In honour of Trans Awareness Week, our network is amplifying advocacy initiatives and organizations led by trans communities. We encourage you to read (and share!) this post to spread the word about important ways to support trans communities. 

1. The Campaign for Universal Trans Health Care in Ontario

Trans people in Ontario are often required to spend thousands of dollars out of pocket for procedures that are recognized as medically necessary by leading medical experts. There is a grassroots advocacy effort supporting a provincial bill aiming to address this.

The Gender Affirming Health Care Advisory Committee Act is currently before the Ontario Legislature. If passed, the bill will require the province to form an advisory committee to review the state of trans healthcare in Ontario, and make recommendations to the Minister of Health for improving gender affirming care in Ontario.

Visit transhealthontario.org to learn more.

2. The Campaign against Bill 2

Bill 2 is a bill in the Quebec legislature that presents numerous attacks on the rights, safety and wellbeing of trans, intersex, 2 Spirit, and gender diverse communities. Many organizations and activists have been advocating against this deeply harmful bill.

We would like to spotlight the letter writing campaign run by le Conseil Québecois LGBT to help people send letters to Quebec MNAs (provincial politicians) to mobilize against the bill.

Click here to write a letter against Bill 2.

3. JusticeTrans

JusticeTrans’ mission is to improve access to justice for Two Spirit, trans, nonbinary and gender non-conforming (2STNBGN) communities. They aim provide accessible legal education to 2STNBGN people by challenging transphobic policy and advocating for community-based transformative social justice. Visit justicetrans.org to view their website filled with important resources.

Visit justicetrans.org to view their website filled with important resources.

4. No Conversion Canada

No Conversion Canada is a national, nonpartisan, grassroots organization and registered nonprofit dedicated to ending conversion “therapy”/conversion practices. No Conversion Canada recently mobilized over 100 organizations to issue a Community Call to Action calling on the federal government to ban conversion “therapy” and support survivors.

Click here to read (and share) their Call to Action.

5. TransSask

TransSask Support Services is a nonprofit organization that serves as a resource network in Saskatchewan for trans, genderqueer, intersex and gender non-conforming individuals, their spouses, family, friends, and allies.

We would like to highlight the Trans-Inclusive Media Guide that TransSask recently published. Click here to read this important guide!

6. SAEFTY

SAEFTY is Ottawa’s only independent youth group run entirely by and for trans and gender diverse youth.

In 2018, SAEFTY authored a report called “Youth and Family Experiences at the CHEO Gender Diversity Clinic”. This report outlined the significant barriers and lack of gender affirming care that many people experience when accessing transition-related medical care in Ottawa.

Click here to read (and share) the report.