Community news: 2SLGBTQIA+ seniors
2SLGBTQIA+ seniors community: Recent news
Chris Morrissey, OC, passed away
DSS is deeply saddened to report that Chris Morrissey, OC, passed away Monday April 14th 2025
Chris Morrissey was a Canadian 2SLGBTQIA+ activist who successfully challenged Canada’s immigration laws in 1992 when her Irish-American partner’s application for immigration was rejected.
The pair launched a legal challenge alleging discrimination on the basis of gender, family and sexual orientation because Morrissey was unable to sponsor a partner the same way a heterosexual person could.
Hearing from other couples experiencing the same issue, Morrissey and her partner Bridget Coll founded the Lesbian and Gay Immigration Task Force (LEGIT) in Vancouver to assist same-sex couples of different nationalities find legal loopholes to enable their cohabitation within Canada.
In 2002, the federal government introduced new laws that allowed one common-law partner to sponsor another.
She co-founded and led Rainbow Refugee in Canada, an organization that assists 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals to leave countries where persecution exists and resettle in Canada.
Among Chris’s many accolades, she was a recipient of the Officer of the Order of Canada award and one of Dignity Seniors Society’s inaugural Q-Elders Project recipients.
From transition homes for women leaving violence, to our local 2SLGBTQIA+ community centre (now QMUNITY), Queer seniors advocacy, and disability justice at the City of Vancouver, there are so many ways that her work lives on through bettering the lives of 2SLGBTQIA+ people in Canada.
Chris passed away peacefully surrounded by her chosen family. Until her final days, she remained dedicated to supporting immigrants, the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and other marginalized groups through her advocacy and community work.
Thank you Chris for your hard work in breaking down the barriers in Canada for 2SLGBTQIA+ immigration, and for your tireless work on behalf of queer seniors advocacy. 🙏
— Barb Snelgrove, for DSS
Images: Chris Morrissey (Q-Elders Project) | Barb & Chris
QMUNITY 🌻Spring Fling! 🌷Thu Apr 03
QMUNITY Spring Fling 2025
A 55+ Celebration of Renewal & Community!
1 - 4 pm Thursday April 03
Creekside Community Centre
1 Athletes Way
Vancouver, BC V5Y 0B1
Join us at Creekside for free lunch, entertainment, door prizes, and more! Connect with community and enjoy the season!
Accessible space with elevator. Register here!
https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/qmunty-spring-fling--2025
Contact seniors@qmunity.ca with any questions
Event Timeline
(1:00 - 1:15) Check In
(1:15 - 1:30) L A and W, Band Introduction
(1:30 - 3:00) Serving food
(1:30 - 2:15) First Set
(2:15 - 2:45) Speech / QuIRK-E readings
(2:45 - 3:30) Second Set
(3:30 - 4:00) Door Prizes and Closing
If you need help with registration, please call our front desk at (604) 684-5307.
QUEST+ Café for 2SLGBTQIA+ Seniors
Supporting older adults who identify with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community
This café is an opportunity to come together and connect with fellow 2SLGBTQIA+ older adults.
It will feature Indira (Indi) Riadi, who will be presenting the methods and findings of her Ph.D. research project, focusing on exploring the social determinants of mental health of 2SLGBTQIA+ seniors who live in Vancouver’s West End. …
Refreshments provided.
When: 2 - 4 pm Tuesday March 25, 2025
Where: Burnaby Neighbourhood House, 4460 Beresford Street, Burnaby
Contact / RSVP (e-mail): QUESTPlus@burnabynh.ca
Poster (pdf)
Invitation to participate: ArQuives Community Ties community conversation - Vancouver: Sun Mar 9
Invitation to participate:
ArQuives Community Ties community conversation
Vancouver: Sunday March 09, 2025
The ArQuives: Canada’s LGBTQ2+ Archives - with support from Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE; a DSS funder! 🙏) - launched Community Ties: Our Future Together, a community consultation initiative to strengthen The ArQuives, and expand their impact across Canada.
We are starting a national conversation about how The ArQuives can best serve communities across Canada over the next 50 years.
In each city, we’re gathering 15 LGBTQ2+ community members to share challenges, hopes and dreams related to how we Keep Our Stories Alive. There will be a short presentation and friendly facilitation by The ArQuives, and there will be an opportunity to participate in collaborating to make a zine that captures what makes your community great!
In Vancouver, we especially want to reach out to and meet:
LGBTQ2+ community members who already are or might be interested in our programming;
researchers, academics, and media who already or might use The ArQuives’ collections in their work; and
partner organizations, including libraries, archives, museums, arts and heritage organizations, cultural institutions, and other LGBTQ2+ organizations.
We have developed an RSVP form for participants with a brief questionnaire designed to help us prepare for each session (links below). Please share this link with others in your community, especially those from historically marginalized communities.
Honoraria are available for community members for whom attending is not part of their professional duties, and refreshments will be provided.
While we would like to invite anyone who may be able to attend, space and capacity is limited. For folks who are unable to participate on that day, we will have additional opportunities to engage, including virtual one-on-one interviews and an online national survey.
Key links:
Participant outreach page (in English and French)
Participant questionnaire (English)
Questionnaire pour les participants·es (français)
Thanks for your assistance and collaboration! Your insights will be crucial in building a stronger, more connected future for The ArQuives and the communities we serve.
Questions? Contact Nico Mara-McKay (they/iel), Project Coordinator, projectcoordinator@arquives.ca
🏳️⚧️ Name change party + Panel discussion
🏳️⚧️ Name Change Party 🏳️⚧️
March 31, 2025 | 3 - 6 PM | 312 Main Street
Join us for an afternoon of community, conversation, and celebration in partnership with Juritrans and Lawyers Against Transphobia.
Name Change Appointments: Get support with your legal name change process. Appointments are required—a link to book will be on social media in the coming week.
Cake & Community: Whether you're here for a name change or just to connect, come enjoy some cake and be in community! 🏳️🌈
💬Panel Discussion and Q&A 💬
March 31, 2025 | 7 - 8:30 PM | 312 Main Street
Panel Discussion & Q&A: Our staff lawyer River Shannon will facilitate a discussion with Didi Dufresne (QMUNITY's Director of Legal Services), Celeste Trianon (Juritrans), and barbara findlay (Lawyers Against Transphobia).
Bring your questions and join the conversation about the importance of names, identity, and legal processes. 🏳️⚧️