The Sherbourne Health Centre is preparing to host the 10th annual Trans, Genderqueer, Intersex and Two-Spirit Pride Day.
The May 29 event began as a response to transphobia in Canada and aims to showcase cultural diversity within Toronto’s trans and queer communities.
This year’s event will feature a workshop on two-spirit identity, communication and community building led by Raven Sinclair, a two-spirit researcher and practitioner based at the University of Regina.
Sinclair notes the importance of the event for “two-spirited people and their allies, since they experience multiple oppressions and often feel disempowered.
“My goal,” she says, “is to help people find a sense of grounding and empowerment.”
Sinclair says she hopes to explore ways for participants to cope with internalized oppression.
Sinclair’s goal of empowering participants is tied to the foundation of the event, says organizer Rupert Raj, a psychotherapist at the Sherbourne Health Centre. Raj says organizers created it after Tammy Starlight, an aboriginal trans woman, started a trans remembrance day in Vancouver. Starlight asked the Sherbourne Health Centre to take action to raise awareness of the trans experience in Canada.
Over the past decade, the event has expanded to include the experiences of intersex, genderqueer and two-spirit people. The Pride day now encourages artists, musicians and performers from these communities to showcase their vitality and resilience.
Those interested in participating in Sinclair’s workshop, which takes place Wed, May 29, 1 to 4pm, must register in advance with the Sherbourne Health Centre.
Contact Yegi at ydadui@sherbourne.on.ca (416-324-5078) or Max at mcarney@sherbourne.on.ca (416-324-5070).
Trans, Genderqueer, Intersex and Two-Spirit Pride Day
Wed, May 29, 1-4pm
>Sherbourne Health Centre
333 Sherbourne St
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