NORA ADSHADE
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Mission

As an LGBT+ editor and writer, I know the power of words.
I help writers like you make your writing kinder for your readers, whether that means fixing grammatical errors that could trip up your reader, or ensuring all language is inclusive. I specialize in LGBT+ inclusive language in plain-language documents, academic writing about literature, creative nonfiction, poetry, and fiction (especially genre fiction). I offer structural editing, stylistic editing, copy editing, proofreading, sensitivity reading, and more that you can read about in My Services.
My Services

Find out more about what services I offer, including copy editing and sensitivity reading.

My Blog

News and updates, plus miscellany such as poetry and editing advice.

We can all think of a time when language was used to hurt us.

For me, it was a kid on the bus home from school who called anything he didn't like gay. The seat was gay, the rain was gay, the test next Tuesday was gay. I told myself he didn't understand what he was saying, but it still stung. Because even though he never said I was a bad person for being gay, it was implied -- if only things he didn't like and thought were bad were called gay, than I must be bad and unlikeable for being gay.

We can all think of a time when language was used to uplift us.

For me, it was a coworker who didn't assume I was straight when I mentioned my partner. She waited for me to give my partner's pronouns. It was a simple act that took her little more than a second, but it felt good. Because she didn't assume I was straight, she made it obvious she thought it was valid for LGBT+ people like me to exist. 
Treat your readers with kindness: hire an editor.
I want to help you create language that uplifts.

That can be through spotlighting LGBT+ inclusive language, such as editing text to include gender diverse pronouns. Or it can be through ensuring clear grammar, such as by editing text so that the correct verb tense is used.
Nora Adshade seated in front of a pride flag and a trans pride flag.

Nora Adshade. In the background are an LGBT+ pride flag and a trans pride flag.

About Me


Hi, I'm Nora Adshade. I love stories with a happy ending, baking sweet treats for my family, caring for my many plants, and treating people with kindness. I earned my BA from Dalhousie University, majoring in English and Creative Writing with a minor in Classics. I recently finished Simon Fraser University's Certificate of Editing. I live in Haifax, NS with my partner and cat.
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I am a bi-ace member of the LGBT+ community, and use she/her pronouns.
Editors Canada Student Affiliate

LGBTQIA2S+ Rights and Representation

According to Ipsos's 2021 Global Pride Survey, roughly 10% of people worldwide identify as LGBTQIAS2+. In Canada, that's 3.8 million people.

In 2019, The Health of LGBTQIA2 Communities in Canada was reported by the Standing Committee on Health. It found that queer Canadians experience numerous health inequities, which affect different groups within the LGBTQIA2S+ community differently. Contributing factors include discrimination and stigmatization, inadequate legal rights, inadequate access to housing, lower wages, food insecurity, and inadequate access to healthcare. Groups particularly at risk were trans people, newcomers to Canada, and BIPOC people, especially Two-Spirit members of the Indigenous community.

Of the 338 Members of Parliament, only 8 are LGBTQIA2S+, or roughly 0.02%. Of those 8, 2 are women and 1 is Indigenous. As noted by Xtra* Magazine, this is a record high for Canada federally. 

Representation is low in other important careers. According to Pride in STEM, only 60% of queer people in STEM are out, 30% of US physicists are told not to come out, and 50% of trans and gender nonconforming people are harassed at work.

In the US, representation in primetime scripted television is roughly 11% according to GLAAD's Where We Are On TV 2021-2022 report. Although this is a significant increase since the 2011-2012 report of 2.9%, certain groups are still underrepresented, including queer people of colour, queer characters with disabilities, trans and nonbinary characters, asexual and aromantic characters, queer female characters, and large queer communities.

GLAAD published the inaugural Social Media Safety Index in 2021, which states social media is unsafe for LGBTQIA2S+ individuals and other marginalized and underrepresented communities, largely due to hate speech and disinformation.

And across the globe, marriage equality exists in 31 countries according to HRC, and legal gender change is possible in 25 countries according to ILGA's 2019 Trans Legal Mapping Report.
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