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In the early 1920s and 1930s, vulnerable women who challenged societal expectations could face catastrophic consequences.

Velma Demerson was one of those women.

At that time, Ontario government policy included the Female Refuges (not refugees) Act. It decreed that an eighteen-year-old woman could make decisions about her own life with one unbelievable exception. If a parent considered a daughter to be "incorrigible" (not because of violent behaviour or concern that she was a danger to others, but because of a parental objection), she could be charged and brought to court as long as she was under the age of twenty-one.

That is what happened to Velma Demerson in 1939. She was eighteen years old and having a romantic relationship with a Chinese man. Her father, with Toronto police, entered her home. The officers seized her. She went to trial and was convicted of being incorrigible. When she was sentenced, Velma, knowing that she was pregnant, offered to marry her fiancé, Harry Yip. The judge rejected her suggestion. So much for judicial compassion.

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If you've been reading Queer Day, you know CNN host Anderson Cooper is G-A-Y, gay. He attended a recent reception for the National Gay and Lesbian Journalists' Association recently and didn't have much comment on an upcoming Michael Musto story about him set to run in Out magazine. Musto says, "I did a piece for the next Out about how wonderful Anderson is, but also examining why he stays publicly closeted. CNN, naturally, had no comment about the personal lives of any of their talent." Cooper says he hasn't been contacted about the story and has no comment.

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Originally posted by writer:
Nope, I'm just referring to his news program, and having Michelle over to watch it and George's.

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Heh... I was gonna say, in reference to your phrase "Anderson Cooper 360 degrees date" that it'd be more of a 180˚ than 360˚ dating when it came to Anderson, but... oh well... perfectly good joke shot all ta hell.

*sigh*