DSS is deeply saddened to report that Chris Morrissey, OC, passed away Monday April 14th 2025
Posted 2025-Apr-15 | Updated 2025-May-08: extended obituary

A collective is currently working on a Celebration of Life for the wider
community, which will take place in Vancouver in the summer of 2025.

Chris Morrissey was a Canadian 2SLGBTQIA+ activist who successfully challenged Canada’s immigration laws in 1992 when her Irish-American partner’s application for immigration was rejected.

The pair launched a legal challenge alleging discrimination on the basis of gender, family and sexual orientation because Morrissey was unable to sponsor a partner the same way a heterosexual person could.

Hearing from other couples experiencing the same issue, Morrissey and her partner Bridget Coll founded the Lesbian and Gay Immigration Task Force (LEGIT) in Vancouver to assist same-sex couples of different nationalities find legal loopholes to enable their cohabitation within Canada.

In 2002, the federal government introduced new laws that allowed one common-law partner to sponsor another.

She co-founded and led Rainbow Refugee in Canada, an organization that assists 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals to leave countries where persecution exists and resettle in Canada.

Among Chris’s many accolades, she was a recipient of the Officer of the Order of Canada award and one of Dignity Seniors Society’s inaugural Q-Elders Project recipients.

From transition homes for women leaving violence, to our local 2SLGBTQIA+ community centre (now QMUNITY), Queer seniors advocacy, and disability justice at the City of Vancouver, there are so many ways that her work lives on through bettering the lives of 2SLGBTQIA+ people in Canada.

Chris passed away peacefully surrounded by her chosen family. Until her final days, she remained dedicated to supporting immigrants, the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and other marginalized groups through her advocacy and community work.

Thank you Chris for your hard work in breaking down the barriers in Canada for 2SLGBTQIA+ immigration, and for your tireless work on behalf of queer seniors advocacy. 🙏

— Barb Snelgrove, for DSS

Images: Chris Morrissey (Q-Elders Project) | Barb & Chris

via Little Mountain Neighbourhood House 🏠️ | Poster

TAPS is an adult day program that supports older adults who may no longer be able to build community on their own. Through adapted recreation and leisure activities, participants connect, share, and thrive in a welcoming, inclusive space - enriching physical and mental well-being.

We’re especially committed to making this program inclusive and affirming for all seniors—recognizing the diverse experiences and identities of older adults, including those who are 2SLGBTQIA+, newcomers, Indigenous, or living with disabilities or mild to moderate dementia.

🏳️‍🌈 Over the past year, my work with the Rainbow Wisdom Café [ image ] has reinforced how vital it is to create spaces where 2SLGBTQIA+ older adults can show up fully, feel seen, and age with dignity. TAPS is grounded in that same spirit of connection, care, and celebration—for everyone.

TAPS is free of charge (donations welcome) and prioritizes support for older adults who:

• Are socially isolated

• Experience emotional or physical challenges

• Are living with mild to moderate dementia

• Belong to underserved communities, including 🏳️‍🌈 2SLGBTQIA+, newcomers, and Indigenous populations

• We look forward to working together to make aging a more joyful, connected, and inclusive experience for all.

Time: 10:30 am to 1:30 pm

Locations (vary by date):

• Tue: City Heights, 155 East 37th Ave

• Wed: Harmony, 1451 East 12th Ave

• Thu: City Heights, 155 East 37th Ave

• Fri: Harmony 1451, East 12th Ave

• Sat: 411 Seniors Centre, 3502 Fraser St

Information: contact Craig Malin at craigm@lmnhs.bc.ca or 236-777-6562

If you know anyone who could benefit from this program - or any suggestions of how to run the program with a inclusive lens - please feel free to connect them with me. 🙂

We are also looking for staff & volunteers who want to help make this program a success. 😀

Supporting older adults who identify with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community

Please join us for an opportunity to come together and connect with fellow 2SLGBTQIA+ older adults.

This month’s cafe will have a social focus. Join us for a casual meal and a viewing of Two Soft Things, Two Hard Things - an entertaining and thought-provoking documentary about staging a Pride Festival in Nunavut.

• Meal provided! 😀

• When: 4:00 - 6:-00 pm Tuesday April 29, 2025

• Where:BNH Brentwood House (2nd floor), 2055 Rosser Avenue, Burnaby

• Contact / more information:QUESTPlus@burnabynh.ca

  Poster: pdf | image