LGBTQ Archives | Faculty of Education

In the media: He? She? They? York Region hospitals to ask for preferred pronouns

coopsa — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 15:15:04 +0000

Jen Gilbert / Faculty of Education

Three York Region hospitals will be adding pronouns into their electronic health records in an effort to improve care for LGBTQ2S+ people.

Southlake Regional Health Care, Oak Valley Health (formerly Markham Stouffville Hospital) and Stevenson Memorial have announced starting Aug. 10, patients will be asked, “would you like to share your pronouns?” at patient registration.

“” the hospitals said in a joint statement released Aug. 11.

Tristan Coolman, president of Pflag York Region, calls it an “incredibly important” move, one that could provide assurance to marginalized groups they will be treated with dignity, as individuals, rather than assumptions based on appearance.

“A lot of people in the queer community avoid engaging with the health-care system for fear of being treated poorly or based on past experiences,” he said.

All three hospital presidents called it a step in the right direction and a sign of respect.

Jen Gilbert, a professor with �첥��Ƶ’s faculty of education, says pronouns can be powerful and can play a role in fostering a .

“Maybe it’s just words, maybe it’s one small thing, but it’s the acknowledgement that the world is a lot different from what we imagined it to be.”

Read the full story in .

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The Conversation: ‘Parental rights’ lobby puts trans and queer kids at risk

coopsa — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 12:56:02 +0000

LGBTQ+ parents are somehow left out of parent rights lobbying. (Pexels/Kampus Production)

The political right’s current strategy for fighting against LGBTQ+ equality is to frame discussions about sexuality and gender in school as an infringement on parents’ rights.

In 2020, far-right Australian MP Mark Latham introduced a . The bill prohibited teachers from addressing any topic that veered close to “core values” — including LGBTQ+ gender and sexuality.

While concerned with well-being and have rejected the bill, the focus on parental rights isn’t limited to Australia.

Parents, as a group, represent diverse concerns. The group includes LGBTQ+ parents, parents of queer and trans children and young people, pregnant and parenting teens and politically progressive activist parents — and all of the above have diverse educational, religious, economic, racialized and political experiences. However, the conservative description of parents often neglects this reality.

Read the full article written by Professor Jen Gilbert in .

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IN THE MEDIA: Youth, Pride and COVID-19

acoward — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 14:27:22 +0000

Image credit: Francesca Roh/Xtra

With schools closed and community events cancelled due to COVID-19, LGBTQ2 youth expert Jen Gilbert says it’s more important than ever for young people to stay connected with each other online. An associate professor in �첥��Ƶ’s Faculty of Education, Gilbert centres her research around LGBTQ2 youth, teachers, families and sex education in schools.

"I think for young people, especially young people who live at home with their parents, they may not have the same kind of access to queer and trans communities that they did prior to the pandemic," says Gilbert. "I think that, as difficult as school can be for many queer and trans youth, it also is a place where queer and trans young people come together and make friends and have networks."

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IN THE MEDIA: Canadians on Pride in the pandemic: What ‘began as a protest continues to be a protest’

acoward — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 15:34:21 +0000

Keita, 30, immigrated from Sierra Leone to Edmonton with his family when he was 12. When he was 18, he moved to Toronto — home of one of the largest LGBTQ2 communities in the country.

Keita is disappointed that pride is cancelled this year, but he’s glad to see it’s happening during a time of increased discourse around anti-Black racism — something he’s experienced first-hand in the LGBTQ2 community.

“That this broader conversation about anti-Black racism is ongoing during the month when Pride typically occurs is quite fitting,” said Associate Professor Jen Gilbert at �첥��Ƶ's Faculty of Education.

“Pride actually began as a protest against police violence, led by Black and racialized trans women,” Gilbert said. “While we might be missing the parade and the parties, there is a way in which the current protests around the world against police violence have a lot to do with what Pride stands for.”

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IN THE MEDIA: Tips for LGBTQ Youths to survive in self-isolation

acoward — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 20:04:06 +0000

Associate Professor Jen Gilbert spoke with Breakfast Television Toronto to discuss how pride has changed this year due to the pandemic. “Online programming could increase accessibility for youth who may not live in Toronto and have access to the in person festivities,” she said.

Gilbert also suggests that LGBTQ youth reach out to their support network. "It's important for young people to have supportive caring relationships with non-family members," says Gilbert. "It's really important to maintain these networks."

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