Rarica Now is a non-profit organization that promotes Human Rights for all LGBTIQ+ refugees and newcomers to Canada. The organization also leverages service provision to address the refugee’s needs and continue promoting conversations in the same area of focus, sharing triumphs and focusing on being part of institutions rectifying their struggles through political, social, economic and cultural means.
Rarica’s vision is for a world where all persons, especially transgender persons and refugees, have support, feel safe, are empowered, and are dignified with a mission of coordinating, collaborating and building a social justice movement that will leverage transgender refuge’s agency and autonomy at a local, provincial, national and international level—all the while enhancing collective capacity to advocate for all LGBTIQ+ refugees and People of Color’s rights and access to basic services. The organization promotes equal rights, awareness, education, advocacy, and access to culturally relevant support and services for transgender, queer, and gay refugees. Rarica values equity, integrity, humanity, social justice for all and especially for the Trans community.
Rarica Now was founded on 15th May 2017 by Adebayo Katiiti, a transgender athlete and activist. He came to Edmonton from Uganda for the ILGA swimming competition. From August 9th to 13th, 2016, this competition took place at Kinsmen Sport Centre, 9100 Walterdale Hill, Edmonton, AB, and was organized by Making Waves Edmonton Gay Swim Club. Adebayo could not go back home because of fear of being persecuted by Uganda’s Police Force after police raided the gay pride event. He was among the people who were arrested. This event happened just before he came to Canada. Adebayo was being disowned and discriminated against by his own family as they discovered that he was a transgender man during these times. Adebayo applied for refugee status in Canada to save his life and is currently a permanent Residence in Canada. Since his arrival, he has dedicated his life to advocating for LGBTQ+ refugees. His work includes organizing campaigns, stopping deportations, finding support for settlement and building a strong and powerful community for LGBTIQ+ Refugees. He passionately continues to share his story and experience amidst the threats from white supremacists who have targeted him. He addresses and speaks out on matters challenging the transgender community in Alberta. He is a certified National Lifeguard, physical fitness trainer and professional dance instructor, holds a Bachelors in Sports Science from Makerere University Kampala, Uganda.
Contact information:
stonewallconvention@gmail.com
Project History and Background
The commemoration anniversary of Stonewall was pioneered by Rarica Now and other community groups and organizations on the 28th day of June 2019. Rarica Now brought about creating this project following a chain of events similar to what had happened 52 years ago back in New York City on June 28th, 1969, when police raided Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village neighbourhood of Manhattan. It was there, in the 1970s, that members of the LGBTQ+ community like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera started a fight against deprivation, oppression, police brutality and for the liberation of the LGBTQ+ movement.
On April 6th, 2019, Edmonton’s Pride Festival Society organized a meeting at the McKernan Community Hall to vote on demands made by racialized Black, Indigenous, Trans, queer community members surrounding the festival. One of the demands was for the festival leaders to uninvite the police, RCMP, and military to attend in their uniform to offer a safe place for all members of the LGBTQI2S+ who attends the festival. They harassed other stakeholders during that meeting, and locked QTIBPOC2SLGBTQ+ community members out of the conversation, and deployed police against them. In June 201in-person9, the festival’s leaders announced the cancellation of the pride parade for 2019 with racist undertones that cancellation was due to the BIPOC Queer communities speaking up for their safety and wellbeing. Still, the festival leaders left us stonewalled on the 50th anniversary of Stonewall.
On June 28th, 2019, Rarica Now and Shades of Colours called for Edmonton’s community to protest systemic injustices against all members of the LGBTIQ+ community in Canada without excluding some members. The protest took place on Metis land Amiskwaciy Waskahigan, Treaty 6 territory, at the Alberta Legislature Building. The demonstration included a rally, a vigil and a Stonewall dance after-party. This action was the most significant event since the actual festival cancellation.
