The second annual Pride in Corrections Membership Conference is underway in Toronto, hosted by Ontario’s Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.
According to documents obtained by Xtra, Pride in Corrections provides an opportunity for members to “network and discuss the unique and diverse needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, two spirited, intersex, queer and questioning (LGBTT2SIQQ) staff in correctional institutions, probation and parole offices, and regional corporate offices.”
Documents say also that Pride in Corrections contributes to “promoting a healthy and diverse organization that reflects the ministry’s values and the communities we serve.”
Xtra was unable to contact a ministry spokesperson to discuss Pride in Corrections, but the event will be held at the Ontario Heritage Centre in Toronto from 9am to 4pm. Fifty-three people are scheduled to attend. Agenda items include networking exercises, guest speakers and an interactive session confronting heterosexism and homophobia.
The Pride in Corrections conference happens just weeks after Robert Ranger, a former Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre prison guard, was awarded lost wages for unchecked homophobic torment he received from his supervisor from 1998 to 2002.
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