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Summit 2026: Building Our Futures
As queer, trans and Two-Spirit people, we’ve never had the privilege of complacency. When our health, personhood and relationships are threatened, we’ve always done what we must – rally around each other to create better futures for ourselves.
How do we do that? We build.
We build bonds, based on love and shared histories. We build support networks, founding groups, like CBRC, that now have decades long histories of action. We build solutions – conducting research and developing tools that help us lead happier and healthier lives.
We’ve done this time and time again. In the 1960s, we formed support and advocacy groups to build solidarity and resist discrimination. In the midst of inaction around HIV, we conducted our own research and stitched together our own systems of care. We developed and promoted sexual health interventions like PrEP, PEP and doxy-PEP alongside effective and long-acting HIV treatments. Today, our communities continue to advocate for better access to care and treatment on a variety of health issues impacting 2S/LGBTQIA+ people, including sexual, reproductive, and gender-affirming care, as well as mental health and substance use services and supports. Some organizations are developing improved health information systems, while others are building networks of care and community outside of urban centres – creating bridges between people in rural and remote areas. Two-Spirit leaders are recentering Indigenous ways of knowing, restoring and elevating traditions of healing and community with generations of impact.
Building can also mean re-building. The dismantling of outdated or oppressive systems to reshape them to work for us. Many of our organizations have had to reevaluate their role and mandate within broader 2S/LGBTQIA+ communities to respond to the needs of people beyond cis gay men. At the same time, decreased funding and increasing political uncertainty challenge the sustainability of this work. In this context, we are tasked with questioning long-held assumptions, rethinking our approaches, and adapting to the realities and pressures of the present.
Doing this work has come with much pain and loss, but it also means that we’re incredibly adept at finding creative ways to show up for our community’s needs – even when the resources available become more limited or precarious – and defining our own measures of success and even happiness outside the confines of mainstream society.
But just as something is built, it can be undone. In recent years there have been concerted efforts to defund research and organizations involved with queer, trans and Two-Spirit people, as well as introduce discriminatory policies that sow hate and division against the trans members of our community. Just as we develop new innovations, we must stay vigilant and find ways to protect the laws, programs, research and service work we’ve already put in place. This is especially true for the researchers, practitioners and community workers who gather at Summit annually.
By participating in Summit 2026, you are an essential part of those efforts. The projects and insights discussed at Summit are the latest in ways to help 2S/LGBTQIA+ people live happier, healthier and longer lives despite reactionary interests pushing back against equity, inclusion and our own liberation. Whether you are working from within systems to generate change or serving people at the margins of the mainstream, you are a necessary piece of that puzzle.
This is especially relevant in Summit 2026’s host city of Toronto. As Canada’s largest city and a major urban center, Toronto has been at the forefront of rallying for positive change for years. From decades-old protests of the bath house raids and low HIV/AIDS investment to today’s movements around harm reduction and culturally-competent care, Toronto is a crucial gathering point and now – for the first time in the event’s 20-plus year history – host of Summit.
Today, people are feeling the pressure. They are worried that we can’t build better ways forward in the same ways we once could. While it is true there are difficult challenges ahead, we still have the most essential ingredient: each other. Summit 2026 is our chance to remind ourselves that better is possible – that we go further together, and that together, we will build our futures.
Information on Summit 2026
Key information:
Summit 2026: October 29 - November 1, 2026
Westin Harbour Castle
Toronto, ON
This year’s conference will take place in Toronto, also known as Tkaronto, on Treaty 13 territory, the traditional home of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples. This territory is cared for under 'the Dish with One Spoon' Wampum, an agreement between the Mississaugas, the Anishnabeg, and the Haudenosaunee to protect the land and share its resources responsibly.
We’re thrilled to host Summit at a larger venue (The Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto) from October 29 to November 1, beginning with an evening reception on October 29 followed by three days of programming. This additional capacity means new conference programming, including space for ancillary events and an exhibition hall (for tables or booths for community organizations, corporate sponsors, and other partners) upon request.
Additional information, including registration and travel information key dates regarding the conference and other deadlines, will be shared in early May along with the launch of Summit 2026 registration. We anticipate the full program to be available at the end of August.
Submitting a proposal
Each year, CBRC brings together diverse voices, impactful research, and innovative strategies to improve health outcomes for 2S/LGBTQIA+ communities. Whether your work is in community health promotion, research, or grassroots advocacy, we want to hear from you.