On June 28th, 2020, we marched and rallied on the streets with Black Trans Lives Matter Stonewall at Churchill Square in Edmonton. The event had speakers and performers demanding protection and calling for justice. They spoke of the importance of Black Lives Matter as a movement. We believe that the Queer community must use their voices to demonstrate that Black Trans Lives Matter as our Black Trans families are disproportionately impacted by nearly every social measure and needs our communities to rally in support of their equity and justice.
On Saturday, August 29th of 2020, Black Trans Lives Matter Stonewall was joined by the Black Lives Matter movement and Idle No More to host a Stonewall rally in Calgary. We asked to defund the police and to re-allocate the funds to the community. Even though Calgary has a sinister history of white supremacy and nazi hate groups, we saw a massive turnout and were met with incredible support. This turn of events has shown the trans community that we do not forget our own and that we will be loud voices in the call for human rights. Because all lives can’t matter until Black lives and Black Trans lives matter.
Our key Project activities for 2021-2022 Included:
A vigil celebration at night, on June 27th, 2021- 2022, will be the time to drum, celebrate and pray for our fallen brothers and sisters not only at Stonewall but all over the world whose lives were taken unjustly for their beliefs, their sexuality and their rejection by society! Gender-based violence for missing and murdered indigenous women and girls and the gender diverse community.
Stonewall International Conference June 25-26th 2021 - 2022. The conference will bring transgender, non-binary people, both women and men, adults and youths, united from all over the world to formulate a way forward to defend transgender people and strengthen the movement. The conference will also discuss synergies amongst the movement members and other partners for a new dawn for members of the LGBTQ+ community. We will select a credible candidate to present a paper on the history of minority groups, their rights and how better we can create safe spaces for everyone’s coexistence. We will also select a panel of credible candidates in advance to discuss the paper. The conference will draw action points on the way forward and set a new plan of action in embracing and defending minority rights groups.
The Annual International Stonewall Awards and talent show 27th June 2021-2022 (the first of this kind). These will climax the conference as well as the anniversary and will be held every year. The awards will be given to outstanding activists worldwide who have come out strongly to defend the rights of LGBTQI+, especially Black Trans people. A board of competent people will be created to search, choose, select, nominate, acknowledge, and appreciate these activists through awards every year. Awardees will be selected from all walks of life, be it professional or non-professionals, formal or informal sectors, religious leaders, politicians, etc. Stonewall will be hosting its first-ever annual cultural Queer Trans talent show gala. Where different Queers and Trans folks across the globe will be performing and sharing their diverse talents and creations. The gala will celebrate diversity and the existence of fabulous Queer and Trans art and artists along with their skills and cultures from different walks of life. Because we are here, we are queer, and we are excellent performers.
Medical anatomic charts, We commit to create and distribute Trans, Queer, and Non-Binary anatomic medical body charts. We will send them to various healthcare facilities, hospitals and other medical places. We will work to include and represent Trans bodies in the medical fields as we fight the stigmatization, transphobia and misrepresentation of our bodies in these sectors. We commit to accentuates the normalization of Trans bodies in these facilities.
Stonewall magazine will include the works of different Black, Trans, Queer artists, activists and advocates. It will provide a platform for writers, photographers, editors, and graphic designers who are Queer and Trans-identifying to promote and share their works worldwide.
The Stonewall project applies interactive adult learning methods, including the use of Alternative Language Channels, which are the use of ceremonies, rituals, storytelling, dancing, and poetry, use of role-plays, metaphors and music. ASL Interpreter will also be in attendance to ensure the event is accessible to everyone. The use of Alternative Language Channels operates to guide and hold the participating communities together and encourage thinking outside the box to generate creative solutions and breakthroughs. Inclusive, gender-neutral methods and languages that are not limited to the gender-binary, financial compensation for the keynote speakers, honorarium for artists and performers, transportation logistics for volunteers and speakers, accessible building access, health care providers, first aiders, security and knowledge keepers will be on-site, as well.
Stonewall 2022 Edition.