Public Clothes Pronouns Makeup Voice Hair Appearance Gender expression is the gender you choose to express. It’s what’s on the outside and how you appear in public. It’s the pronouns you use, your voice, appearance, the clothes and makeup you choose to wear, how you cut or style your hair.

What it is like to transition in Canada Young people (discussion points) Hormone blockers Impacts of early hormone treatment Impact of family support Impact of cultural supports Adults (discussion points) Impacts of family poisition Difficulty accessing surgery Acess to hormones Normative vs. Non-Normative

LGBTQ Normative vs Non-Normative Identities

Non-Normatives Identities When discussing the LGBTQ2S+ Community there is a notion that it is singular—when in fact is is CommunitIES The evolution of the gay (and then lesbian) movement has been hetero-normative "They way we torture people is by telling them they are something ELSE, then when we know they are not us, we TORTURE them. As such they conform. And if they can’t, they die.” –DJ Freedman What if LGBTQ+ people are oppressors? Resource: https://www.ubcpress.ca/the-canadian-war-on-queers http://www.harpercollins.ca/9780060933913/making-gay-history

Non-normative identities Who are theses you? What are the challenges these youth face? Why can’t they just fit in? Why is what they need so difficult? Bonus points: What role does poverty play? Super Bonus points: Why is no one talking about this?

Legal changes What is the experience of getting your ID changed?

Sexual orientation Curious - Bisexual Straight - Asexual Lesbian - Pansexual Gay There are two types of attraction: physical and emotional

Two-Spirit ‘Third gender’ people were highly valued within their communities as medicine people and marriage counsellors. The first to greet the colonisers, the first to be murdered. Identities and language were destroyed. -Most Indigenous communities in North America had 3 or 4 genders -These people were typically valued within their communities, so when the colonizers arrived, they were sent to greet them -The Europeans were intimidated by these people who didn’t fall within their belief system, so they were killed and their identities were systematically destroyed -The words to describe these non-binary genders were lost, so in the 1990s a group of indigenous activists coined the term “two-spirit” to encompass them

Learn more: Find a good glossary here: http://ccgsd-ccdgs.org/lgbtq2-vocabulary/ Learn about Pride Flags: http://ccgsd-ccdgs.org/washroom-sign-2/

The Acronymn LGBTQ2 (Prime Minister) LGBTQI2+ (CCGSD) LGBTI (international) SOGI (BC) GSM (AB) 2TBLGQ (SK) GSD (Atlantic)

Is equity your mindset?

Safe space (origins) The term safe space refers to places created for individuals who feel marginalized to come together to communicate regarding their experiences with marginalization, most commonly located on university campuses in the western world, but also at workplaces. The origin of this in Canada comes from Positive Space campaigns (traced back the University of Toronto) where folks sought to create a positive space (improved space) for queer & trans folks on Campus.

The Challenges of of a Safe space Many on both the right and the left have argued that a Safe Space is problematic. On the left: Folks say it sets an unreasonable expectation that cannot be met for workspaces, schools or community. On the right: Folks say that it leads to censorship and silencing of important discourse and debate. So what do we do?

Solution 1: Positive Space Positive Space: a space that makes a 1-PROACTIVE effort to be supportive of 2-LGBTQ2+ folks. This is about creating a space that is 3-ALWAYS in evolution of improving. This is effective in schools, workplaces and community centers.

Solution 2 : Brave(r) Spaces Brave(r) Space: a space that recognizes it is a 1-CHALLENGING space to exist in, and therefore asks folks to be 2-BRAVE in using the space. This is often used when folks have common goals, but varying experiences, strategies or abilities This is effective in committees, activism circles and social justice circles.

Solution 3 : Safe(R) Spaces Safe(r) Space: a space that it is impossible to guarantee 1-SAFETY and so like a Positive Space seeks to foster the 2-INTENTION of an ever evolving space and a 3-CHANGING DEFINITION of a Safe Space. This is ONLY effective in spaces where is room for regular check-in’s about the culture of the space.