IGBC Hosts Youth Focused Trans Plenary

Reclaiming Trans Futures: A trans Plenary

“Being willing to engage with queer and transness as an ally is so important to make the queer people in your life feel supported and cared for. Taking the initiative to learn more is so important, without making the responsibility of the queer friend to offer you access to these spaces.” – Trans Youth

The issue at hand

Trans Youth are facing an incredible amount of barriers right now. From misinformation to policy change, trans youth are being forced to fight for a future they are being excluded from. At It Gets Better Canada, we understand the importance of storytelling and putting 2SLGBTQI+ youth stories front and center.

Answering the question: How can we better support trans youth?

While advocating for trans youth is always important, we wanted to focus on amplifying trans youth voices and finding ways to support trans youth right now. After some brainstorming sessions amongst our team and consultations with our incredibly insightful Youth Advisory Committee, we landed on hosting a trans plenary with trans youth from across the country.

The first day was a full-day summit that brought together a small group of trans youth from across the country to discuss and plan an entire module/ “journey” for our youth-focused mental health app called GLO, focusing on the needs of trans youth across Canada. The next day, the group of trans youth will appear on camera to film content for the GLO app, a free resource, as well as additional video content for social media and future in-person IGBC workshops.

Two days of amplifying trans voices

We started the day by allowing the youth to share what topics they felt were really important to them. Through these insightful discussions, we decided to focus on answering these important questions:

What specific barriers are trans youth in Canada facing right now?
Des exemples trans-affirming / gender-affirming care mean to the trans youth community? What does it mean to you, personally?
Who gets Gender Affirming Care? Who gets to transition? And why is gender affirming care important?
What are some ways that educators/students/community members can support safer spaces for trans youth in classrooms and school activities?
We know that digital spaces can be unsafe for marginalized communities, including trans youth. With the need for safety in mind, what are the positive opportunities for trans youth within digital spaces?

On the second day, we began filming content for the upcoming GLO app module and content to support our workshops. Groups of two to three youth engaged in meaningful conversations, answering questions, sharing personal experiences, and providing advice for trans youth, students, and allied adults.

Key findings/takeaways

insert key points from shareable notes TBD, possibly coloured boxes

Stay Tuned!

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