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SPECTRUM News

Bequests in a Will

SPECTRUM Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space is grateful to receive bequests under a will. When the time comes to update your will – something that should be done every five years or when family connections change – it is time to consider what you would like to leave to the purposes that have the greatest significance to you.

Your will gives you a chance to set down gifts that survive you. These can be quite large: your assets might include a house, cottage, RRSPs, RIFs and similar non-sheltered investments, life insurance… the accumulation of an entire lifetime.

Bequests result in large gifts and that results in large tax receipts. A tax receipt from SPECTRUM will shield a great deal of your other assets from tax and result in greater gifts to your family.

Please feel free to get in touch with SPECTRUM to talk over your intentions. If your intention is to gift a portion of your estate to SPECTRUM, it may also be useful to leave an addendum with your will stating your intention. This can help guide your family during this difficult time.

Below, you will find suggested wording examples for your will to help clarify your gift intentions to SPECTRUM.

Suggested Wording for Effecting a Bequest in your Will

I give, devise and bequeath to SPECTRUM Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space (dollar amount or gift of property or portion or percent of the residue) to be used in such manner as the organization may direct.
I give, devise and bequeath to SPECTRUM Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space (dollar amount or gift of property or portion or percent of the residue) for the Chrysalis Fund for Mental Health, for disbursement in such manner as the organization may direct.
I give, devise and bequeath to SPECTRUM Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space (dollar amount or gift of property or portion or percent of the residue) to be invested as SPECTRUM Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space sees fit for the purpose of funding an endowment, for meeting annual operating expenditure, or…

After examples 2 or 3 above, the following wording should be included:

Recognizing that at some time in the future it may be found that the income from the fund cannot be usefully applied for the expressed purpose, then the income and capital may be used for any other related purpose approved by SPECTRUM Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space which is within the general aims and objectives of SPECTRUM, keeping in mind the original wishes of the donor.

The receipt of the person who professes to be the proper agent of SPECTRUM Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space to receive this bequest shall be sufficient discharge therefore, and my Trustee shall be under no obligation to see that the trusts thereof are carried out.

Any matching grants obtainable as a result of this bequest shall be used at the discretion of SPECTRUM Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space to ensure or enhance the continuance of the fund for the purposes intended.

Memorandum of Understanding

If you reach out to SPECTRUM to let us know that you are planning to make a bequest, you may wish for us to sign a memorandum of understanding with you about the purposes of your gift or your reasons for giving. Such a memo is not legally binding and can be changed at any time by the donor.

Here is a format for recording our mutual understanding:

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

Between

Donor’s Name:

And SPECTRUM Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space

SPECTRUM Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space is pleased to be designated as a beneficiary of the Estate of (Donor’s Name).

This Memorandum of Understanding is intended to document the intended purpose of this charitable bequest at the time it is received to the mutual consent of the donor(s) and SPECTRUM.

The Donor(s): This paragraph should specify that the charitable bequest is being made through the Estate of (Name)
Designation of the Gift: This paragraph should outline the intents of the gift; ie. The donor(s) have an expressed interest in supporting the following purposes:

-Transgender services

-Youth services

-etc.

Form of the Gift: This paragraph should provide any specific details regarding the nature of the gift. For example, if it is a gift intended to establish a new fund, specify the form and name of the fund, as well as referring to any relevant policies already in place at SPECTRUM Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space (eg. an investment policy).

Specifications:This paragraph will outline specific intentions as identified by the donor, for example, any eligibility criteria, number of awards, and so on. This may also identify the donor’s secondary wishes should SPECTRUM be unable to fulfill their initial intention.

Independent Advice: It is the strong preference of SPECTRUM that all donors seek independent, qualified advice before making a charitable bequest. SPECTRUM is not privy to all of the donor’s circumstances and is not in a position to provide informed advice on the structure, timing or amount of the gift. SPECTRUM will endeavor to work with the donor’s advisors and executors to make the gift a successful one.

