Posts by deb singh
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In the Blog
Queer Brown Girl Trying to Get Pregnant, Part 4: The Last Part (for now)
There’s a lot they don’t tell you about having a baby and this blog is not gonna tell you what that stuff is since I don’t have a baby. What it is gonna give you is some questions I learned I need to ask myself and others recently. I’m the kinda Queer Brown Girl Trying to Get Pregnant that has always benefited from the company of people who have gone through it before me, whatever “it” … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Sports series: When you gotta go ...
Story shared with permission! In an effort to try and get my body ready for pregnancy, this queer brown girl trying to get pregnant took up running about a year and a half ago. A friend of mine, let’s call her Sharon, suggested we register for the Toronto Women’s Run, a charity run that happens every year in East York to raise money for pediatric oncology and research. Sharon and I spent once a week training on … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Queer Brown Girl Trying to Get Pregnant, Part 3: Let’s Get Emo(tional) about Trying to Get Pregnant
Warning: This blog may sound complain-y, crabby or sad. Viewer Discretion is Advised. (Except for those who totally get it) So far, I have tried to get pregnant six times. It’s a weird and hard process. I certainly didn’t know what I bargained for in terms of length of time, money and work that would be required to try and get this queer brown girl pregnant. There are a few things/thoughts/feelings that have made this process challenging … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Queer Brown Girl Trying to Get Pregnant, Part 2: The Pre-Conception Rollercoaster!
If you haven’t read part 1 of this series, you can read it here. Part 2 of 4 Now that I have done this a few times, I certainly feel more relaxed about the process in one way, and more anxious about it in another. The first month I inseminated, I freaked out because I had some cervical mucus happening and I thought I had missed my chance. People with menstrual cycles only surge with the lutenizing … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Queer Brown Girl Trying to Get Pregnant, Part 1: The Basics
Part 1 of 4 This blog may have scenes that include coarse language, nudity, sexuality, and science jargon. Viewer Discretion is Advised. The last 3 months I have been trying to make a baby grow in my uterus. It’s really not as easy as the movies. Moreover, I have been trying to do this without a penis or person with a penis, as it were. So, you guys all know I’m queer, right? And my partner and I … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Six Degrees of Inoculation
When I started at the Toronto Rape Crisis Centre/Multicultural Women Against Rape, I was given a benefits package**. My coworkers helped me to use my benefits package, not just for health care but also for self-care. And so my adventure on new ways to care for myself began! Once I got my teeth cleaned, and some of my basic health care needs met, I started to explore my self-care options. I realized I seriously needed a … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Why Graphic Novels are Awesome
Persepolis. The Boondocks. Dykes to Watch Out For. Archie: The Married Life. American Born Chinese. Skim. When Worlds Collide: A Boys’ Love Comic Anthology. These are a few titles in my collection of adult comics and graphic novels. Comics? Graphic novels? Archie, you say? I have heard about using art to portray feminist, gay-positive messaging but seriously? Comics are for kids! I grew up reading Archie comics; before bed, after scary movies, in the “library” (a.k.a bathroom!) So … READ MORE
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In the Blog
LOL: Humour and Feminism
My acupuncturist said I needed to laugh a lot this past week, and I made a funny face at her–not funny-haha, but funny-“What the??” I made this face because I work at a rape crisis centre and it certainly has proved a challenge to laugh a lot there. Further, as an activist, most people have deemed me as too serious, over-political and of course, “can’t take a joke.” I love jokes. And I, myself, am … READ MORE
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In the Blog
The 5 W’s and the H’s of the Anti-Oppression Framework
The Anti-Oppression framework is a tool to see how people experience oppression in the world and a way for us to stop it. This blog will outline some of the basics of what the anti-oppression framework is, how it is used by/against people and how we can use it as a tool for supporting people in our own communities. What is Anti-Oppression? Anti-oppression is a way of thinking about the world as well as a tool to … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Gossip Girl
Many of us gossip and don’t even know we are doing it. Some of us gossip and know very well what we are doing. Sometimes, we think it is about sharing information, and other times, we are passing time talking with someone about someone else who is not present. And finally, gossiping often happens when someone is talking behind someone else’s back maliciously. I have decided to create my own definition of gossip, because I see … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Visual Essay: Take Back the Night 2012 - Un-Occupying Our Minds, Healing Ourselves
Take Back the Night! A community fair, rally and protest to raise awareness of the issues of violence against women and trans people and our fear of walking the streets at night. But TBTN is so much more than that; it is a meeting place for us survivors, it is a place of safety and support for survivors of all kinds of violence, it is a place of empowerment for us, even if only for … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Interview: 2qtpoc-montreal show
Hey Shameless Blog Readers, Having sadly been unable to attend the awesome 2qtpoc-montreal Show for the city’s Pervers/cite, I did get the opportunity to connect with one of the amazing artists from the show, Textaqueen. Their website reads: “Texta” is Australian for felt-tip marker and TextaQueen is Australia’s felt-tip super-hero. Renowned for use of the humble felt-tip marker to boldly re-interpret the tradition of the salon nude, TextaQueen explores politics of sex, gender and identity in tangent … READ MORE
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In the Blog
To the People of the Danzig Community, With Love
Dear People of the Danzig, Scarborough Community in the City of Toronto, I am compelled to apologize to your community members, families, children, mothers, fathers and friends for the great loss you have experienced. My deepest condolences to your community. I am aware that many people are talking about the violence that occurred at the Danzig Block party. Some media outlets are talking about who died, how they died, how old they were and who they were … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Event/Preview: 2-qtpocmontreal art show at this year’s Pervers/cite
This month, I had the honour to be invited to connect with 2-qtpoc (Two spirited, queer, trans, people of colour) Montreal artists to talk about their work at the 2-qtpocmontreal art show at this year’s Pervers/cite. It was also my pleasure to interview Textaqueen, an awesome artist who shared some of their passion for art as well as for working within their own communities of 2-spirited, queer/trans people of colour. So what is Pervers/Cite? Their website states: Pervers/Cite … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Summer Fun While Thinking Big in Toronto
Summer in the city is a great idea. It can yield heat waves, festivals, and lots of social moments. It can also be smelly with garbage and overrun raccoons, boring if you don’t have money, and full of drama. I love summer in the city. As a city kid, I have tons of ideas to keep the sweat off your brow and have a great time (with cash or none at all) and still figure out … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Empowering psychiatric survivors
As the activist at the Toronto Rape Crisis Centre/Multicultural Women Against Rape (TRCC/MWAR) who gets the awesome privilege of being in leadership of the annual event, Take Back the Night, my brain is already on themes for the event (TBTN is a global event which happens in many cities to protest our right to walk the streets free of violence). I reflected on the idea of counseling in this city. As a counselor, I keep seeing … READ MORE
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In the Blog
One settler on Turtle Island
My name is deb singh and thanks to Shameless for inviting me to blog! And thanks to the girls, trans youth, young women, and everyone who reads the Shameless blog. Big thanks to the team at Shameless for asking me to write! This blog is going to be about me: introducing myself to you, but also connecting myself to the land we call Canada. Many of you have heard about the ideas of privilege and oppression from … READ MORE
