Bayard Rustin was born March 17, 1912 in West Chester Pennsylvania. Raised by his maternal grandparents, who were members of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People), Bayard quickly found his passion in civil rights advocacy and activism. As a youth, Bayard spent time working with W.E.B Du Bois, and James Weldon, and campaigned against the racially discriminatory Jim Crow Laws.
Rustin played a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement in America, serving as an advisor on non-physical conflict resolution to Martin Luther King Jr. and was the main organizer of the 1963 March on Washington. As a Black gay man, Bayard Rustin faced many challenges in his career. As a teen and young adult, he maintained his privacy surrounding his sexual orientation, not allowing it to become a part of activism work until later years. Unfortunately, as with many influential queer men, Bayard was the target of homophobic laws and policies, contributing to his arrest for “vagrancy and lewd conduct”. He pleaded down to a lesser charge, however was still sentenced to 50 days in jail. This arrest served as the first time Rustin publicly acknowledged his sexual orientation and as a result of this, he moved to a more behind the scenes role, resigning from his role as Race Relations Secretary at the Fellowship of Reconciliation.
Following his public arrest and outing, Bayard continued his advocacy work within the Civil Right Movement, but started engaging in LGBTQ+ advocacy and activism in the 1980s. A key part of his activism was a speech he gave in 1986, in which he compared the Gay Rights Liberation to the Civil Rights Movement in the sense that “gay people are the new barometer for social change, the question of social change should be framed with the most vulnerable group in mind: gay people”. This speech, while controversial, raised many crucial points about cross marginalization and the key concepts behind intersectionality. How our many different identities impact the ways in which we go through life, and how we face systemic oppression based on these identities.
Bayard Rustin was a successful activist, and heavily contributed to the advancement of Civil Rights in America. His story is one of oppression, systemic racism and homophobia, and how one queer Black man can create social change and betterment. Although he passed away in 1987, he will always be remembered as one of the first openly gay Black Civil Rights leaders.
A new 2023 film starring Colman Domingo as Rustin is now available on Netflix.
Spectrum’s Board of Directors and Executive Director struck our triennial Strategic Planning Committee in July of 2023 and began working on a new plan. The work included doing a new environmental scan, new SWOT and PEST analyses, in-depth reviews of three years of feedback from program participants, a review of our community engagement project on creating Trans-Autistic supports, a review of our community engagement project with Black, Indigenous, and racialized folks, and a series of surveys of our board members.
The work culminated in a full-day strategic planning session on November 19, 2023 during which we established three new Strategic Priorities for 2024-2027:
Sustainability and Stability: Spectrum is committed to becoming a more stable and sustainable organization. We will work to become an equitable employer of choice through fundraising and fund development, community collaboration, and partnerships. Being an equitable employer will give us the capacity to better meet the needs of 2SLGBTQIA+ people in Waterloo Region. Spectrum will continue to work towards an inclusive community where all 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals are welcomed, celebrated, and supported as their authentic selves.
Accessibility and Inclusion in Programs and Personnel: Spectrum is committed to continuing our journey to becoming a more inclusive, equitable, and accessible organization that is welcoming and relevant to members of all 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. We will create programs and recruit personnel using an anti-oppressive and intersectional framework. We will prioritize accessibility, inclusivity, equity, and well-being – celebrating and affirming our diverse community.
Community and Advocacy: Spectrum is committed to continuing to build and maintain strong relationships and partnerships that increase capacity to serve 2SLGBTQIA+ people in Waterloo Region. Spectrum acknowledges the importance of public policy dialogue and development activities, where reasonable, to advocate for 2SLGBTQIA+ people having healthy and vibrant communities where they feel a sense of belonging.
These priorities build on the work we achieved with our 2021-2023 plan and we look forward to continuing the momentum we have established. Special thanks to our Board of Directors for their volunteerism and commitment to governance.
We’d like to thank the Kitchener Sports Association for a grant of $3,500 that will allow us to purchase sports equipment for our 2SLGBTQIA+ Multi-Sport Drop-In!
