“We’re poly, we’re proud and we’re going to continue our efforts to tell Canadians and the world that polyamory is here, is growing and is most likely practiced by someone that you know,” said Zoe Duff, Canadian Polyamory Advocacy Association (CPAA) Coordinator.

Sponsored by the CPAA, the conference will begin with a keynote address “Living Honestly and Creating Change” (Samantha Fraser, Toronto) and includes workshops with topics such as: Jealousy and Boundaries in Non-Monogamy – The Arc of the Polyamory Movement (Pepper Mint and Jen Day, San Francisco); How not to be a PolyElite Douchenozzle – Different Strokes and Double Standards (Samantha Fraser, Toronto); Narrative Interviews: Comparing New and Experienced Polyamorous People (Miriam Katz); Centering the Periphery: Finding Space for Polyamory’s Marginalized Identities (Patti Dervyshire, Tiffany Sostar and Melanie Carroll, Calgary); and Creating a Line Family (Richard Gilmore and Elon de Arcana, Seattle/Hawaii).  there will also be a panel discussion on Polyamory and Family Law (moderated by Zoe Duff, Victoria). 

An assortment of recreational activities are available for participants.  The CPAA’s Annual General Meeting will also be held during the weekend.

The CPAA intervened in BC Supreme Court because the language of a 120-year-old Canadian Criminal Code statute – which was aimed at allegedly abusive polygynous practices – captured many of the modern, egalitarian and secular relationships praacticed by polyamorists.  Justice Bauman ruled in November 2011 that the law does not apply to uncommitted polyamorous relationships.  The conference theme of “Claiming our Right to Love” references that confirmation of legaity and celebrates polyamory in Canada.

For more information on the conference visit polyadvocacy.ca or email info@polyadvocacy.ca

The CPAA is on Facebook at  facebook.com/polyadvocacy

-          advocacy for a general population awareness of polyamory;

-          building resources on the national level for legal and political rights;

-          providing resources for local organizers and assisting in their networking and program development;

-          outreach within the sex positive community particularly in the under 30 age group;

-          media and social media networking ;

-          facilitate/encourage research projects to gather demographic data of the Canadian poly community;

-          expand our reference library and database of poly friendly professionals;

-          policy development and long term advocacy planning for marriage rights and equal citizenship

Sessions will be ninety minutes long with fifteen minute breaks and will run from 8:30 to 4:30 pm on Saturday June 1^st.  Longer sessions would be scheduled for the evening of June 1^st or combined with the opening events on Friday May 31^st.  There are no sessions but the Annual General Meeting planned for Sunday June 2^nd.

PolyCon has a preference for Canadian presenters as we want to showcase what is happening in Canada and celebrate the gains achieved while brainstorming on the work ahead. International presenters are however welcome as we are happy to invite our global poly community to share its wisdom.

We encourage presenters to promote their projects, businesses, or other material during their session and at the conference.  However, 90% of any session should be non-promotion material or experiences.  There will be a vendors area available for sales and promotional booths.

Email info@polyadvocacy.ca   for your application.

PolyCon  -  Claiming Our Right to Love

May 31 to June 2, 2013

in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Friday night reception.
Saturday all day workshop sessions and evening events hosted by local poly groups.
Sunday AGM for CPAA membership and poly community leadership networking event.

Registration and more details to follow.  Watch the website for details as they unfold.   www.polyadvocacy.ca
Workshop facilitators, vendors, live entertainers, authors and children/youth activity facilitators interested in participating,please email info@polyadvocacy.ca
Poly community members interested in participating in the planning committee, please email zaeduff@polyadvocacy.ca

I wanted to see if it was possible to send a message through your organization for people to contact me? I was recently interviewed for The Globe and Mail’s article on Polyamory – my show was the basis for the article:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/relationships/polyamory-threes-or-fours-or-fives-company/article4560587/

I am pro-Polyamory and my goal is continuing the Polyamory conversation in the mainstream.
I hope to hear from you, I would love to spread the word through your organization.
Thanks so much, look forward to hearing from you.

best,
natalia garcia
executive producer/director
www.nataliagarcia.net

(Email posted with permission of the author)

VANCOUVER — March 30, 2012 — At its Annual General Meeting on March 25, 2012, the Canadian Polyamory Advocacy Association (CPAA) celebrated a successful end to litigation and various accomplishments acting as a voice for the legal rights of Canada’s polyamorous community. The CPAA aims to increase general awareness of polyamory in the coming year and further its role as a resource for polyamory organizers across the country.

