Skip to main content

From the courthouse to the community: using law to advance justice, visibility and human rights

UN Ambassador Bob Rae will deliver keynote at CMHR as part of symposium on global 2SLGBTQI+ legal advocacy

News release details

Renowned diplomat, former Ontario Premier, and Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae, will deliver a free keynote address on October 5 at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) about Canada’s LGBT Purge and using the law to strengthen rights.

A white man with grey hair stands smiling in front of a Canadian flag. He is wearing a black suit with a blue tie and white shirt.

With decades of leadership in diplomacy, human rights, and public service, Rae is recognized worldwide for his deep expertise and impactful work on international justice, conflict resolution, and social equity. All are welcome to register as Rae will offer critical insights into today’s most pressing global challenges and specific human rights challenges facing 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals globally.

“Advancing 2SLGBTQI+ rights through legal advocacy is about affirming dignity, equality, and belonging across borders,” said Bob Rae. “The Ruby Sachs Symposium offers a space for reflection, collaboration, and renewed commitment to justice—especially at a time when many communities face growing legal and political challenges.”

Rae’s free public address will launch the Ruby Sachs Symposium on Global 2SLGBTQI+ Legal Advocacy. The symposium is open to practising lawyers, legal scholars, law students and human rights advocates worldwide. Global experts will share their experiences, strategies and approaches on everything from the interactions of law, culture and civil society to strategic litigation. 

The symposium is named in honour of Clayton (Clay) Ruby, a civil rights lawyer, and Hariet Sachs, a former Justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. Ruby was instrumental in challenging then legal discrimination against gay and lesbian service members in the Canadian Armed Forces including LGBT Purge survivor, Michelle Douglas who is featured in Love in a Dangerous Time: Canada’s LGBT Purge. 

The symposium is being hosted by the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, in partnership with the LGBT Purge Fund, with the generous support of the Manitoba Law Foundation, the Canadian Journal of Human Rights, and the Robson Hall Faculty of Law at the University of Manitoba.

What:

Free keynote with Ambassador Bob Rae 

Date:

Sunday, October 5 TIME: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. 

Where:

Canadian Museum for Human Rights 

Cost:

Free with registration

More information

For more information on the Ruby Sachs Symposium on Global 2SLGBTQI+ Legal Advocacy including a list of speakers and pricing visit: Ruby Sachs Symposium on Global 2SLGBTQI+ Legal Advocacy | CMHR.

Media contacts

Amanda Gaudes (she/her)

A white man with grey hair stands smiling in front of a Canadian flag. He is wearing a black suit with a blue tie and white shirt.

Slideshow controls

Menus