Let’s celebrate! Today (Thursday, March 20) marks the fourth edition of Two-Spirit and Indigenous LGBTQQIA+ Celebration and Awareness Day, a time to celebrate the radiance and diversity of Two-Spirit identities, expression, and experience. Various activities will be taking place in communities this week across Turtle Island.
In what is colonially-known as Vancouver, the Two-Spirit Program team at CBRC will present an afternoon of activities at The Birdhouse (44 W 4th Ave.) on Friday, March 21 from 12 PM to 6 PM. The theme of the celebration is “Access,” and with it we hope to highlight the many ways in which access (to healthcare, to culture, and to ceremony) is essential to Two-Spirit and Indigenous queer and trans people.
Under the guidance of Elder Sheila Nyman and led by Two-Spirit Research Coordinator Jaylene McRae, in collaboration with Evan Matchett-Wong from the Health Initiative for Men, the afternoon will feature an Opening Ceremony, speeches from community activists and city officials, and arts-based research activities and discussions. The arts-based activities will aim to deepen our understanding of the unique experiences and needs of 2SLGBTQIA+ survivors of gender-based violence (GBV), a group often overlooked in broader GBV research. Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals are invited to participate.
If you live in other regions of Turtle Island, associate celebrations will also be presented by relative organizations in Edmonton (Edmonton 2 Spirit Society), Saskatoon (2Spirit Alliance of Saskatchewan), Toronto (2-Spirited People of the First Nations), Sault Ste. Marie (2S Organizing Committee of Bawating), Lac Seul (Ever Sick! Indigenous Performing Arts & Entertainment), Halifax (Wabanaki Two-Spirit Alliance), Winnipeg (2Spirit Manitoba Inc.), Prince George and Whitehorse.
Join in the celebration today and this week, and help us get the word out so that Two-Spirit and Indigenous LGBTQQIA+ Celebration and Awareness Day maybe be officially recognized on a national level in the coming years.
Read more about this year’s Two-Spirit and Indigenous LGBTQIA+ Celebration and Awareness Day here and here.
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Statements
Jennifer Blatherwick, Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
Proclamations