At the meeting, which included supporters from across Canada, there was a spirited debate on strategies to increase public awareness about polyamory and its community of predominantly healthy, happy, modern and socially well-integrated families. The CPAA’s new board of directors is representative of its increasingly national advocacy focus, with directors residing in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Nova Scotia.

The AGM noted with much appreciation the retirement of three very hard working members of the association’s leadership team. The organization is “sad to lose them as directors but we are assured of their continued support as members”, says Zoe Duff, a continuing director.

“We have some exciting ideas for events and projects, and an excellent group of members and country-wide supporters who are firmly behind our team,” said Duff. “We’re poly, we’re proud, and we’re going to continue our efforts to tell Canadians and the world that polyamory is here, is growing, and is most likely practiced by someone that you know,” Duff continued.

Incoming director Anlina Sheng points out that while almost all polyamorous relationships are now legal in Canada, “we believe that formalized polyamorous relationships need to be decriminalized as well, and we’re prepared to fight for decriminalization if any polyamorous families or individuals are affected by this law in the future.” Sheng is referring to a ruling by BC Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Bauman last year.

The CPAA intervened in BC Supreme Court because the language of a 120-year-old Canadian Criminal Code statute — which was aimed at patriarchal polygamy — could capture the modern, egalitarian and secular relationships practiced by polyamorists. Bauman ruled in November 2011 that the law does not apply to unformalized polyamorous relationships.

 For more information on the CPAA, visit http://polyadvocacy.ca or email info@polyadvocacy.ca

The CPAA is on Facebook at http://facebook.com/polyadvocacy

-30-

 Contacts:

Zoe Duff, 250-419-1348, zaeduff@polyadvocacy.ca

Anlina Sheng, anlinasheng@polyadvocacy.ca

 ____________

Background

In a court process called a “reference”, in 2009 the BC government put a question to the BC Supreme Court to test the constitutionality of Section 293 of the Criminal Code of Canada (the so called “polygamy law”). The Canadian Polyamory Advocacy Association (CPAA) intervened in that court proceeding on behalf of polyamory and polyamorous Canadians.

On Nov 23, 2011, Chief Justice Bauman released his ruling on the constitutionality of Section 293 and ruled that the law does not apply to unformalized polyamorous relationships.

It is the CPAA’s position that adults should be free to choose to enter into multi partner intimate relationships without state interference as long as they are freely consenting and there is no criminal exploitation or abuse. Canadians have Charter rights to do so (rights of association, religion, equality, and of life, liberty and security of the person).

Polyamory (“many loves”) is the practice, desire, or acceptance of having more than one intimate relationship at a time with the knowledge and consent of everyone involved. Among the concepts critical to the understanding of consent and of ethical behaviour within polyamory are gender equality, self-determination, free choice for all involved, mutual trust, and equal respect among partners.

Polyamory is very different in philosophy from the patriarchal polygamy practiced in religious communities such as at Bountiful, BC. Polyamorous relationships may take a great variety of forms and are based on individual choice. In polyamory, women are free to choose more than one male partner and vice versa. And women are among the most active facilitators in polyamorous communities. Polyamory, which tends to be secular, is grounded in gender equality, self-determination, and free choice for everyone involved.

Newsweek Magazine reported that polyamory is a thriving phenomenon in the United States, with over half a million families openly living in relationships that are between multiple consenting partners. It is our experience that there is a similar ratio of polyamorists in Canada’s population. See http://www.newsweek.com/id/209164/.

The CPAA advocates on behalf of Canadians who practice polyamory. It promotes legal, social, government, and institutional acceptance and support of polyamory, and advances the interests of the Canadian polyamorous community generally. It is a non profit society, incorporated in the province of British Columbia.

The CPAA was founded in 2009 and has active members, volunteers, and supporters from across Canada.

For more information or to contact the CPAA, visit http://polyadvocacy.ca or email info@polyadvocacy.ca

The CPAA is on Facebook at http://facebook.com/polyadvocacy

Please watch for follow up blog postings and resources at the Canadian Polyamory Advocacy Association’s website at www.polyadvocacy.ca

I will also blog about it and the impact of the decision on polyamourous households in British Columbia and across Canada.

