[van-announce] Mary-Woo Sims campaign

[Joshua Mira Goldberg]

Hi,

I'm writing to let you know that a longtime social justice activist,
Mary-Woo Sims, has decided to run for the NDP nomination in the Federal
riding of Vancouver-Kingsway. I'm very excited by this and hoping you will
join me in pitching in to support Mary-Woo's campaign.

I first met Mary-Woo in 1997, when she was, as the head of the BC Human
Rights Commission, working with trans community reps on an initiative to add
"gender identity/expression" to the BC Human Rights Code. Since that time
she's repeatedly demonstrated her commitment not only through various
projects of the BC Human Rights Commission -- and since the Commission was
cut she has volunteered her time to do trans workshops, come to court to
support trans people during human rights cases, and push non-profits she's
involved with to develop trans-inclusive policies.

In addition to her work as a trans ally, Mary-Woo has a phenomenal history
in anti-racist, feminist, and queer movements. She's been involved in many
groups, including the Campaign for Equal Families, West Coast Leaf, Co-op
Radio, the International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies
(IAOHRA), BC Society of Human Rights Defenders, and the Canadian Association
of Statutory Human Rights Agencies. She has won numerous awards for her 20+
years of social justice work, including the Chinese Canadian National
Council's Chinese Canadian Pioneer Award and the International Award from
IAOHRA for her work at the 2001 World Conference Against Racism, Racial
Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. She was a contributor to
the boook "Anti-Asian Violence in North America: Asian American and Asian
Canadian Reflections on Hate, Healing, and Resistance".

Mary-Woo has given a lot to our communities. Now she needs our support,
particularly from people who live in the Vancouver-Kingsway riding (from
12th Ave to  49th Ave, between Cambie and Boundary Road -- there's a map at
http://www.elections.ca/scripts/eddb2/maps/C59029.pdf).

Please come to the launch of Mary-Woo's nomination campaign on October 28,
6-8 PM, at the Angan Restaurant and Banquet Hall, 2185 Kingsway (between
Nanaimo and Victoria).  Refreshments will be available and parking is on the
street or limited parking in the lot accessible through the alley.

If you want to help with campaign finances, cheques can be made out to
Mary-Woo Sims Campaign and mailed to her financial agent, c/o 4837 Cambie
Street, Vancouver, V5Z 2Z3.

For more info, contact Mary-Woo at mwooseym at netscape.net

Cheers,

Joshua Mira Goldberg