The Multi-Sport Drop-In is totally free and is run out of the Downtown Community Centre and Stanley Park Community Centre in Kitchener. Each week we play a variety of sports like badminton, pickleball, volleyball, and basketball. From time to time we invite guest coaches for special events like Muay Thai and yoga.
Almost every participant that comes, comes because they want to meet other queer folks and move in a space exclusively for queer folks. Participants are at all levels and abilities. We have some people who are brand new to sports, while others are trying out for national sports teams. We’ve created a space that allows all abilities to play and have fun.
We’re also starting a Queer Run Club! Stay tuned for details.
The Forest of Reading is Canada’s largest recreational reading program! This initiative offers ten reading programs to encourage a love of reading in people of all ages. The Forest helps celebrate Canadian books, publishers, authors and illustrators. More than 270,000 readers participate annually from their school and/or public library. All Canadians are invited to participate via their local public library, school library, or individually.
In the 2024 nominees are four titles with 2SLGBTQIA+ themes that the Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) has placed in it’s “PRO Section”. This section is used primarily by teachers but students are able to access the materials — provided a teacher first gives them “Catholic context”.
Some activists are calling this a “shadow ban” of these books. Restricting access to books that include 2SLGBTQIA+ content is discrimination. We know how important it is for 2SLGBTQIA+ children and youth to see themselves represented in media. It has a significant impact on their sense of belonging and well-being. It’s also important for straight-cisgender children to read books that have 2SLGBTQIA+ themes so they can be better prepared to live in a world where 2SLGBTQIA+ people have always existed, and will always exist.
You can read a Cambridge Today article from November 16, 2023 about this, here.
Spectrum has added these titles to our lending library where they can be borrowed without restriction.
If you’d like to write to the WCDSB trustees, their email addresses are below:
On October 16, 2023, Sue Senior delegated to the trustees of the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB). Sue is a retired educator who worked for 30 years in the WRDSB teaching Physical and Health Education (including sexual health), biology, kinesiology, math, and a variety of extra curriculars. This post is based on the reflections she shared with the Board.
25 of my 30 years were as a closeted straight-passing teacher. I was afraid that I would not be permitted to teach or to coach and would be the object of derision and stigmatization should I have come out.
By 2008, I realized that being closeted was doing far more harm to my well-being than the risks associated with being out. By then the board had done some excellent work in creating an environment where 2SLGBTQIA+ students and staff could learn and work, knowing that there were policies in place to protect them and affirm them.
Nothing really changed for me as a teacher after coming out.
I did not make any big announcements. I just lived more authentically and was a healthier and more confident teacher, colleague, and friend, and then a spouse, with my wife whom I met two years later.
I share this reluctantly as I am aware that there are some people who believe that there is a ‘gay agenda’ and that I am speaking to you with some sort of ulterior motive. My only motive is to ensure that this board and all adults provide the duty of care that that is required when entrusted with the supervision of children.
ALL OF US have a legal duty of care, which means a duty to act in a way that avoids causing harm to others – in this case, children – when such harm might reasonably have been foreseen.
The motion before the board would undermine that duty of care if a teacher were required to report every single instance where a parent has decided what parts of a lesson are considered to be ‘not age appropriate’ or ‘suitable’ for their child.
As well, foundational to the Physical and Health Education Curriculum, it is stated that:
Research has shown that teaching about sexual health and human development does not increase sexual behaviour and can actually prevent risky activity.
Sadly, there are already students who don’t have access to the sexual health and human development curriculum due to many false notions that the curriculum indoctrinates children to being gay or transgender or makes them initiate sexual activity at a young age.
Additional misinformation is being spread based on the myth that there are only two genders: male and female. Biologically, that is incorrect. Intersex people have always been among us.
Intersex is a general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male.
For example, a baby might be born appearing to be female on the outside but has mostly male-typical anatomy on the inside. A person may also be born with mosaic genetics or cells with both XX and XY chromosomes.
It is important to note that being intersex is not a disease or a disorder any more that being born with blue eyes or brown eyes or hazel eyes. There are about the same number of intersex individuals on the planet as there are red-headed people. (Here is a short video as a reference regarding the complexities of gender.)
So, how do those who strongly believe that there are only males and females reconcile this fact? How does the school board make sure that ALL GENDERS are affirmed without stigmatizing those in the minority?
We have a duty of care for ALL students.
Back to the motion at hand and what is most problematic about being forced to report on specific content that can arise in a school day.
I can’t even begin to list the number of times that questions or comments are made in a variety of classes – often outside of the designated ‘sexual health curriculum lesson’ that relate to sex, relationships, birth control, sexually transmitted diseases, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, and loads of other topics.
If a student casually mentions their two dads (for example) when talking about their summer holiday, would the teacher be expected to stop the lesson, silence the child and/or shoo some pre-identified children from the room, or pick up the phone and call the parents in that moment?
That would be harmful in so many ways, and not only to the child with two dads! Not to mention how disruptive to the class it would be.
The classroom needs to be a place where all students feel that they can ask questions or enter a discussion without fear of reprisal or being shamed because of their life experience. Only in cases of overt and deliberate bullying or taunting of others would a teacher stop the comments being made and manage the situation appropriately.
The other situation that has me extremely worried about student safety and care relates to those students who often confide in a trusted teacher or staff member. It might be a student who shares that:
the marks on their arms are from a family member abusing them, OR…
they might share that they think they are attracted to someone of the same-sex and don’t know what that means…. OR…
they might indicate that they don’t want to wear ‘girls’ dresses anymore and would prefer pants and a shirt.
In all of these and many more situations, one of the very first things a staff member would do is ask if they have shared this with their parents or caregivers. If not, then the next step is to ask if they want to share with the parents and if they would like some help in doing so. In most cases, students WANT their parents to know. In most cases, the parents already know.
In cases where the information shared by the student leads the adult to believe that harm might come to that student or to others, the adult is required to report that information to the appropriate protective agency such as Family and Children Services.
So, if the policy and laws are revised as suggested to force school staff to report certain disclosures to the parents, they will be in direct contravention with the required Duty of Care.
Unfortunately, there are some children and youth who are at great risk of rejection, abandonment, and deep emotional and physical harm by their family or designated caregivers.
In other words, those children and youth would not ever be able to safely access the resources they need to navigate the situation with professional support.
I also speak from a religious context as the motion points to a broadening of religious accommodations. I am an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church in Canada (PCC). I was also appointed by the PCC to co-lead a special Listening Committee (also known as Rainbow Communion) to report on harm done by and through the Church, in all of its contexts, and to make recommendations to ensure that the harm is addressed and does not continue.
After four years of listening and work, it is important to note that all 23 recommendations brought to the denomination were adopted. The reports and supporting resources are all available on the PCC website. You can also watch a video summary of stories shared.
We heard accounts of harm that ranged from people being isolated, embarrassed, shamed, physically attacked, threatened with spiritual harm, and heartbreakingly, learned about those who tried to cope by turning to drugs, alcohol or other behaviours of self-harm including death by suicide.
It was the religiously institutionalized hypocrisy, homophobia, transphobia, and heterosexism that perpetuated ongoing harm. This harm extended not only to those who identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, or intersex. It also affected their families, partners, and allies. Furthermore, this institutionalized fear, and even hatred, created a culture of fear and suspicion within and between churches, presbyteries and synods. I do not want to see a culture like this return to our church, or to our public school system.
While the imposition of religious beliefs has no place in the public school board, I felt it was important to underscore that not all religious groups seek to exclude and further harm those who are not heterosexual. Not all religious groups marginalize and stigmatize those who do not clearly identify and present as either male or female. Instead, I believe we must reflect on the basic values that are common to all religions: compassion; respect for the human person; and the Golden Rule of, ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’
These same values are part of the classroom and school ethos.
Let us continue to support, encourage and empower all students to become skilled, caring, and compassionate global citizens.
We’re excited to announce a new collaboration with Factory Shoe that will raise funds to support Spectrum’s programs for 2SLGBTQIA+ people in Waterloo Region. Factory Shoe has provided us with $5 fundraiser cards. When they are used to make purchases at Factory Shoe of $35 or more, Factory Shoe will make a $5 donation to Spectrum!
We asked about how Factory Shoe ensures its stores are safe and welcoming to 2SLGBTQIA+ people. They have a Diversity Policy that demonstrates a commitment to creating a workplace that values and respects individual differences. Factory Shoe has clear policies in place to ensure inclusion and prevent harassment for all customers, including 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals. These policies are designed to maintain a safe and respectful atmosphere for all visitors. Their employees are well-versed in these policies and are committed to upholding them.
Factory Shoe understands that the experiences of transgender individuals in retail settings can be challenging, and they are dedicated to providing a different, positive experience.
You can pick up your $5 Fundraising Card at Spectrum any time we are open for programming! Visit the Rainbow Community Calendar for details or email info@ourspectrum.com to arrange a pick-up time.
Spectrum is working with health researchers at Wilfrid Laurier University, in partnership with the AIDS Committee of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo & Area (ACCKWA), on a new grant funded research project called the “Waterloo Region 2SLGBTQ+ WELCOME Study” led by Dr. Todd Coleman, Associate Professor at Wilfrid Laurier University. This project aims to assess 2SLGBTQ+ needs in Waterloo Region, given that our community has largely been ignored in the context of health research. We wish to better understand the needs as well as the health and well-being of our community and offer programming and policy solutions to improve health outcomes.
The research will include a 40-minute survey and a qualitative interview to understand 2SLGBTQ+ experiences about community health, health status and behaviour over the life-course, healthcare and social service access, safety, and social support. It will also include consultative engagement with health system stakeholders.
The Waterloo Region 2SLGBTQ+ WELCOME Survey is part of a multiphase grant funded project aiming to conduct a 2SLGBTQ+ needs assessment to advance the current understanding of the general health landscape of 2SLGBTQ+ identifying persons who live, work, or reside in the Waterloo region. The results of the survey will help inform the latter phases of the study and be disseminated to our constituents as part of our knowledge translation activities in different formats.
Once the information has been collected, analyzed and distributed (e.g. at community meetings, reports, academic publications), the research team hopes to work with the community on initiatives that promote the health and well-being of 2SLGBTQ+ populations in Canada
We are seeking participants who:
Identify as 2SLGBTQ+
16+
Live, work, or reside in Waterloo Region
If this is you and you’d like to take the survey, . Note that the password is “welcome2023”. If you have questions or would like to be considered for an interview, please connect with Robert Chin-see (he/him).
This study has been approved by the Research Ethics Board at Wilfrid Laurier University (REB# 8419)
Please note that from October 3, 2023-November 17, 2023 there is construction happening around our building that might make it more challenging for you to find us! In particular, the bus stop at Duke & Victoria may not be available. The closest alternatives are Weber & Wellington or Central Station.
In Spring 2023, Waterloo Region Family Network (WRFN) and Spectrum Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Place (Spectrum) came together to assess the need for supports for the trans-autistic community. Trans and autistic communities face their own unique challenges navigating society. Trans individuals might experience transphobia, barriers to accessing public spaces, and threats of violence while autistic individuals can experience ableism, lack of accessibility and/or accommodations, and other forms of systemic discrimination. When someone is both trans and autistic, the discrimination they face is compounded – meaning any support given to this community is incomplete if it does not consider the intersections of their identity.
Interviews and surveys were conducted to gather insights from the community to help inform the establishment of potential programming for the trans-autistic community. We were so fortunate to work with Cayden Genik on this project. Cayden played an instrumental role in conducting interviews, research and report writing. Cayden’s full report, Establishing Effective Trans-Autistic Support, can be found here.
Our Objective
This collaborative project sought to acknowledge the increasingly visible intersection between autism and gender divergence, elevate the voices of autistic and/or trans community members, assess the need for programming, and establish next steps to implement potential programming.
