LGBTQ Families Speak Out - News

Tickets now available for Out at School at Toronto Pride 2019

20/5/2019

Upcoming performances:
Join us on for three performances of Out at School during The 2019 Toronto Pride Festival.

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education - The Nexus Lounge, 12th floor, 252 Bloor Street West, Toronto
(St. George Street subway station)

Friday June 14, 2019 - 7:00 pm
Saturday June 15, 2019 - 2:00 pm
Saturday June 15, 2019 - 7:00 pm

Admission is free, but space is limited.
Reserve tickets here

Our 2019 Pride Performances of Out At School

15/5/2019

Classes for the 2018-2019 academic year at the University of Toronto are now over and the team has shifted our attention to preparing for our Pride performances of Out At School on June 14 and 15, 2019 at the Nexus Lounge at OISE.

Tara Goldstein, Pam Baer and Jenny Salisbury have been working on a new script of Out at School that will feature 21 scenes, three songs performed by Kate Reid (one of them created especially for our Pride performances) and a set of beautiful images created by benjamin lee hicks.

Pam and Jenny are directing the play that includes a cast of theatre artists, undergraduate students from the Equity Studies Program at New College and members of the research team. Come join us for one of our performances. Details are available on the homepage of the website.

Meet Pa, Zena, and their beautiful family.

30/4/2019

We interviewed Pa, Zena, Ely, and Tristan. There are 13 new videos with them sharing their story here.

New Education and Community Resources on Our Website

1/4/2019

NEW! Check out the new list of education and community resources team member Yasmin Owis has added to the Publications section of our website!

Max & Ryan: School Reaction to Transition

31/3/2019

March 31st is Transgender Day of Visibility. This week we’d like to highlight a video from Max and Ryan, a family that had two of its members transition. Max and Ryan discuss how their school played a significant role in aiding their daughters transition and continue to be outspoken advocates and allies for their family. It’s important to recognize that Transgender Day of Visibility is not only a celebration of trans and gender diverse people but also a commitment by their allies to be visible and outspoken in their support too. You can learn more about transgender experiences and advocacy in school by using the tags on our website to explore the stories of other trans and gender diverse families. (Yasmin Owis)

Victoria: Decision-Making on Coming Out

22/3/2019

Check out Victoria's video on how she negotiated the process of coming out in her daughter's school.

Brenda and Nim: Coming out at Home as Demi and Trans

22/2/2019

In this video, Brenda tells a story about how she once offered to her child, Nim that if there was anything Nim needed to tell her or talk with her about but didn’t know how to say it, they could write it in a note to her. Nim used this strategy to begin a conversation between them about Nim’s non-normative sexuality and gender identity. (Kate Reid)

Alec: Advice for Teachers

8/2/2019

In this video excerpt youth worker and artist Alec Butler provides advice to teachers who work with Indigenous youth who also identify as LGBTQ. (Tara Goldstein)

Michael & Ernst: How We Met

6/2/2019

I am loving love these days and I love a good love story. Here are Michael and Ernst with some warm fuzzies to keep you toasty on an icy cold day. Happy February, a month for celebrating all of the ways that we find love and share love and make family. (Pam Baer)

Vincent: Being an Ally and Embedding Gender and Sexual Diversity in Curriculum

26/1/2019

This week we are featuring an audio clip from Vincent who talks about the importance of allyship in educational settings. Vincent eloquently articulates the importance of listening to students and their needs as a way for teachers can support their students as allies. Vincent argues that teachers who help move the barriers and obstacles that queer and trans students encounter in schools, can ultimately help each student chose their own path on their journey of self-discovery. (Yasmin Owis)