Professor Singer receives this award alongside co-winner Professor Tuma Young of Cape Breton University.
Professor Singer is a trans lawyer, researcher, educator, and advocate who is deeply committed to advancing trans justice in Canada. His advocacy work includes public and judicial education, founding and supervising the Trans Legal Clinic in Montreal, and serving as a co-plaintiff in the ground-breaking Quebec human rights case, Centre for Gender Advocacy v. Attorney General of Quebec. In the academic context, he was the co-editor of the Canadian Journal of Law and Society’s special issue, On the Margins of Trans Legal Change, and his article, “Trans Rights Are Not Just Human Rights: Legal Strategies for Trans Justice” won the 2021 Canadian Law and Society Association English Article Prize. Professor Singer is also a dedicated tax law educator and researcher who received teaching awards for the 2017-2018, 2019-2020, and 2020-2021 academic years.
Tuma Young is an Assistant Professor of Mi’kmaq Studies at Cape Breton University. A survivor of Indian day schools, he became the first Mi’kmaq-speaking lawyer in Nova Scotia in 2002. Professor Young spearheaded successful efforts to modernize the supplies of the American Red Cross in Maine’s Migrant Blueberry Camps as an HIV/AIDS outreach worker during the 1990’s, helped create and foster a safe space for difficult discussions regarding HIV/AIDS for the Union of Nova Scotia Indians, and co-founded the Wabanaki Two Spirit Alliance.
The Common Law Section joins the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) in congratulating these two worthy recipients, and thanks them for their inspiring work on behalf of the LGBTQ2SI+ community.
The date for the presentation of the awards has yet to be determined. Updates will follow as they become available.
The CBA’s SOGIC section works to address the needs and concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and two-spirited people within the CBA. The SOGIC Hero Award was established in 1999 alongside the SOGIC Ally Award, which recognizes legal professionals who are advancing the cause of equality for the LGBTQ2SI+ community, but who are not themselves members of the community. Learn more about CBA SOGIC here.
