Human Rights Commission Announce 2024 Human Rights Award Nominees

December 5, 2024

The following is being distributed at the request of the Human Rights Commission of Newfoundland and Labrador:

The Human Rights Commission of Newfoundland and Labrador today announced its short-listed nominees for the 2024 Human Rights Award. The annual award recognizes individuals who have made and/or continue to make meaningful contributions to advancing and furthering human rights in the province.

Individuals considered for a Human Rights Award are nominated by a member of the community and not the Human Rights Commission. The nomination is an acknowledgement of an individual’s valued work in the community.

To coincide with International Human Rights Day, the Human Rights Commission of Newfoundland and Labrador will announce the 2024 Human Rights Award recipient at a hybrid ceremony at Government House on Tuesday, December 10, beginning at 2:00 p.m.

The recipient of the 2024 Human Rights Award will receive an original photograph by Grenfell Visual Arts student Ernest Boateng. Biographies of the short-listed nominees and artist can be found in the backgrounder below. To request a link to the ceremony, please email Hilary Hennessey at hilaryhennessey@gov.nl.ca

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“This marks a significant moment in history for the commission, as it has been 10 years of recognizing incredible human rights advocates in this province. We are actively exploring other ways to celebrate and acknowledge human rights champions in our community, I encourage everyone to stay tuned for what is to come.”
Carey Majid
Executive Director, Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Commission

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BACKGROUNDER

2024 Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Award Nominees

Blair Curtis (he/they) is a 24-year-old from McIvers who recently graduated from the University of New Brunswick Faculty of Law. Blair is also a known human rights advocate. Blair and their mother Gerri-Lynn Curtis founded the Western Chapter of Parents of Trans and Gender Diverse Kids NL – under the guidance of Trans Support NL Inc. in 2018, the first support group for gender diverse people on the West Coast of Newfoundland. With the help of Blair’s advocacy on gender-affirming surgery policy reform, in late 2019 it was announced that out-of-province CAMH assessments would no longer be required for gender-affirming surgeries, rather an in-province assessment would take its place – similar to the rest of Canada. As well, the list of MCP covered gender-affirming surgeries was extended to match the Canadian average. Today, Blair continues to advocate for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, volunteering with various 2SLGBTQIA+ community groups and organizations. Blair also advocates for the rights of people with disabilities. In 2021, during Blair’s first semester of law school, they were diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). EDS is a genetic condition that impacts the body’s connective tissues, often resulting in frequent and reoccurring joint dislocations and chronic pain. Blair’s experience using a wheelchair inspired them to begin raising awareness about the importance of accessibility, particularly in public spaces. Blair also has a service dog, DJ, from Mission Working Dogs in Maine, and advocates for public awareness of the essential role service dogs play in supporting their handlers’ independence and well-being. Additionally, Blair is passionate about increasing awareness of EDS across Newfoundland and Labrador, aiming to foster understanding and support for research towards a potential cure. Blair was recognized in 2019 as Grand Marshall – Community Thought Leader for St. John’s Pride, and in early 2020 was recognized by the Community Mental Health Initiative (CMHI) as a Mental Health Champion for outstanding contributions to mental health awareness. Blair was previously a short list nominee for the Human Rights Award in 2018, and in 2020 Blair was named a Human Rights Champion by the Human Rights Commission of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Charlie Murphy (he/him/they/them) is a community leader, advocate, and creative professional originally from what is colonially known as Nova Scotia, but has called St. John’s home for the past 15 years. He’s dedicated himself to building a more inclusive, supportive, and sustainable community through his work in the nonprofit and social impact sectors. As a graphic designer, he utilized his skills to raise the profile of local organizations, helping secure funding and amplify voices within underserved communities. He believes that collaboration, empathy, and openness are key to building a sustainable future where everyone can thrive. They’ve worked with local and national organizations in supporting Newfoundlanders and Labradorians gaining access to resources with a focus around 2SLGBTQIA+ and sexual health.  He is currently serving as the NL board rep for the Enchante Network and has been a part of PFLAG St. John’s for nearly 13 years as a peer support co-facilitator. He’s worked with sexual health organizations like CBRC and served as the executive director of Quadrangle NL, the Newfoundland and Labrador provincial 2SLGBTQIA+ community centre. Charlie has supported initiatives that have had a lasting impact, such as helping to secure $10,000 scholarships for four youth pursuing post-secondary education through PFLAG Canada. As a co-founder of Raise Up Fundraising he helped raise and distribute nearly $40,000 to nonprofits and charities working with underserved communities across the province. Some of the groups supported include the REAL Program, Trans Youth NL (formerly known as Parents Trans and Gender Diverse Kids NL), Western Pride, Safe Alliance, the AIDS Committee of NL, and the NL Stuttering Association. He’s also been influential in bringing inclusive events such as Drag Storytime to the province, with the first one happening in St. John’s on September 17, 2017, with Raise Up Fundraising.  While also co-creating the former organizations main fundraiser known as Drag Bingo in 2016, which has since been passed onto Quadrangle as their major fundraising event. As a co-founder of Quadrangle NL, he’s played a pivotal role in transforming a long-held community dream of a dedicated 2SLGBTQIA+ space into a thriving reality. What began as a conversation among their friends in 2012 evolved into a steadfast push for the Newfoundland and Labrador government to recognize the critical need for dedicated 2SLGBTQIA+ programs and services through a provincial hub. In 2015 through Charlie’s ability to bring people together the organization incorporated followed by gaining charitable status in late 2019, making history as Quadrangle NL being the first 2SLGBTQIA+ solely mandated charity of the province. Through his leadership, the organization gained its first funding around COVID relief in 2020, followed by federal funding in 2021 through the Government of Canada’s LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund. Since then, the organization has flourished, opening its first physical location and establishing a range of core programs, including counselling, chosen family dinners, peer support, the distribution of visibility items and providing a much-needed space for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Before the end of 2023 they were a leader in securing core-funding of $890,000 over four years from the Newfoundland Government through the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence. Charlie’s work is a testament to the power of persistence and community-driven change.

