Gemma Hickey

Gemma Hickey is a Canadian LGBTQ2 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 that offers support to survivors of religious institutional abuse and their families. Since 2010, Hickey has worked as Executive Director of Artforce,[1] formerly known as For the Love of Learning, a non-profit that works to forge new paths for at-risk youth by advancing their literacy and creative skills.

Gemma Hickey
Born (1976-10-01) October 1, 1976
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
NationalityCanadian
Other namesGemma Schlamp-Hickey
Alma materMemorial University of Newfoundland
OccupationLGBT rights activist, author
AwardsQueen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012) Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Champion 2016

Background

Gemma Hickey was born in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, on October 1st, 1976.[2] They attended Gonzaga High School, graduating in 1994. 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).[3][4]

Hickey was raised Roman Catholic but left the Catholic Church in 2003 to become a member of the Wesley United Church of Canada congregation.[2][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,[6] [7]which aired on CBC Television and the Documentary Channel, as well as being screened at the Nickel Film Festival[8] in St. John's, the Atlantic Film Festival in Halifax,[9][10] and at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo, Japan.[11]

Gemma Hickey’s first book, Almost Feral, a memoir chronicling their walk across Newfoundland and the emotional terrain travelled within was published in October 2019 by Breakwater Books.[12] In 2020, the book won two awards at the Atlantic Book Awards: the APMA Best Atlantic Published Book Award, and the Margaret and John Savage First Book Award in the non-fiction category.[13] Hickey was also one of 24 Canadian writers to be featured on CBC Books’ Writers to Watch list,[14] and CBC Books also named Almost Feral as one of 40 Canadian books on the summer 2020 reading list.[15]

Activism

Gemma Hickey has spent years campaigning for LGBTQ2 rights in Canada, through their involvement in Egale Canada,[16] PFLAG Canada,[17] and Canadians for Equal Marriage. 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.[18] Hickey was president of Egale Canada in 2005, when same-sex marriage in Canada was legalized.[19]

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.[20][21]

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.[22]

In 2015, Hickey undertook a 908-kilometer walk across the island of Newfoundland to raise awareness and funds for survivors of clergy abuse.[23][24] 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.[25][26]

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.[27] 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.[28] Hickey then traveled to Japan to speak about LGBTQ2 issues, to attend a screening of their documentary film Just Be Gemma, and to give a reading from their memoir, Almost Feral.[29]

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.[30][31] 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.[32] The space for 'gender' on Hickey's birth certificate is marked with 'X' instead of a 'M' or 'F'.[31]

Politics

Hickey ran for a seat in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly in the riding of Kilbride in a by-election called for February 8, 2007 following the resignation of Ed Byrne.[33] They again sought election to the provincial House of Assembly, this time in the Electoral District of St. John's East, in a general election held October 9, 2007.

In January 2021, Hickey was confirmed as the Liberal candidate in St. John's Centre for the 2021 provincial election.[34][35]

Honours and awards

In 2012, Hickey was recognized with a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for their contribution to LBGTQ2 rights in Canada.[36]

In 2016, Hickey was named a Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Champion for their longstanding commitment to human rights protection, particularly for LGBTQ2 people.[37]

Bibliography
Year Title Publisher ISBN Pages Note
2019 Almost Feral[12] Breakwater Books 9781550817775 216 Hickey's memoir.

Electoral results
2007 Newfoundland and Labrador general election[38]
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%

References
  1. "About | Artforce NL | Youth-Based Arts Organization". Artforce NL. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
  2. "Our Campaigns - Candidate - Gemma Schlamp-Hickey". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  3. "Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences". Memorial University of Newfoundland. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  4. "Convocation, 2003, Spring :: Memorial University of Newfoundland Convocation". collections.mun.ca. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
  5. Mackey, Gerri Lynn (2019-06-11). "Transgender activist speaks out against Vatican guide rejecting non-binary identities". ntv.ca. Retrieved 2020-01-09.
  6. Walsh, Peter (2017-12-07), Just Be Gemma (Documentary), Gemma Hickey, Nine Island Communications, CBC Television, Memorial University of Newfoundland, retrieved 2021-01-17
  7. Pendergast, Lisa (2017-11-30). "Just Be Gemma". Gazette - Memorial University of Newfoundland. Retrieved 2021-01-17.
  8. "Nickel Independent Film Festival 2018 Program". Issuu. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  9. Just Be Gemma: New doc to air on CBCCBC. July 26, 2018.
  10. Just Be Gemma among NL films at FIN Atlantic Film FestivalThe Telegram. August 22, 2018
  11. Mercer, Juanita. "Newfoundland and Labrador transgender activist to participate in film screening, book reading in Tokyo | The Telegram". www.thetelegram.com. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  12. "Almost Feral – Breakwater Books Ltd". Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  13. Telegram, The. "Newfoundland authors Crummey, Hickey earn Atlantic Book Awards | The Telegram". www.thetelegram.com. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
  14. "The CBC Books Writers to Watch list: 24 Canadian writers on the rise in 2020 | CBC Books". CBC. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
  15. "The CBC Books summer reading list: 40 Canadian books to read this season | CBC Books". CBC. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
  16. "Egale asks Canadians to Speak Out Against Homophobia". egale.ca. Retrieved 2021-01-17.
  17. "WAYVES Magazine" (PDF). PFLAG Canada.
  18. "Evidence - JUST (37-2) - No. 33 - House of Commons of Canada". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  19. "Egale Canada Supports Bill to Recognize Human Rights of Trans People". egale.ca. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  20. Hickey in Rome for clergy abuse summit CBC. February 21, 2019.
  21. Canadian clergy abuse survivor says Vatican 'owes God an apology' CTV News. September 23, 2018.
  22. "MP Ryan Cleary proposes national day of institutional abuse awareness | CBC News". CBC. Retrieved 2018-09-22.
  23. "A healing journey | The Southern Gazette". www.southerngazette.ca. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  24. "On the home stretch | The Packet". www.thepacket.ca. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  25. "'She's walking home hope': Gemma Hickey ends cross-island Hope Walk | CBC News". CBC. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  26. "Mount Cashel Orphanage Abuse Scandal". www.heritage.nf.ca. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  27. Canada introduces gender-neutral 'X' option on passports The Guardian. August 31, 2017.
  28. N.L. activist receives one of Canada's first gender-neutral passports CBC. October 22, 2018.
  29. Transgender activist to participate in film screening, book reading in Tokyo The Telegram. February 9, 2019.
  30. Roberts, Kelly-Anne. "Gemma Hickey receives gender-neutral birth certificate". Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  31. Gemma Hickey breaks new ground with gender-neutral birth certificate CBC. December 14, 2017.
  32. Non-binary activist savours victory in Newfoundland Toronto Star. September 22, 2017.
  33. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/schlamp-hickey-revives-political-aspirations-for-ndp-1.641229. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  34. "Gemma Hickey running for Liberal nomination in St. John's Centre". NTV News. 29 December 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  35. "Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador Closes Nominations for 1 Provincial District". Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  36. General, The Office of the Secretary to the Governor (2018-06-11). "The Governor General of Canada". Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  37. "Mark Gruchy, Gemma Hickey named Human Rights Award winners | The Telegram". www.thetelegram.com. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  38. "District Profiles - St. John's East". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
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