We agree to the Memorandum of Understanding as outlined above:

It is SPECTRUM’s honour to publicly recognize the donations we receive. If you would prefer your bequest to remain anonymous please stipulate that. If you would like to write a brief statement about why you are supporting SPECTRUM we would be very pleased to share this publicly as well.

Guest post

Guest post: my most memorable magical day

The day started off frantically, waking up on what would normally have been an idyllic Sunday morning sipping coffee and grabbing brunch with friends. Instead, it was a mad rush to be up at 7am, showered and presentable by 8 am, to dare the journey East toward the glistening lights, endless traffic and colossal glass buildings of Downtown Toronto.

I once read a greeting card that said, “I love you enough to get on the 401 at 5pm for you”. Truer words of affection have never been written, and anyone who has had to endure that test of driving patience, will understand me when I say, that I was grateful that this was a Sunday and not Monday morning.

As we drove towards my Toronto destination, I felt excitement and uncertainty. I had been asked to teach a group of women and non-binary people from an LGBTQ2A+ meetup group a dance routine for fun during their 2-hour weekly picnic in the park. It would be my first time teaching people who weren’t trained dancers, . I had no idea how the day would turn out, especially since I had only learned the steps the night before. But I live my life as an adventure and so regardless of the outcome, I was up for the challenge.

The song the meetup organizer chose was the viral Jerusalema song; back in 2020 you would be hard pressed to open any social media platform and not see or hear a version of the song played at least once. I mean the song was everywhere, and for good reason. The Afro beats, the voice of the singer, the meaning behind the words – it was a masterpiece. To me, the Jerusalama song feels like I am tapping into my ancestral DNA, with the beats, rhythm, and melody touching the deepest part of longing in my soul. Jerusalema was also a movement, unifying the world and offering light during months of silence as we waited through the first waves of our world pandemic.

It was a perfect choice. If a song could have colour, this one would be a brilliant rainbow projecting many colours in one beautiful representation, much like the people who attended the picnic that day = who were of different nationalities, economic backgrounds, different genders, brought together by their need for connection and their desire to try something new.

And dance we did. Within 10 minutes we learned our routine and the true Magic of our day began. As the Jerusalema song played from our speaker on repeat, we laughed and moved, and danced, raising our collective energies until it felt like a ball of light was growing, moving over the park, filling it, and then reaching higher than a tower. I have never experienced anything like it.

Maybe it was the day, which was bright, sunny, and unusually warm for September. Maybe it was because we were all craving human connection. Maybe because it just felt so good to be outside, among our community. Or maybe it was all these things. But every moment was magical. Even now as I recall the day I feel a sense of euphoria and an understanding that this is what it feels like when we let go of all worry, fear, and differences and see each other for why we really are: beautiful souls who just want to dance, laugh, and feel love and connection.

It was a feeling that none of us wanted to let go of, so we continued the day by eating together at a nearby pub, having random photoshoots among the muralled side streets of the Toronto neighbourhood, and sharing more tales. And laughing, oh so much laughter, until we finally though reluctantly (covid be damned) hugged and said goodbye.

By the time I made the journey back to Waterloo my face was stretched wide from laughing, my heart overflowing with joy, and my camera filled with memories of the day. Later I compiled in a video from this footage to remind me and all who were there of this incredible experience. Our homemade Jerusalema video is a priceless treasure that I hold dear, because now whenever I need to feel connected to the Universe I play this video and know that Life will always surprise us with Magic if we allow ourselves the opportunity to be open to it.

Guest post by Tammie of Tea Time with Tammie; Jerusalema Video Link

Events, SPECTRUM News

Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer Community Engagement Sessions

SPECTRUM is grateful to have received a grant from the Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation Community Fund, and The Matthew & Rochelle Family Fund to help us develop a new program for the Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer People of Waterloo Region. You can read more about the Racial Equity Fund and other grantees here.

