September 2024
Inclusive schools for every student
The 519 Board of Management Candidates 2024/25
August 2024
Notice of The 519 Annual General Meeting 2024
July 2024
Call for Nominations – The 519 Annual General Meeting 2024
June 2024
Green Space Festival 2024: Accessibility
Neighbourhood Information: Green Space Festival 2024
May 2024
The 519 Pride Events Calendar 2024
April 2024
MEDIA ADVISORY: The 519 joins Rainbow Week of Action to march for LGBTQ+ refugee rights
November 2023
September 2023
The 519 Board of Management Candidates 2023/24
July 2023
Notice of Annual General Meeting 2023
Call for Nominations – The 519 Annual General Meeting 2023
May 2023
Pride 2023 at The 519: Upcoming Programs and Events
Green Space Festival 2023: Neighbourhood Information
March 2023
Trans Day of Visibility: How can we commit to being visible allies?
[Press Release] The 519 to Honour Esteemed Author John Irving with Ally Award
International Women's Day 2023: Women, Life, Freedom
February 2023
Online dating can be overwhelming and scary! Remember to have a good time while trusting your instincts.
If you feel uncomfortable, or something feels off, always remember, you can leave a date, place, or situation, or cut off communication with whoever is making you feel unsafe.
If you did send money or share financial information, report it to the financial institution used e.g. your bank, Western Union, MoneyGram. You may also want to check and or freeze your credit rating via Equifax and TransUnion.
Gather all information about the situation, including the scammer’s profile name, how you made contact, social media screenshots, emails, etc. If you have been scammed or defrauded and feel comfortable, contact your local police service. The 519 can provide support contacting Toronto’s Police Service, reach out to us at AVI@The519.org.
Notify the dating website or social media site where you met the scammer. Scammers usually have more than one account.
Be proactive; tell family, friends, coworkers, and neighbours about your experience to warn them about romance scams.
You’ve gotten over the nerves of online dating and have finally decided to meet with your date in person. Remember to have a good time while trusting your instincts, and if something feels off, you can leave.
When Meeting in Person
If you have experienced harassment, assault, or violence of any kind while on your in-person date, help is available. Get in touch with The 519’s Anti-Violence Initiatives (AVI) at AVI@The519.org.
Notify the dating website or social media site where you met the individual. Such people usually have more than one account.
Be proactive; tell family, friends, coworkers, and neighbours about your experience to warn them about such potential situations.
The Signal for Help (or the Violence at Home Signal for Help) is a single-handed gesture. It was launched by the Canadian Women’s Foundation.
It can be used by an individual to alert others that they feel threatened and need help over a video call, or in-person.
The signal has been recognized by over 40 organizations across Canada and the US as a tool to help combat domestic violence.
If you see the Signal:
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911 or your local emergency services (police, fire, ambulance).
Definitions:
Catfishing/catfished: the process of luring someone into a relationship by means of a fictional online persona.
Drink spiking: it means adding alcohol or drugs into someone’s drink without their knowledge or consent. Flavourless, colourless and odourless, date rape drugs are undetectable and can easily be mixed into drinks. Low doses of the drugs can cause muscle relaxation, drowsiness, disorientation, comas and loss of feeling. In higher doses, the drugs can lead to convulsions, hallucinations and death.
Read more: Drink spiking and how to help.
The 519 – Safe Dating 101 by The519