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{{Article for deletion/dated|page=Gemma Hickey|timestamp=20200105165656|year=2020|month=January|day=5|substed=yes|help=off}}

{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Gemma Hickey
| name = Gemma Hickey

Revision as of 22:55, 5 January 2020

Gemma Hickey
Born (1976-10-01) October 1, 1976 (age 47)[citation needed]
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Gemma Hickey is an LGBT activist and author living in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. They became one of the first people in Canada to receive a gender-neutral birth certificate, as well as a gender-neutral passport. They also founded The Pathways Foundation, an organization for victims of abuse by clergy.

Background

Hickey was born October 1, 1976 in St. John’s and educated at Gonzaga High School and Memorial University of Newfoundland. They hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies.[1][2] Hickey left the church in the 2000s, due to homophobia and transphobia.[3]

Hickey identifies as gender non-binary, using the pronoun "they." Hickey’s transition from female to non-binary is the subject of the 2017 documentary film “Just Be Gemma” which aired on CBC Television and the Documentary Channel (Canada) as well as the Nickel Film Festival[4] in St. John's and the Atlantic Film Festival in Halifax.[5][6]

Hickey married Breakwater Books president Rebecca Rose in June 2019.[7]

Activism

Gemma Hickey has spent years campaigning for LGBTQ2 rights in Canada, through their involvement in Egale Canada. In 2003, Hickey traveled to Halifax to present a brief on same-sex marriage to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights[8]. Hickey was president of the organization in 2005, when same-sex marriage in Canada was legalized.

Hickey is outspoken about the trauma of sexual abuse by clergy. After going public about being sexually abused at the hands of a Roman Catholic priest, Hickey founded The Pathways Foundation in 2013, a non-profit organization that helps people deal with the effects of such abuse. Hickey continues to raise the issue publicly, including attending the February 2019 Vatican sexual abuse summit in Rome.[9][10]

On June 2, 2015 a private member's bill was tabled in the House of Commons in Ottawa that Hickey had helped draft, to make June 1 the National Institutional Abuse Awareness Day.[11]

In 2015, Hickey undertook a 938-kilometer walk across the island of Newfoundland to raise awareness and funds for survivors of clergy abuse.[12][13] Hickey completed the month-long walk at the Mount Cashel Orphanage Memorial in St. John’s, the site of the largest sexual abuse scandal in Canadian history.[14][15][16]

Non-binary birth certificate

On December 14, 2017, Gemma Hickey became the first person in Newfoundland and Labrador, and one of the first in Canada, to receive a non-binary birth certificate.[17][18] Their application was initially rejected because The Vital Statistics Act, the applicable legislation in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, limited gender designation on the application form to male and female only. In response to the rejection, Hickey filed an application at the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador to challenge the constitutionality of the law. The province changed the legislation before the court proceedings concluded.[19] The space for 'gender' on Hickey's birth certificate is marked with 'X' instead of a 'M' or 'F'.[18]

Non-binary passport

Canada introduced non-binary passports in August 2017, becoming the first country in North and South America to allow its citizens to use 'X' in the gender category.[20] Hickey applied and received one of the first issued, and used the passport to travel to Germany and visit a memorial to gay people persecuted by the Nazis.[21] Hickey then traveled to Japan to speak about LGBTQ2 issues, a screening of their documentary, and a reading from their autobiography, Almost Feral.[22]

Honours and Awards

In 2012, Hickey was recognized with a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for their contribution to LBGTQ2 rights in Canada.[23]

In 2016, Hickey was named a Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Champion for their longstanding commitment to human rights protection, particularly for LGBTQ2 people.[24]

References

  1. ^ "Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences". Memorial University of Newfoundland. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  2. ^ "Convocation, 2003, Spring :: Memorial University of Newfoundland Convocation". collections.mun.ca. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ "Nickel Independent Film Festival 2018 Program". Issuu. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  5. ^ Just Be Gemma: New doc to air on CBCCBC. July 26, 2018.
  6. ^ Just Be Gemma among NL films at FIN Atlantic Film FestivalThe Telegram. August 22, 2018
  7. ^ [2]
  8. ^ "Evidence - JUST (37-2) - No. 33 - House of Commons of Canada". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  9. ^ Hickey in Rome for clergy abuse summit CBC. February 21, 2019.
  10. ^ Canadian clergy abuse survivor says Vatican 'owes God an apology' CTV News. September 23, 2018.
  11. ^ "MP Ryan Cleary proposes national day of institutional abuse awareness | CBC News". CBC. Retrieved 2018-09-22.
  12. ^ "A healing journey | The Southern Gazette". www.southerngazette.ca. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  13. ^ "On the home stretch | The Packet". www.thepacket.ca. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  14. ^ "'She's walking home hope': Gemma Hickey ends cross-island Hope Walk | CBC News". CBC. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  15. ^ "Mount Cashel Orphanage", Wikipedia, 2018-02-06, retrieved 2018-07-26
  16. ^ "Mount Cashel Orphanage Abuse Scandal". www.heritage.nf.ca. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  17. ^ Roberts, Kelly-Anne. "Gemma Hickey receives gender-neutral birth certificate". Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  18. ^ a b Gemma Hickey breaks new ground with gender-neutral birth certificate CBC. December 14, 2017.
  19. ^ Non-binary activist savours victory in Newfoundland Toronto Star. September 22, 2017.
  20. ^ Canada introduces gender-neutral 'X' option on passports The Guardian. August 31, 2017.
  21. ^ N.L. activist receives one of Canada's first gender-neutral passports CBC. October 22, 2018.
  22. ^ Transgender activist to participate in film screening, book reading in Tokyo The Telegram. February 9, 2019.
  23. ^ General, The Office of the Secretary to the Governor (2018-06-11). "The Governor General of Canada". Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  24. ^ "Mark Gruchy, Gemma Hickey named Human Rights Award winners | The Telegram". www.thetelegram.com. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
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