Our work will begin with two community engagement sessions. These will be held virtually on February 15, 2022 and February 22, 2022 from 7-9pm. The sessions will be facilitated by Laureen (Blu) Waters (they/them): Istchii Nikamoon: Earth Song, Wolf clan. Cree/Metis/Micmac, Blu is a member of the Metis Nation of Ontario; and by Musko Giizhigo Ikwe (Red Sky Woman) (she/her) whose English name is Hollee George. Hollee is a Two-Spirit Anishinaabe Ikwe and a SPECTRUM board member.

If you are a Two-Spirit or Indigiqueer person in our community we hope you can join us to help us understand how SPECTRUM can better serve Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer people in what is colonially called Waterloo Region. SPECTRUM is committed to working towards reconciliation and ensuring that our programs, services, and practices are culturally relevant and accessible to Indigenous peoples in our community.

SPECTRUM acknowledges the truth that we are situated on the Haldimand Tract, which is the traditional land of Haudenosaunee and Mississauga Anishinaabe nations. We also recognise the Chinonton Peoples of what has come to be known as the Neutral Nations, a people entirely eliminated by the colonisation of this land.

The land on which we meet, live, love, and work is land that was originally shared with open arms by the Indigenous peoples who have always called this place home with the settlers of this region. We recognise that our presence here has disrupted thousands of years of culture and belonging. The very land upon which the SPECTRUM space exists is at the edge of a great wetland that served as a hunting ground and overwintering space, and is no more than a short distance from villages, feast and ceremony grounds, and settlements.

We also recognize that other Indigenous people from nations or countries beyond Turtle Island are here in Waterloo Region, sometimes because of the colonial legacy of homophobia and transphobia in their countries of origin, and we welcome them. These sessions will be led by Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island but are welcoming to all Indigiqueer people from all nations/countries.

Register here to participate in one of our virtual sessions:

The first 20 registrants for each session will receive either a $20 e-gift card, or a small medicine bundle. We will reach out to registrants to confirm which they would prefer.

We want to centre the voices of survivors of Indian Residential Schools, Indian Day School Survivors, the Sixties Scoop, and the Millennium Scoop. We acknowledge that discussing lived experience of trauma can be re-traumatizing and we would like to invite people in need of holistic or spiritual support to follow up with Hollee at hollee@ourspectrum.com

A National Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former Residential School students. You can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling 24-Hour National Crisis Line: 1.866.925.4419

These two engagement sessions are just the beginning of what we plan to do and we recognize that they will not be comprehensive. We plan for ongoing community engagement in a variety of forms. If you prefer to meet in a one on one setting to provide feedback please email us at info@ourspectrum.com and we will do our best to schedule something with you.

If you would like to help provide feedback but are unable to attend one of the engagement sessions please register anyway! After the sessions, we will email a survey to all who register and we would greatly appreciate your feedback at that time.

Laureen (Blu) Waters

Blu’s family is from Big River Saskatchewan, Star Blanket Reserve and Bra’dor Lake, Eskasoni First Nations, Cape Breton Nova Scotia, and the Red River. Blu grew up with their grandmother and learned about traditional medicines, learning healing methods and care of the sick. Their grandmother also shared her knowledge of the great teachings.

Blu is currently working at Seneca College as an Elder on campus providing traditional teachings and one-to-one counselling. Blu spent 2.5 years working for the National Inquiry for Murdered and Missing Women as a Grandmother to Commissioner Brian Eyelfson and sits on the Grandmother Circle. Blu sits on the Thunder Women Healing Lodge as a Director of the Board.

Blu also sits as the Ontario representative for Metis people with 2 Spirits In Motion Board. Blu also provides ceremony, teaching, and counselling for 2 Spirit People of the First Nations, in Toronto.

Blu was also the national caucus representative for the Toronto Urban Aboriginal strategies for five years working with the community of Toronto and the government. They are also a graduate of DeVry Institute of Technology receiving their business software micro-computer architecture and A+ certification.

