''Siren'' was a bimonthly

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

magazine, published in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, for the city's

lesbian A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexu ...

community.

History and profile

The magazine was launched in 1995 by a women's collective of volunteers.Nancy Irwin
"The Siren’s last call"
, ''

Xtra! ''Xtra Magazine'' (formerly ''DailyXtra'' and ''Xtra!'') is an LGBTQ-focused digital publication and former print newspaper published by Pink Triangle Press in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The publication is a continuation of the company's former p ...

'', September 2, 2004. Its popularity increased in late 1996, around the time the lesbian monthly magazine ''Quota'' ceased publication. It underwent a controversial editorial revamp in 2002, ending its association with its regular contributors in favour of a more

freelance ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...

story and contribution structure. The magazine was quoted in a discussion paper released by the Ontario Human Rights Commission about extending rights for transsexuals. One of the columns that appeared regularly in the magazine was titled "Dykes n' tykes". Noted contributors to the magazine included Sheila Cavanagh, Debra Anderson, and Billie Jo Newman. The magazine ceased publication in 2004 due to financial problems.

References

1995 establishments in Ontario 2004 disestablishments in Ontario Bi-monthly magazines published in Canada Defunct LGBTQ-related magazines published in Canada Defunct magazines published in Toronto LGBTQ-related magazines published in Toronto Lesbian culture in Ontario Lesbian history in Canada Defunct lesbian-related magazines Magazines established in 1995 Magazines disestablished in 2004 {{Toronto-stub