International Women's Night in Queer West Toronto June 24, 2008

Tuesday. June 24 - Queer Publlc Forum & Educational Workshop.

International Women's Night & The premiering of the powerful one-hour documentary "Until the Violence Stops (V-Day)"

An initiative of ACT Toronto and Gay West Community Network Inc.

Tuesday June 24 - Java Knights Queer Public Forum - Gladstone Hotel Art Bar 1214 Queen St. W. FREE, Event runs from 7 PM to 9:30 PM

Guest speaker - Carolina Gama, from Mujeres al Frente (Women in the Front Line) support group for Latin American LBTIQ Women and Transgender Persons from Mexico, Central and South America living and working in Toronto, Canada. The Group MUJERES AL FRENTE was created in March of 2006 when Refugee Lesbian Women coming from Latin America started to face serious difficulties on a daily life including learning and speaking a new language and adapting themselves to a life in a foreign country. The group was originally called Latin Lesbian Group, but now is open to bisexuals, transsexuals, intersex, queer and transgender people.

2nd Guest Speaker - Andrea C. Siemens, Andrea has spent over 8 years working and volunteering in the areas of international human rights and immigration/refugee advocacy. She has worked in direct legal and social services with asylum seekers, primarily in the US, with a focus on the most vulnerable of these, in particular detainees. Since returning to Canada in 2004 Andrea is active with Amnesty International's Refugee Network and is currently a member of Christian Peacemaker Teams, which has multiple nonviolent violence reduction teams around the world, and has been on team with CPT in the West Bank and Uganda. In Uganda, Andrea met with members of Sexual Minorities of Uganda or SMUG, a coalition of lgbt groups. Andrea is a straight ally who has worked tirelessly for the rights of lgbt and other vulnerable refugees.

Guest Speakers will be given 5-10 minutes to discuss their area expertise followed by a moderator session of questions, before being opened to the public for a Q&A period. Moderator: Michael Paré, Toronto queer rights activists and founder Gay West Community Network Inc.

Following our guest speakers, we will be premiering a powerful one-hour documentary "Until the Violence Stops" (V-Day) The global movement to end violence against women and girls, which grew out of Eve Ensler's play "The Vagina Monologues." Extraordinarily empowering and heartbreakingly funny,a Sundance film festival favourite UNTIL THE VIOLENCE STOPS chronicles how Eve Ensler's hit off-Broadway solo show The Vagina Monologues grew into V-Day, an international grassroots movement to stop violence against women and girls. The first of its kind, The Vagina Monologues has been widely recognized as "a celebration of women's sexuality and a condemnation of its violation" (The New York Times) and praised as "frank, humorous and moving" (Chicago Tribune). director Abby Epstein's UNTIL THE VIOLENCE STOPS features emotionally charged interviews and readings by everyday and celebrity women (including Rosie Perez, Salma Hayek, Rosario Dawson, Jane Fonda and Lisa Gay Hamilton), all of whom courageously reveal their intimate experiences and bond together to break the silence that surrounds abuse.

("Until the Violence Stops" video courtesy of West Side Stories Toronto's first video rental store catering to Lesbians and Queer WOMEN and the LgbT community Open daily 12 pm to 10 pm, 1499 Dundas St. W. southside just past Dufferin. Tel. 416-916-8357 webste: http://myspace.com/westsidestoriesvideo| Queer West Toronto, Ontario)

THE DETAILS: Gladstone Hotel Art Bar - 1214 Queen St W at Dufferin -- FREE, fresh finger food served and soft drinks, cash bar. Event runs from 7 PM to 9:30 PM. Street Map Please RSVP - Bryen [email protected] or Call 416-551-1709.

Official Website: http://gaywest.905host.net/files/javaknights.php