1. IT’S ONLINE
This year’s Summit – our annual knowledge exchange and capacity building conference on gay, bi, trans, Two-Spirit, and queer (GBT2Q) health – will take place entirely online from November 4-6. All events will be livestreamed on a special platform created for the event (you’ll need to sign up and create an account). Although we won’t be able to rub elbows, we can exchange messages! The platform’s interface includes a participant directory which allows you to connect with other participants in attendance.
2. IT’S THREE (NOT TWO) DAYS
We are spreading the Summit out over three days this year. Each conference day will include approximately three hours of virtual programming in order to better facilitate live participation across the country. As always, this year’s Summit includes interdisciplinary and community-centred content on GBT2Q health, including workshops, presentations, and panel discussions from a diverse range of community, academic, clinical, and public health stakeholders across Canada.
3. IT’S FREE
Given the many ways we’ve all been impacted by the pandemic (including financially), CBRC has made this year’s conference free and open to the public. There is no participation fee, nor are there any associated travel or accommodation costs for those living outside of Vancouver. All you need to attend is access to a computer and the internet.
4. IT’S ACCESSIBLE
CBRC is pleased to provide simultaneous English or French interpretation, as well as captioning support, for many of the Summit sessions. Last year’s Summit brought over 300 participants from across Canada and around the world to Vancouver. Given that this year’s event is online and free, the Summit is now more accessible than ever before.
5. THE THEME IS RESISTANCE AND RESPONSIBILITY
This year’s Summit will tackle some of the most critical issues facing queer and trans communities, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the systemic racism and health inequities facing Black and Indigenous communities. Together, we’ll ask important questions: How can we resist harmful, persistent disparities to create systems that look after everyone? Who –within our community, research, and health care organizations– is responsible for driving that change? And who is being left out?
6. THERE ARE NEARLY A HUNDRED PRESENTERS
Ninety-eight presenters from across Canada will take part in keynote addresses, panel discussions, roundtables, workshops, and poster presentations that will explore the latest in queer health research and programming in Canada. This year’s keynote speakers include:
- Syrus Marcus Ware, School of the Arts, McMaster University (Activism as Speculative Fiction: Making Change for the Future)
- Alexander McClelland, Institute of Criminology & Criminal Justice (ICCJ), Carleton University (Resistance to the Ongoing Criminalization of Communicable Disease Across Canada)
- Vincent Mousseau, Public Speaker, Workshop Facilitator (Dare to Challenge: Turning our Radical Roots to Address Racial Inclusion)
- Nathan Lachowsky, School of Public Health and Social Policy, University of Victoria (Making Visible the Impacts of COVID-19 on our Communities)
Continuing our commitment to centre Two-Spirit and Indigenous voices at the Summit, the conference begins with an opening Truth & Reconciliation plenary on Wednesday November 4 at 12pm Pacific. This session will be followed by a special plenary panel on Promoting Two-Spirit Health and Wellbeing: A Conversation with Two-Spirit Youth Leaders, featuring Jeffrey Ansloos (University of Toronto), Tunchai Redvers (We Matter) and Marie Laing (Native Youth Sexual Health Network).
7. WE WANT TO STAY IN TOUCH
Be sure to sign up to CBRC’s mailing list to receive important updates and announcements. Follow #CBRCSummit2020 on social media to keep the conversation going with other attendees and presenters online. And be sure to follow the CBRC on our various platforms:
