All Categories - LGBTQ Families Speak Out

Our Children Are Your Students: Book Launch

18/1/2021

We are delighted to share that our new book Our Children are Your Students is now available for purchase! The new book shares findings from the LGBTQ Families Speak Out research project that started in 2014 and ended in 2020. As many of you know, the goal of the project was to video interview LGBTQ families across Ontario about their experiences in public schools and share our findings from these interviews with teachers, community educators, and other LGBTQ families.
The project includes:

video and audio interviews with 37 LGBTQ parents, youth, and families in seven Ontario cities
an archive of 300 video clips from the interviews available on the project’s website: www.lgbtqfamiliesspeakout.ca
a multi-media verbatim theatre production, called Out at School, last performed at Toronto Pride in June 2019.

Out at School – with eight new line drawings by visual artist Benjamin Lee hicks and links to three original songs by and songwriter Kate Reid – has just been published in Our Children Are Your Students.

You can order the book here and join us for a virtual book launch on February 12th at 4pm. Register for the event here.

Congratulations Dr. Jenny Salisbury!

14/1/2021

The LGBTQ Families Speak Out project would like to congratulate Dr. Jenny Salisbury on the successful defence of her doctoral thesis!

Jenny's thesis Community-Engaged Theatre Audiences aims to understand how individuals make meaning or sense out of community-engaged theatre performances which are often plays are social justice initiatives, working within different communities to foster social change.

Jenny’s research asks “what can scholars and artists learn about community-engaged theatre by asking audience members about their experiences?” Audiences are so often erased or simply absent from archives and theatre scholarship. Jenny’s thesis research centers their voices in order to better understand community-engaged theatre as an advocacy project.

Many well wishes, Dr. Jenny Salisbury!

Gender, Sexuality, School Podcast: Season 3

11/1/2021

Happy New Year everyone!

The LGBTQ Families Speak Out research team is happy to announce that the first episode of season 3 of the Gender, Sexuality, School podcast is now available and was recently featured in Xtra Magazine!

In the first episode of season 3, Tara talks to Professor Harper Keenan from the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia about two recent research projects: Building Blocks: Race, Gender and Early Education project and Drag Pedagogy. You can listen along here.

Best Wishes for a safe and restful holiday break

22/12/2020

The LGBTQ Families Sp[eakout team would like to wish all its website visitors a safe and restful holiday break, and invite you back to the website in January when you will find some new interesting work we've been working on for a while.

Season 3 of our podcast Gender. Sexuality. School. begins on January 1, 2021, and there will be news of the availability of our new book Our Children Are Your Students: LGBTQ Families Speak Out.

Until then, all the best.
Tara

Transgender Week of Awareness

18/11/2020

This week can bring up a lot of mixed emotions for our trans communities. While the intention is so spread awareness about both the barriers and successes of trans and gender-diverse folks, it also comes with a sense of hyper-visibility. The pressure on trans people to speak up, be visible and share their experiences this week is profound, and is one that reinforces a narrative of “otherness”.

Awareness is important, that cannot be understated. In a time when ignorance and harm is still occurring — on the streets, in schools, in our medication and judicial systems — education through spreading awareness and knowledge is one of our greatest tools. But that responsibility cannot fall on trans communities. Awareness without action is equally as violent as blatant violence itself. Allyship is a verb, one that requires constant unlearning and decentering of cis-privilege.

Trans Awareness Weeks ends on November 20th, which is formally recognized as Trans Day of Remembrance. It is a time to remember and honour our trans family and elders who have willingly and unwillingly dedicated their time and lives towards trans liberation and justice. We honour the trans communities, especially the communities of colour — Black and Indigenous communities — who are the incredible leaders of this community and the biggest targets for violence.

This week we remind ourselves that trans people have always existed and we recommitment ourselves to focusing on the thriving and abundant futures trans communities, while dedicating ourselves to trans justice in education through action.

Places to learn more:

Trans People of Colour Project (TPOC)

Trans People of Colour: Healing Circle (November 19)

Smudge, Don’t Judge: Assisting Two Spirit/Trans Survivors of Violence

We Move Together: Disability Justice and Trans Liberation

Focus on Research: Ethical Principles and Practices for Arts-Based Testimonial Research with LGBTQ Families

3/11/2020

As part of the Focus on Research series at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, Tara Goldstein and research team member Yasmin Owis presented on their ethical principles and practices for arts-based testimonial research. These principles and practices were developed as part of an upcoming book entitled "Our Children are Your Students: LGBTQ Families Speak Out" set to be released in Winter 2021.

You can read more about the presentation here, and download a copy of the presentation here.

National Coming Out Day

11/10/2020

Today is National Coming Out Day. For some, today is an opportunity to share with others parts of our identity. And for some, it's a day of personal recognition and acceptance. Coming into yourself as our identities shift is a powerful practice, and one we continually do as queer, trans, and gender-diverse folks. Not everyone needs access to parts of you that you are still grappling with. So whether today is a day of celebration, public declaration, personal recognition or a moment of questioning, you are seen and supported unconditionally.

You can watch videos of our families talking about coming out in schools here, and find resources that might be helpful here.

Trans Workers in School Project

7/10/2020

If you are a trans person working in education, please consider completing this survey!

This project is spearheaded by our incredible colleague Dr. Harper Keenan (University of British Columbia) as well as Dr. Mario Suarez (Utah State University) and Dr. Mollie McQuillian (University of Wisconsin-Madison). They are looking for Canadian trans educators to complete their survey, to give a better insight into the workplace experiences of PK-12 trans school workers.

The survey link is: tinyurl.com/ya4xnq5s
Password: TWISP2020

September: Back to School

8/9/2020

Today marks an official start to the school year for many K-12 teachers and students and things look a little different this year. A lot has changed in the months since COVID-19 closed schools and forced families, parents and youth to get creative with childcare, parenting and at-home learning. Whether you are headed back into the classroom or are learning from home, we recognize how challenging it can feel.

On one hand we can't ask too much of teachers or students, but we still want to make sure our LGBTQ youth are supported, in schools and at home. Similarly, we want to make sure everyone is safe, healthy and cared for in ways we have little control over. It can feel impossibly difficult and frustrating.

We hope that whatever circumstance you find yourself in, that you are able to find care, rest and community. As teachers and educators, and as members of the LGBTQ community we have always come together to heal and resist. And although we may be apart in some ways, we are still a part of a community of people who want our youth to thrive and can do that in small, meaningful ways.

artwork by: morgan harper nichols

Pride 2020

30/6/2020

If your Pride celebrations this year looked a little different, that’s okay.

Pride is a special time of year, as it can be both a time for joy, affirmation as well as revolt and protest. And our history and membership in this vibrant and beautiful community, means we have a responsibility to take care of one another: as educators, as chosen-family members and as humans. For us, that looks like checking in on one another, offering help and resources where needed, and always holding an anti-oppressive, intersectional and affirming lens that understands how we can best leverage our privileges. It means recognizing and changing when we're taking up too much space, and amplifying BIPOC voices, experiences and knowledges and interrogating our own comfort with the systems we work within. We know that there is no queer or trans liberation without BIPOC, and we know that our work is far from over. We leave you with the beautiful words of Canadian poet, Brandon Wint, and wish you all the safety, joy and love in your celebrations and resistance.

“Not queer like gay. Queer like, escaping definition. Queer like some sort of fluidity and limitlessness at once. Queer like a freedom too strong to be conquered. Queer like the fearlessness to imagine what love can look like…and pursue it.”

Artwork by Jess Bird (@blessthemessy on Instagram)