Blu’s gifts include: Traditional teachings, giving traditional spirit names, hand drumming, song writer, creative writings, and full moon conductor. Pipe ceremonies and sweat lodge ceremonies and Traditional counselling. Blu is a 2 spirit person, a mother of 3, a grandmother of 3, a sun dancer, and a pipe carrier.

Hollee George (she/her)

Musko Giizhigo Ikwe (Red Sky Woman) or Hollee George’s spirit name means new days or new beginnings and she belongs to the Sturgeon Clan which is a teaching clan. She is a registered section 6(1) status Indian and band member of the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation, located in Southwestern Ontario. She identifies as a Two-Spirit Anishinaabe Ikwe and lesbian. She is a mother, a daughter, a granddaughter, a sister, an auntie, a niece and a cousin. She is a knowledge keeper, carrier of ceremony, a Jingle dress dancer, and a political and social activist.

As a political and social activist, she has taken two systems of governance to the Federal and Provincial Human Rights Commissions. She recently settled a case of discrimination against Two-Spirit people in her home First Nation community and is now working toward holding London Health Sciences Centre accountable for their discrimination and harm caused.

Her post secondary education, employment background and passion is largely Criminal Justice but she has worked in other systems of law that affect Indigenous and queer people. From 2008 – 2019, she pioneered comprehensive Gladue casework as an independent Indigenous entrepreneur across the Province of Ontario. She has worked with two Indigenous dangerous offenders in Canada and her criminal Justice work has been held in high esteem and been presented, on request, to the Ontario Court of Appeal on two occasions.

She furthered her career in legal services by also pioneering Gladue casework in various community legal services clinics across the Province of Ontario; and that legacy remains alive today. She has been a Provincial Inmate Liaison Officer, Child Protection Family Services Worker and Indigenous Child Welfare Services Manager on reserve. She brings a wide perspective and passion for care of the community.

Today, she lives, works and plays on the Haldimand Tract and the City of Kitchener has been her place of residence for almost five years. She lives, works and plays in the queer rainbow community and gives her time to SPECTRUM as a Director and knowledge keeper, Breaking the Silence with Grand Valley Institute, The Social Development Centre Waterloo Region and The KW Multicultural Centre. She is also a student of Indigenous empowerment coaching and though she started her post secondary career in the 90s at Sault College, she is still a student at the University of Western Ontario today.

It is her honour and traditional role and responsibility to continue the work of helping and healing self, family and community.

Awareness, Guest post

Guest post: the importance of substitute decision makers

This guest column was written by Meghan Macmillan.

For many people it is uncomfortable thinking about mortality. What does it mean to grow old, to become ill or to die? These are not easy questions to wrestle with, but they are important for each of us to look at.

Being queer, trans, or any identity outside of the cis-hetero norms of our society makes this even more important. Our doctors, nurses, caregivers are starting to get more training in diversity and how not to make assumptions about the patients they treat, but anyone who is 2SLGBTQ+ has all seen bias (both conscious and unconscious) impact the healthcare experiences of ourselves or our loved ones.

As someone who works with those experiencing serious illness and end-of-life, I get to see the difference it makes to have these difficult conversations ahead of time. The end-of-life needs of the 2SLGBTQ+ community are similar to the general population in that it’s important to talk about what kind of care we want. However, because our community often does not fit neatly into the medical boxes of “family”, there are some additional decisions that need to be looked at to ensure our safety, dignity and comfort

When a person is incapacitated, the medical system looks to their “Substitute Decision Maker” or SDM to make decisions on their behalf. There is a legal standard that health providers go by in emergencies, unless a person has previously legally appointed someone to act for them. Depending on a person’s situation their SDM will be assumed to be their spouse, parent, child, sibling, or other relative (generally in that order). But this framework does not take into account that 2SLGBTQ+ people are often estranged from their families and may prefer that decisions be made by a friend or partners that are not legally recognized as a “spouse”.

