With an interview with Graeme Reid the Director of the LGBT Rights Program at Human Rights Watch. We talk about Forced Anal examinations, laws against LGBT folks, and how that drives people towards migration from hot spots.

The Velvet Studio is joined on the phone by immigration lawyer and Refugee advocate Nicholas Hersh. We discuss the process for the Refugee and Immigration Board, and how refugees are asked to prove their claims.

The Velvet Studio is joined by the UNHCR'S Resettlement officer Micheal Casasola to talk about the state of the international refugee crisis the upcoming World Compac, the Leader's Summit and Canada's Role

With a phone interview with Dr. Alan Li, Co-principal Investigator of the AMP2R and Christian Hui from the Asian Community AIDS Service, and their AMP2R project. As well as a local Asian gay man, Joshua speaking to lived experiences.

In the days before the Ottawa Pride, the Chair of Capital Pride joins the Velvet Studio team to talk about some of the biggest issues facing the parade. 

They are talk about race, representation and pink-washing.

Sebastien and Jake are joined by Karen from Community Addictions Peer Support Association, CAPSA, as they talk about living with addictions in the LGBT community.

The Velvet Studio team are joined by Kira-Lynn from Project Soundcheck to talk about how bystander intervention can help to tackle sex assaults at large gatherings such as Pride

Sebastien is joined by Christine of the Ottawa Police GLBT Liaison Committee to talk about the buggery laws that still exist on the books in Canada.

Sebastien interviews a number of people in his hunt for the answer to the question; why is the census important to the LGBT community?

The Velvet Studio is joined by the Executive Director of the Canadian AIDS Society and the Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity for a discussion over the recent changes from Canadian Blood Services. The ban on men who have sex with men has dropped from 5 years to 1. We discuss why, and what the impact is. And why it perhaps should be removed altogether.