridehouseto.ca

PrideHouse Toronto Café Series titled "Bodies in Sport." The conversation takes a deeper look at how sex and gender are visible and invisible in sport. Explored are the policies and practices of sex-segregation, sex and gender testing/verification and trans athlete inclusion that exist in sport and what meanings these practices reflect and create regarding sex and gender in sport. Guests include: Cassandra Lord - an Assistant Professor in Sexuality Studies, Women and Gender Studies Program, in the Department of Historical Studies at University of Toronto Mississauga (July 2015). Cassandra is interested in black diasporic queer culture, particularly how black queer life is lived, expressed and created. She is currently researching how black diasporic masculine-of-center women and gender non-conforming people in LGBTTQ communities, subvert and create streetwear fashion in Canada and the United States. Dr. Ian Ritchie - an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at Brock University in St. Catharines. Ian teaches courses in sport sociology and sociology of the modern Olympic Games, and his research interests include performance-enhancing drug use in sport and the history of anti-doping prohibitions, gender and sex testing, and general aspects of the Olympic Games. Dr. Nicole Neverson - an Associate Professor in the Sociology Department at Ryerson University. She teaches classes in the analysis of media representation and the sociology of sport. She has published in the area of sport, gender, and media representation. One of her past projects looked into the history, implementation, and ultimate demise of the Women’s Television Sports Network (WTSN). Nicole’s current projects focus on victims of police taser use in Canada and the use of critical approaches in teaching and learning in the university classroom.

Elena Chou is a sociologist. She researches issues of race, gender and pop culture. She’s also a big sports fan. In this interview Elena Chou talk about the treatment of female reporters and fans, queer athletes, gender based violence in professional sport and racism in international soccer. For more information on PrideHouseTO visit pridehouseto.ca

For Canadian soccer fans Erin McLeod needs no introduction. McLeod is the fearless goalie for team Canada. She also plays for the Houston Dash in the National Women’s Soccer League. In this interview Erin McLeod talks about the growing up in Alberta, creating opportunities for female referees, debates on how we view men and women’s bodies in sport, coming out publicly and the upcoming women’s world cup in Canada. For more information on PrideHouseTO visit pridehouseto.ca

Keph Senett is a creative nonfiction writer, queer activist soccer player and human rights champion. Keph has written about sports for ten years. In this interview we talk about the appeal of sport as an LGBTQ person, the challenges and rewards of being travel and sports writer, attending the Russian Open Games and the need for straight male allies to sometimes take a step back. For more of Keph's work: kephsenett.com For more information on PrideHouseTO visit pridehouseto.ca

Third installment of the PrideHouse Toronto Café Series titled, "Our Games on Native Land: Indigenous Communities and Multi-Sport Games." The conversation takes a deeper look at the ways in which Indigenous communities across Ontario are involved in and impacted by the hosting of a multi-sporting event such as the 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games. Guest Speakers include Dr. Janice Forsyth, Associate Professor in the School of Kinesiology at the University of Western Ontario and Director of the International Centre for Olympic Studies, Katelyn Murphy, Program Officer and Gender Specialist on the Promoting Life Skills in Aboriginal Youth (PLAY) program with Right to Play, E.J. Kwandibens, President of 2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations, Andre Morriseau, Senior Manager, Awards and Communications for the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, as well as Waneek Horn-Miller, Aboriginal Activist, Olympian and 1999 Pan Am Games gold medalist guides us in a conversation that explores both the challenges and importance of sport, health and wellness and inclusion within multi-sporting events and Indigenous communities.

Charlie Labonté is a 4 time Olympic gold medalist as an ice hockey goalie with Team Canada. In this feature length interview Labonté talks about coming out publicly, sports heroes, progress that has been made for LGBTQ folks in sports and the many, many challenges that still remain. Host, Ellie Gordon-Moershel spoke with Charlie Labonté just after she returned from a trip to Texas to promote the documentary Out to Win. For more information on PrideHouseTO visit pridehouseto.ca

Second installment of the Café Series titled "Investigating Inclusion: LGBTQ Sport in Toronto" focused on the notion of ‘inclusion’ in sport and the role of LGBT sport leagues and organizations in creating inclusive sport and recreation spaces. Speakers take a deeper look into the history and growth of Toronto's 40+ LGBTQ sport and recreation leagues and organizations as well as institutions such as the OutGames and Gay Games. Discussions include the role of such groups in creating LGBTQ-inclusive and -exclusive spaces and their success and challenges in developing inclusion within LGBTQ communities. Guests include: Kinnon Ross MacKinnon - PhD candidate at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, studying access to primary health care for trans populations Shawn Sheridan - Shawn has been involved in sport in various capacities for more than 25 years. He was involved in the formation of OUTSPORT TORONTO as a member of the governance committee, and has been the organisation's Chair since June of 2010. Christine Hsu - an advocate for healthy active lifestyle, sports and inclusion. Her current involvement in the community includes being the chair of the women's division in the Toronto Gay Football League as well as being part of the Policy and Advocacy Work Group of PrideHouseTO. Eddie Coleman - a successful Toronto Realtor and high-performance coach for Team Canada and Team Ontario beach volleyball athletes. Eddie was formerly the President of the Toronto Spartan Volleyball League (TSVL), Canada's largest LGBTQ sports league. As the longest serving President, Eddie led the recent growth and modernization of the TSVL Moderator: Matthew Cutler - Director of Strategic Partnership Initiatives at The 519, Matt leads the PrideHouse Toronto staff team.

A evening of conversation at The 519, home to the PrideHouse Toronto Pavilion at the 2015 Pan/ParaPan American Games. This event was the first in a five-part series and focused on the history, success and challenges of the 'Pride House movement'. Guests included Jennifer Birch-Jones, a member of the Pride House 2010 leadership team; Dr. Heather Sykes, an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto who focuses on issues of sexuality in physical education and in sport; Keph Senett, a Canadian writer and activist; Christelle Thibault, a volunteer member of the PrideHouseTO Policy Advocacy Working Group. Together, guests and conversation host Ashley McGhee explore the origins of the Pride House movement, the purpose and objectives of Pride Houses, the challenges and barriers presented by the movement and will look for ways PrideHouse Toronto can grow, change and improve to meet these challenges and help to ensure the 2015 Games are the most LGBT-inclusive in history.

Teaser features PrideHouseTO staff and cafe series participants. To learn more: pridehouseto.ca