There are many reasons that those in our community may not feel that their legal family will best represent their health decisions. Your SDM advocates for things including: medical decisions, who may visit you, who receives information about you, and the type of intimate care you receive. If you feel that a friend or chosen non-immediate family member may better represent you than the person the law assumes would care for you, then it is important to have these conversations with your chosen person and fill out the forms to legally make them your Power of Attorney. While this may sound intimidating, once your decisions are made it is not a difficult process to go through and the forms are free online.

Our health can change at any time, accidents and disease don’t recognize age. We all deserve to be surrounded by the people we love and care about in times of need. While this kind of conversation may feel uncomfortable it is definitely one worth having. Take this as the sign to add it to your “to do” list, get it done, and then congratulate yourself on some definite self care.

SPECTRUM News

Introducing Our New Executive Director

We are pleased to introduce our new Executive Director, Scott Williams. Many people will know Scott as the project coordinator of our 2021 capacity-building project but his history with SPECTRUM goes back to 2013 when he volunteered as our librarian. In 2014-2015 Scott served as our Board Secretary, and he continued as a volunteer through 2018, especially assisting with our charitable status and fundraising efforts.

Prior to 2021, Scott served as Communications and Development Coordinator at KW Counselling Services where he was part of the OK2BME team for several years. In 2015, Scott began the GivingTuesday Waterloo Region movement which he chaired through 2017. Scott volunteers with the United Way Waterloo Region Communities Community Investments Team, and the Grand River Film Festival’s selection committee. Previously, he has volunteered on the City of Kitchener Mayor’s Task Force on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, the Waterloo Region Mental Wellness Network, and the Children and Youth Planning Table Communications Advisory Team.

Scott holds a BA in English Language and Literature from Wilfrid Laurier University, and a diploma in Film Production from Vancouver Film School. He is a graduate of the Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation’s Engage!KW program. At WLU, Scott served as Co-President of GLOBAL (Gay, Lesbian, Or Bisexual, At Laurier), the precursor to the Rainbow Centre. He was part of the volunteer committee who organized the first Pride Prom in Waterloo Region in 2003. Scott wrote the Love My Hood grant application that resulted in the 2018 installation of the rainbow crosswalk in Kitchener.
Connect with Scott at scott@ourspectrum.com

Awareness

Year-end giving: donations needed for Chrysalis Fund

The end of the year is approaching, and with it the last chance for year-end charitable giving. SPECTRUM is in need of donations to support our Chrysalis Fund for Mental Health, which helps to provide no cost and subsidized counselling to members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, with a focus on transgender and non-binary people.

This service is badly needed in our community; stigma, violence, and discrimination mean that 2SLGBTQ+ people are at elevated risk for serious mental illness, addiction, and suicide:

2SLGBTQ+ people face higher rates of depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive and phobic disorders, suicidality, self-harm, and substance use and have twice the risk of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) as non-2SLGBTQ+ people.
Minority stress also causes 2SLGBTQ+ people to have higher rates of cardiovascular disease, some types of cancer, and respiratory diseases.
2SLGBTQ+ Canadians are more likely to experience physical or sexual assault and are more likely to suffer injuries as a result of that assault.

Transgender and non-binary people experience even higher levels of risk because of lack of community support and rejection by friends, family, and loved ones:

Per the Outlook Study, less than half (43%) of trans people in Waterloo Region have come out to people outside of their immediate family. Nearly a third of those who have (31%) say that the people they came out to are unsupportive.
In one Waterloo Region study, 42% of trans respondents reported having to move away from family or friends because of their gender identity.
Of the 40,000 homeless youth in Canada, between 25% and 40% identify as 2SLGBTQ+. Family conflict relating to sexual orientation or gender identity is the main reason 2SLGBTQ+ youth become homeless.

In addition to there being a lack of mental health professionals qualified to provide trans and non-binary inclusive care, many trans and non-binary people who experience employment discrimination or economic marginalization are unable to afford counselling services, which are expensive and not always covered by benefits.

