Camp fYrefly Saskatchewan has now opened summer registration to offer leadership and life skills to Saskatchewan LGBTQ2S (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Two Spirit) youth, aged 14-24.  This is the eleventh year of the camp in Saskatchewan and it runs August 15-18 in Saskatoon.

In addition, Camp fYrefly Saskatchewan is excited to announce that they have partnered with OUTSaskatoon, Saskatoon’s LGBTQ2S community centre. This partnership will allow Camp fYrefly to continue offering its annual leadership retreat for gender and sexually diverse youth from across Saskatchewan, while linking youth with OUTSaskatoon’s programs.

Deep down, Marilyn Neudorf knew who she was.

At the age of four, she recalls, she wanted affection from girls, something she buried inside herself and tried to pray away at a Bible-based high school.

After graduation, she attended a conference for LGBTQ2S+ people from across the prairies hosted by the Zodiac Friendship Society, the first major LGBTQ2S+ group in Saskatoon spearheaded by activist Gens Hellquist.

Read more here

Canada’s first long-term group home for LGBTQ youth has opened its doors in Saskatoon.

The first two residents moved into OUTSaskatoon’s Pride Home at the end of January. The space gives people a safe place to live with access to the non-profit’s services, like youth programming and counselling.

Read more here 

shOUT! Newsletter Dec. 2016 - Jan. 2017

This last month has included such a lovely mix of nostalgia, celebration, and anticipation as we commemorated 25 years of Gay and Lesbian Health Services, The Avenue Community Centre, and OUTSaskatoon!

Our very own Amanda Guthrie was interviewed on gender inclusive washrooms and the very importance they hold. Great job Amanda!

It's going to be a special holiday for Daniel Despins. For the first time in years, he's going to have Christmas dinner at home in Saskatoon.

"I'm very anxious to see my family," said Despins.

Born a woman, the 18-year old transgender teen has struggled since he revealed his sexual identity to his mother four years ago.

Read more here

The paper, out this week in the journal Social Science & Medicine, looked at a sample of 312 gay men with an average age of 61; a team of researchers led by Richard G. Wight asked the men the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with statements like “aging is especially hard for me because I am a gay man,” and “as I get older, I feel more invisible when I am with other gay men.”

Read more here

Amanda Guthrie is the youth and education coordinator at OUTSaskatoon, Saskatchewan’s queer resource centre. She tells Daily Xtra having queer students’ rights enshrined in legislation, rather than just in Ministry of Education policy, is key.

“We need to have legislation,” she says. “We need hard guidelines.”

Read more here

The Star Phoenix paid homage to local Saskatchewan author, Wes Funk today, who passed away this past weekend.  He will be missed by both the LGBTQ2S+ and the literary community.

Please find the article here.