Summit 2025

Indigenous Opening and Welcome

Summit 2025 begins with an Indigenous Opening and Welcome conducted according to the Indigenous protocols of the lands we will be learning on. As this year’s conference takes place in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal), Elder Sedalia Kawennotas Fazio of the Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) Nation will welcome us, and help set the tone for a respectful and meaningful gathering. We will also be joined by Elders Sheila Nyman and Wayne Seward, longtime collaborators who have guided us through several Summits, as well as Jaylene McRae, Two-Spirit Research Coordinator at CBRC.

With: Sedalia Kawennotas Fazio (Kanien’kehá:ka, Kahnawake), Jaylene McCrae (Métis, Zagimē Anishinabek First Nation, Kawacatoose First Nation, and Métis Nation, Green Lake, Saskatchewan), Sheila Nyman (Syilx and Métis, Lower Similkameen), Wayne Seward (Snueneymuxw First Nation)

In-Circle with the Two-Spirit Program Team

Join us for an in-circle session with the Two-Spirit Program team at CBRC. Rooted in the relational and ceremonial practices that ground their work, the team will gather at the centre of the room to share reflections on the past year. Each member will speak to the distinct initiatives undertaken to advance Two-Spirit health and wellbeing across Canada. The session will highlight these collective efforts, focusing on community-driven research, knowledge translation, policy development, and advocacy by and for Two-Spirit people.

Attendees will be invited not only to listen but also to learn about and honour the labour and leadership that Two-Spirit people bring to advancing health outcomes within their communities. In keeping with Indigenous protocols, this session will also hold a ceremonial dimension, creating space for everyone present to participate respectfully in a shared moment of recognition, gratitude, and solidarity. By gathering in a circle and sharing our stories, we hope to spark dialogue, deepen understanding, and strengthen relationships between Two-Spirit communities, allies, and health systems.

With: Lane Bonertz (Blackfoot, Piikani Nation), Jessy Dame (Métis Nation, Treaty 1 and 2 Territories), Kris Reppas (Kanien’kehá:ka, Kenhtè:ke), Quinton Delorme (Cree, Treaty 4 and 5), William Flett (Haida, Haida Nation), Jaylene McRae (Métis, Zagimē Anishinabek First Nation, Kawacatoose First Nation, Green Lake, Saskatchewan, Skye Wilson (Gitxsan, Kispiox), RJ Jones (Saulteaux and Cree, Gordon’s First Nation), Ella Dufault (Kaska Dena, Ross River Dena Council)

Queer and Trans Dissidence in Quebec: Resisting Exclusion and Institutional Intimidation

Over the past few years, there has been an increased politicization of queer and trans lives in Quebec, marked by direct attacks on their rights, a decline in inclusive policies and legislation, and a rise in hate in the public sphere. The Comité des sages, formed by the Quebec government and mandated to “reflect on the place of gender identity in public policies and spaces,” exemplifies this climate and has had significant negative impacts on the lives of trans and queer people, even before the publication of its report in May 2025. Our communities were largely ignored and sidelined by this committee and its work, which has already led to an increase in overt discrimination in Quebec. At the same time, struggles for the recognition of multiparent families have emerged and continue. Despite fragmented political debates that have further fueled the politicization of hateful discourse against our communities, forms of resistance have developed, bringing together community organizations, activists, researchers, and other engaged actors to counter this climate of exclusion and institutional intimidation. During this panel, groups and individuals involved in these struggles will discuss these issues and the strategies of dissidence they implement, which include both innovative methods as well as traditional approaches that our communities have long used to resist.

It’s Time for Change: Responding to Intimate Partner Violence in 2S/LGBTQIA+ Communities

2S/LGBTQIA+ communities experience high rates of intimate parter abuse and sexual violence, with most demographic groups within the broader community showing rates of experiencing physical and sexual violence in excess of 50%. Despite this, formalized prevention and response services are often limited, and exclude our communities from accessing the support they need. In this plenary session, we will share community-based research and perspectives to illuminate the issue and provide context to begin to develop supportive solutions. Centering abolitionist and practical approaches, panelists will share and discuss critical perspectives on interpersonal violence in our communities, and highlight approaches being implemented to prevent, respond to, or heal from intimate partner violence and sexual harm.

With: Javi Fuentes Bernal (Université de Montréal), Kate Crozier (Community Justice Initiatives), Jessy Dame (CBRC), Lee Hodge (Toronto Metropolitan University, University of Toronto), Zack Marshall (University of Calgary), Fallon Rouillier (Archives lesbiennes du Québec)

Community-Based Health Literacy: A Call to Action

We live in a time where sexual health information and tools are abundant, yet we continue to struggle to make these culturally relevant, with intersecting barriers that continue to limit access and use. This plenary highlights the paradox Black and other racialized queer and trans communities face, drawing on lived experience, research, and community practice in sexual health education, and makes the case for community-based health literacy as a critical, but often underappreciated approach to addressing health inequities. A practical framework and examples from community-based organizations in Canada illustrate what works in supporting health literacy and community empowerment. The presentation concludes with concrete steps and a call to action, inviting communities and practitioners to co-create accessible, culturally grounded, and sustainable solutions.

With: Lance McCready (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto) | Moderated by Ben Klassen (CBRC)

Leveraging the Law to Protect the Health and Well-Being of 2S/LGBTQIA+ Communities

2S/LGBTQIA+ communities are coming under greater attack in Canada, from online hate and disinformation campaigns, to legislative attempts to take away our rights and freedoms. We are fighting back against this increase in stigma towards our communities—and specifically attacks on comprehensive sexual health, harm reduction, and gender inclusive schools—through education, advocacy, research, and sometimes, the legal system.

In this plenary session, we will hear from lawyers and community organizers who have leveraged the law to defend the health and well-being of 2S/LGBTQIA+ communities and achieve precedent-setting wins. The panel will explore how people working in community health impacted by hate and misinformation can collaborate to achieve legal victories, and protect our work to promote the health and well-being of our communities.

With: Andrew Brett (CATIE), Bennett Jensen (Egale Canada), Douglas W. Judson (Judson Howie LLP), Dalia T | Facilitated by Michael Kwag (CBRC)