We welcome submissions from individuals, organizations, and experts across various disciplines, including healthcare providers, researchers, Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers, community activists, and policymakers. This is your opportunity to showcase your work and offer practical strategies to transform healthcare for queer individuals in your community. At Summit 2026, you can engage, educate, and empower participants to influence the future of 2S/LGBTQIA+ health.
First-time presenters are encouraged to apply. If you need assistance preparing your proposal, please contact us at [email protected].
Important dates:
- Proposal submission deadline: 11:59 PM Pacific Time on Sunday, May 31, 2026
- Notification of acceptance: End of July 2026
To read our full submission guidelines, please click here.
We look forward to your submissions!
About Summit
Summit is CBRC’s annual knowledge exchange and capacity building conference on the health of Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, questioning, intersex, and other sexual and gender diverse people (2S/LGBTQIA+) in Canada. Every year, Summit brings together researchers, service providers, and community-based organizations from across Canada to exchange ideas and lead the conversation on 2S/LGBTQIA+ health research, programming, services, and advocacy.
While Summit, which began in 2005, has historically focused on addressing the impacts of HIV and sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBI) on gay, bisexual, trans, Two-Spirit, and queer (2S/GBTQ) communities, in recent years the conference has made intentional shifts to become a more inclusive space to present and engage with community-based research, health promotion, and advocacy that benefits Two-Spirit, trans, and queer people more broadly.
Each Summit includes several days of interdisciplinary and community-centered content, including workshops, panel presentations, workshops, readings, and roundtable discussions from a diverse range of community, academic, clinical, public health, and policy stakeholders on 2S/LGBTQIA+ health. Every Summit also features exciting keynote speakers including researchers and advocates from across Canada and around the world whose work is having a significant impact on queer, trans, and Two-Spirit communities.
We invite you to explore our previous Summit programs and check out the subjects we’ve covered in the past.
Accessibility statement
CBRC is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible Summit in order to support participation for everyone. This commitment includes:
- Offering support to people looking to submit presentation proposals for Summit 2026
- Offering a limited number of full and partial scholarships for confirmed Summit presenters
- Ensuring that conference proceedings and ancillary/social events are accessible for people with physical disabilities (e.g. wheelchair access, reserved front row seating)
- Enabling English to French and French to English simultaneous interpretation of select sessions, and
- Translation of presentation slides between English and French
Though we are doing our best to enable everyone’s participation during Summit, we recognize that some needs may not be met through these measures. If you have other accessibility needs which have not been addressed through this statement, please let us know when completing your registration.
If you have questions or suggestions regarding accessibility for Summit 2026, please contact [email protected].
Ancillary events
We are inviting leaders, researchers, community organizers, groups and teams to consider planning gatherings at our host hotel on the day preceding or following Summit 2026 (in Toronto, from October 29 to November 1, 2026). A number of meeting spaces are available on Thursday, October 29, from 9:00am to 4:30pm, as well as on Sunday, November 1 from 1:00pm to 4:30pm.
We are excited to invite leaders, researchers, community organizers, groups and teams to organize in-person meetings or other small events at our venue, making the most of shared travel opportunities. Hotel rooms will be available for your guests at a discounted rate. CBRC can work with you to determine your needs, possible costs (e.g., AV and catering) and support the promotion of your event.
If this is of interest, please reach out to us by July 14 and we will provide further information: [email protected].
Sponsorship opportunities
CBRC invites partners to join us as a sponsor of Summit 2026, Canada’s leading annual conference dedicated to advancing 2S/LGBTQIA+ health. Summit 2026’s expansion to a three-day schedule in a new Toronto venue offers sponsors access to a diverse network of researchers, service providers, educators, advocates, and 2S/LGBTQIA+ community members. Sponsors will maximize their impact and visibility through enhanced benefits, networking events, and recognition opportunities.
To learn more about how your company or organization can demonstrate commitment to improving health equity for queer, trans, and Two-Spirit people across Canada at Summit 2026, please contact: [email protected].
Exhibitors
We are inviting organizations and service providers to be part of Summit 2026 by securing an exhibitor booth directly at Summit. This event is a powerful opportunity to connect directly with 2S/LGBTQIA+ communities, share resources, services, and supports, increase visibility for your work, and stand in solidarity with our communities.
We are excited to invite dynamic and engaging exhibitors that will contribute to the success of our event. CBRC can provide a table and different resources inside our venue (please note that the sale of items is prohibited). If this is of interest, please reach out to us by July 14 and we will provide further information: [email protected].