Gemma Hickey

Gemma Hickey is a Canadian LGBT rights activist and author. They became one of the first Canadians to receive a gender-neutral birth certificate and passport. Hickey founded The Pathways Foundation, an organization for victims of abuse by clergy.

Gemma Hickey
BornOctober 1st, 1976
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
NationalityCanadian
Other namesGemma Schlamp-Hickey
Alma materMemorial University of Newfoundland
OccupationLGBT rights activist, author
Political partyNew Democratic Party
Spouse(s)Wendolyn Schlamp (2006-unknown); Rebecca Rose (m. 2019)
AwardsQueen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012)

Background

Hickey was born in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, on October 1st, 1976[1]. They attended Gonzaga High School, graduating in 1994. From 1994 to 1998, they worked in various positions, among them being Coordinator for Friends and Lobbyists of the Waterford River. In 2003, Hickey graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from Memorial University of Newfoundland. During their time at post-secondary, they served as General Director of LBGT-MUN (now Sexual and Gender Advocacy).[2][3]

Hickey was raised in the Catholic Church, but left it in the 2000s. They became a member of the Wesley United Church of Canada congregation, being confirmed in 2003.[1][4] In 2007, they ran for a seat in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly in the riding of Kilbride, following the resignation of Ed Byrne.[5]

Hickey is non-binary, and uses the pronouns they and them. Hickey’s transition is the subject of the 2017 documentary film Just Be Gemma, which aired on CBC Television and the Documentary Channel, as well as being screened at the Nickel Film Festival[6] in St. John's and the Atlantic Film Festival in Halifax.[7][8]

In June 2019, Hickey married Rebecca Rose, the president of Breakwater Books.[9] They published their memoirs, Almost Feral, in October 2019.[10]

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 Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.[11] Hickey was president of the organization in 2005, when same-sex marriage in Canada was legalized.[12]

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.[13][14]

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.[15]

In 2015, Hickey undertook a 938-kilometer walk across the island of Newfoundland to raise awareness and funds for survivors of clergy abuse.[16][17] 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.[18][19]

Non-binary official documents

Canada introduced non-binary passports in August 2017, becoming the first country in the Americas 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]

On December 14, 2017, Hickey became the first person in Newfoundland and Labrador, and one of the first in Canada, to receive a non-binary birth certificate.[23][24] Their application was initially rejected because the Vital Statistics Act 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.[25] The space for 'gender' on Hickey's birth certificate is marked with 'X' instead of a 'M' or 'F'.[24]

Honours and awards

In 2012, Hickey was recognized with a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for their contribution to LBGTQ2 rights in Canada.[26]

In 2016, Hickey was named a Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Champion for their longstanding commitment to human rights protection, particularly for LGBTQ2 people.[27]

Bibliography
Year Title Publisher ISBN Pages Note
2019 Almost Feral[10] Breakwater Books 9781550817775 216 Hickey's memoirs.

Electoral results
2007 Newfoundland and Labrador general election[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Progressive ConservativeEd Buckingham3,64970.11–
  NDP Gemma Schlamp-Hickey 864 16.60
LiberalPeter Adams69213.29
By-Election: February 8, 2007 on the resignation of Ed Byrne
Party Candidate Votes % ±
  Progressive Conservative John Dinn 2,744 78.83 +0.55
LiberalBob Clarke50814.59-1.18
  NDP Gemma Schlamp-Hickey 229 6.58 +0.63
Total 3,481 100%
gollark: Which is bee.
gollark: You can do it. It just wastes energy.
gollark: It would be cooler to make a decentralised currency with a compatible API.
gollark: Or at least making API functions spawn a new thread.
gollark: I was considering sort of doing this, yes.

References
  1. "Our Campaigns - Candidate - Gemma Schlamp-Hickey". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  2. "Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences". Memorial University of Newfoundland. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  3. "Convocation, 2003, Spring :: Memorial University of Newfoundland Convocation". collections.mun.ca. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
  4. Mackey, Gerri Lynn (2019-06-11). "Transgender activist speaks out against Vatican guide rejecting non-binary identities". ntv.ca. Retrieved 2020-01-09.
  5. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/schlamp-hickey-revives-political-aspirations-for-ndp-1.641229. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. "Nickel Independent Film Festival 2018 Program". Issuu. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  7. Just Be Gemma: New doc to air on CBCCBC. July 26, 2018.
  8. Just Be Gemma among NL films at FIN Atlantic Film FestivalThe Telegram. August 22, 2018
  9. Rose, Wendy. "Well known LBGTQ2+ activist and Pathways NL founder weds Breakwater Books president in St. John's | The Telegram". www.thetelegram.com. Retrieved 2020-01-09.
  10. "Almost Feral – Breakwater Books Ltd". Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  11. "Evidence - JUST (37-2) - No. 33 - House of Commons of Canada". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  12. "Egale Canada Supports Bill to Recognize Human Rights of Trans People". egale.ca. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  13. Hickey in Rome for clergy abuse summit CBC. February 21, 2019.
  14. Canadian clergy abuse survivor says Vatican 'owes God an apology' CTV News. September 23, 2018.
  15. "MP Ryan Cleary proposes national day of institutional abuse awareness | CBC News". CBC. Retrieved 2018-09-22.
  16. "A healing journey | The Southern Gazette". www.southerngazette.ca. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  17. "On the home stretch | The Packet". www.thepacket.ca. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  18. "'She's walking home hope': Gemma Hickey ends cross-island Hope Walk | CBC News". CBC. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  19. "Mount Cashel Orphanage Abuse Scandal". www.heritage.nf.ca. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  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. Roberts, Kelly-Anne. "Gemma Hickey receives gender-neutral birth certificate". Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  24. Gemma Hickey breaks new ground with gender-neutral birth certificate CBC. December 14, 2017.
  25. Non-binary activist savours victory in Newfoundland Toronto Star. September 22, 2017.
  26. General, The Office of the Secretary to the Governor (2018-06-11). "The Governor General of Canada". Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  27. "Mark Gruchy, Gemma Hickey named Human Rights Award winners | The Telegram". www.thetelegram.com. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  28. "District Profiles - St. John's East". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
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