Our Method
We connected with the trans-autistic community through three group interviews (one in-person and two virtual) and an online survey. All information collected was anonymous. We had a total of sixteen participants, some of whom were members of the trans-autistic community (either with formal diagnosis or without) while others were parents of individuals in this community. While we valued all insights, emphasis was given to voices of those within the trans-autistic community themselves.
Common Challenges for Trans-Autistic Individuals
When speaking with those belonging to the community, many common themes began to emerge:
Lack of overall support at the intersection of autism and gender divergence.
Uncertainty of where to access informed resources.
Difficulty finding others within the trans-autistic community.
Lack of racial diversity in community programming.
Lack of safe, social spaces for the trans-autistic community.
Preference to engage in programming carried out by individuals with lived experience.
Preference for reliable, in-person, drop-in programming that requires little commitment.
When speaking to the parents of those belonging to the trans-autistic community, the following themes were identified:
Virtual programming made it difficult for their children to connect and engage.
A lack of access to resources and information.
Need for a safe, social space where their trans-autistic children feel represented.
When asked about the challenges they have encountered, those identifying as autistic and/or trans shared the following:
Society has a limited understanding of what autism is, thus contributing to the incorrect belief that all those with autism have reduced mental capacity.
Transness is often invalidated in the presence of autism.
Systemic discrimination, microaggressions, and stigma.
Navigating as non-binary in a binary world.
Fear of taking up space (i.e., not being trans or autistic enough to fit in with each individual community).
Lack of moderated gatherings and safe spaces to meet other individuals belonging to the community.
Lack of support in communication and accessibility needs.
Lack of racial and neurodiversity in community programming.
Need for Inclusive and Flexible Programming
Out of all autistic and/or trans participants, only five had experience with existing programming. Those that commented on their experiences with programming shared that they valued having the ability to learn about themselves and connect with peers in a safe space where they did not feel the need to justify their existence. In addition, these individuals shared the following critiques of their experiences with programming:
Cisgender folks have made formal attempts against programming in an attempt to have it disbanded.
Organizations often assume what the community needs without getting them involved in the conversation.
Difficulty in meeting criteria for in-person programming (e.g., formal diagnoses, non-binary exclusions).
Next Steps
Through our collaboration, interviews, surveys, and research gathered by Cayden, it is clear there is a need in our community for a specialized program for the trans-autistic community. WRFN and Spectrum will continue to work together to build a program to address the unique needs expressed by our local trans-autistic community.
As Cayden highlights, effectively supporting this diverse community involves constantly revising current practices and seeking ways in which they can be improved. With the guidance provided in Cayden’s report, we aim to create programming that is led and informed by those with lived experience where others can feel understood and have access to reliable resources.
UPDATE! The Trans Peer Support Groups will return to the second and fourth Mondays of the month starting October 9th!
We’ve had some questions about recent changes to our transgender peer support group schedule and wanted to provide an update.
Our general trans peer support group is currently meeting on the first and third Thursdays of the month. We don’t currently have enough volunteer co-facilitators to run the meetings that we used to have on the second and fourth Mondays of the month, but we hope to bring them back in the near future.
Our Beyond the Binary group meets once per month on the fourth Tuesday of the month.
Our transmasc group is currently on hold as we look for volunteer co-facilitators. Ideally, we would also like to have a transfemme group, but again we’d need the volunteers to make it happen.
Our Cambridge transgender peer support group continues to meet bi-weekly on Thursdays.
For transparency’s sake, we schedule two volunteer co-facilitators to run every group. Our volunteers are required to take training in accessibility, health and safety, racism, and our own Rainbow Diversity Training. They’re also required to have a police check for the vulnerable sector, be familiar with our policies and procedures, and participate in additional training as we identify other important opportunities. Not everyone who applies to be a volunteer is well-suited to facilitation of a peer support group. We interview people and check references to make sure that our volunteers will be able to commit to running the groups at specific times and have strong facilitation skills.
We currently have four volunteers on our trans peer support team, and three of them are relatively new. Special thanks to our volunteers for making these groups possible! If you are interested in volunteering with us you can complete the application here.
We will provide more updates as the program evolves. We know how important these groups are to participants and we will provide as many of them as we safely can within our resources.