It is with mixed emotions – excitement, fear, and relief among others -  that I wait for this decision to be released.  One can ponder all the possible outcomes and their ramifications but really we just have to wait and see.  Am I likely to be faced with prosecution? Probably not but for sure not right away.  There’s an RCMP investigation in process regarding trafficking of BC girls to Warren Jeffs in Texas that will have to be complete and then they’ll focus on Bountiful.  I think that it was pretty clear in the proceedings that all sides have a problem with the law as it stands.  I think some direction on interpretation to make it possible to prosecute under this law is the worst that can happen. I felt that the plight of honourable loving polyamorous families was heard by Chief Justice Bauman and I believe any such interpretation will not include us.   Direction that the law is written so poorly that interpretation would in essence rewrite the law is the best outcome for all really.  Legislation that leaves no loop holes for those who truly do not have the best interest of others at heart and a zero tolerance for the abuse of men, women and children wherever it is found are shared interests in all of the participants in this case.   Legislation that does not criminalize the victims ought to be a key here as well.

I don’t think that there are many who have read the press or the actual documentation from the proceedings that would see the victims of abuse at Bountiful and other such colonies continue to suffer.  The problem is in assuming all multi-partnered households operate the same way.  Abuse is found in monogamous homes and perfectly healthy families exist in a multi-partnered families.  The structure of the relationship does not protect the individuals from being presupposed to abusive relationships nor accepting a growingly abusive relationship as it insidiously begins with that first inappropriate comment or action.  The core of it is between the ears of each and every one of us.  Self-esteem and those inner tapes from our childhood that tell us how to treat other people and what to expect and accept from other people.

How do you legislate that?  In a monogamous setting when the spouse is battered enough, the abuser is thrown in jail – maybe- there are restraining orders – maybe- there is court ordered treatment for addictions and psychiatry – maybe.  The resources are not there really to support any kind of recovery but it can take place to varying degrees.  The victims have transitional housing, financial help, counselling and more often long term adjustments and deep poverty.  The courts are involved, the police, the children’s ministry, non-profit support services, church groups, family members.  Legislation that is clear is difficult to enforce when intimate relationships and domestic abuse or child abuse occurs.  The end to abuse starts between the ears of the victim and the abuser.  They have to understand what is really occurring and why it is not acceptable.  When we truly believe that we deserve no better treatment or some higher power demands that we endure or participate in verbal, emotional or physical treatment of ourselves or another such that we/they are battered and miserable to ANY degree – not just when they arrive in the emergency ward – the input of friends, family, police or ministry personnel may or may not have much of an impact.  The message has to get past the ears, through all that grey matter and into the heart and belief system of the individuals.

The message that human life is meant for exploration, growth, freedom and happiness and that every human has a right to be happy, appreciated and loved. Every human being has a right to expect those who love them to treat them with respect and kindness.  You don’t have to do anything to deserve it.  You exist and thus deserve it same as those who would deny your happiness in preference to their own.

The province of British Columbia just introduced amendments to its Family Relations Act to address domestic abuse and look at these issues from the perspective of the well being of the children involved. In a nutshell, all decisions are to be based on what is best for the child and all other rights take a second place to that.  Terminology that is gender based or a bit antagonistic (parental support now instead of maintenance etc.) will be removed.

The law and those who enforce it begin to speak to the sense of self of the parents and child and the mission of parenthood which is the well being of the child.  Legislation valuing people is a good step towards those people valuing themselves.

Regardless of the decision in this case and the process of appeal or amending legislation that may take years, the work at Bountiful  – and anywhere domestic and child abuse is secreted in homes of every description across Canada – has only just begun.  Eradicating domestic and child abuse in my life time is a dream that I continue to dream.  What a wonderful country we’d live in where every child – male or female – grew up to experience a life where intimate partners’ and family members’ support and empowerment is the norm and stories of domestic abuse and child abuse are only in the history books.

( reposted from dearpollyamorie.blogspot.com with permission)

Friends of CPAA Advocacy Team

Visit this group

We are actively recruiting people who would like to participate in a coordinated advocacy team. There are tasks for all levels of “out”-ness and comfort:
- Media watch (spot articles to which we ought to be responsive)
- Write letters to the editor, and /or letters to politicians and bureaucrats.
- Visit/phone MP’s and MLA’s.
- Briefly talk to people in your every day activities.

Groups forming all across Canada and meeting once per month in a home near you. These meetings will provide you with training and information to participate at your most comfortable involvement. Skype contact between groups to keep our heart fires burning across the country. For more information email info@polyadvocacy.ca