Rhea Rollmann (she/her) is an award-winning journalist, writer and audio producer based in St. John’s and is the author of A Queer History of Newfoundland (Engen Books, 2023). She’s a founding editor of The Independent NL and her journalism has appeared in Briarpatch Magazine, CBC, Xtra Magazine, Chatelaine, PopMatters, Riddle Fence and more. Her academic work has been published in the Journal of Gender Studies, Labor Studies Journal, Canadian Woman Studies, Journal of Work and Society, Canadian Theatre Review, Canadian Review of Sociology, Screen Bodies and elsewhere. Her work has garnered three Atlantic Journalism Awards and she’s a two-time Canadian Association of Journalists’ awards finalist. In 2022 she was awarded the Andrea Walker Memorial Prize for Feminist Health Journalism. She’s President of CUPE Local 4554 at Memorial University, a member of CUPE’s National Pink Triangle Committee, and also serves on the Board of Directors of Trans Support NL, the National Community Radio Association, and the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women. Rhea has an extensive background in labour organizing and queer/trans activism, and is Program Director at CHMR-FM, a community radio station in St. John’s. She also formerly served on the St. John’s Public Libraries Board, Planned Parenthood NL Board, Friends of the St. John’s Public Libraries Board, MUN Campus Food Bank Board, CUPE-NL Provincial Equality Committee, and more.

Artist
Ernest Boateng (he/him) is an artist and designer living in Corner Brook. He was born in Accra, Ghana, and holds a bachelor of arts in communication design from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. His artistic journey is rooted in a deep passion for visual storytelling. Ernest is currently in the MFA visual arts program in Grenfell Campus, Corner Brook. Ernest’s work aims to bridge the gap between conceptual and documentary practices, focusing on economic and social themes such as labor, identity, and migration. As part of the Art of Being Black organization and a member of the Black Caucus at Grenfell Campus, Ernest is involved with promoting media representation of Black communities in Corner Brook. Both of these roles allow him to focus on advocating for greater awareness and recognition of Black stories and experiences in Newfoundland and Labrador.
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