Of especial concern is that trans and non-binary people have disproportionately suffered negative economic impacts of COVID 19 while also experiencing much higher rates of depression and mental illness:

According to Statistics Canada, almost 70% of gender-diverse participants reported fair/poor mental health, compared with 25.5% of female participants and 21.2% of male participants. Gender-diverse people were 2 times more likely than women to report symptoms of anxiety, and 3 times more likely than men.
Gender-diverse respondents were 1.6 times more likely to report that COVID-19 had a “moderate”or “major” impact on their ability to meet their financial obligations or essential needs, such as rent or mortgage payments, utilities, and groceries.
According to a 2018 survey, the age and gender distribution of the 2SLGBTQ+ population in Canada was also associated with higher risk for experiencing loss of employment.
2SLGBTQ+ Canadians are also significantly over-represented among low-income earners.

Your donations are needed to continue providing access to this vital service for those most in need. We urge you to give directly to the Chrysalis Fund for mental health as part of your year-end giving. Monies from the Chrysalis Fund will be used to provide counselling services through the OK2BME program at KW Counselling Services. $130 will cover the full cost of a counselling session for someone in need. We thank you for prioritizing 2SLGBTQ+ mental health in your year-end giving!

Volunteers

Guidelines for SPECTRUM groups participants

SPECTRUM’s goal is to create a safe and confidential environment in which participants feel that their contribution (especially disclosing their experiences and feelings) will be respected.

To that end, we ask participants:

to treat all people with civility, respect, integrity and fairness

to respect the confidentiality of those in the group

to abide by the principles, values and laws accepted by Canadian society

to be mindful of the amount of time that they are speaking, so that other participants have the option of time to speak

to engage in respectful dialogue with regard to racial, sexual, political, religious or government policy; racism and sexism will not be tolerated

to avoid interrupting people

to avoid making generalizations about groups of people in the rainbow community since this might leave some participants feeling marginalized or judged

to avoid making assumptions about the gender identity or sexual orientation of participants; they will disclose this themselves if they wish to; also avoid asking trans folk intrusive questions – about hormone therapy or surgery.

to avoid suggesting that there is one correct way of behaving or living – for example, by giving unrequested advice to participants

In order to provide a safe environment for all, we ask that participants refrain from using, possessing or distributing alcohol or recreational substances at Spectrum or during our programs and events.

Volunteers

International Volunteer Day 2021

International Volunteer Day takes place on December 5th each year. This year’s global message is “Together We Can Through Volunteering.”

This is certainly true in the case of SPECTRUM! We know that as many as 2,000 2SLGBTQ+ people participated in our programming (all virtually) in 2020-2021. During this time we were running 20 different groups and events each month, and all of these were facilitated by volunteers!

SPECTRUM is grateful for the dedicated support of our volunteers today, and every day! We couldn’t possibly have the impact we do on the lives of 2SLGBTQ+ people in our community without all of their hard work and dedication.

As we head into 2022, we are looking forward to the possibility of once again offering more in-person programming, but we will also be offering hybrid programming in order to be as accessible as possible to the greatest number of people. Stay tuned for updates as we have them.

If you are interested in volunteering with SPECTRUM please check out our available positions on the Volunteer Action Centre site.

WAGE Grant

2021 in Review: We’ve Come So Far…

In January of 2021, SPECTRUM embarked on Project Excelsior, a landmark capacity-expanding project, which was made possible by a generous grant from the LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund. This project was envisioned and planned by our former ED, Jim Parrott, and former Trans Services Coordinator Melissa Kennedy, who spearheaded the grant application process to secure a transformational grant of $279,782.

Thanks to that grant, the Project Excelsior team as well as SPECTRUM’s volunteers, Board, and community partners have made incredible strides to expand our ability to affirm and support the well-being of 2SLGBTQ+ people in Waterloo Region.

SPECTRUM Programs

From August 2020 – July 2021, SPECTRUM had:

More than 2000 participants across 796 Zoom Sessions, totaling 344,345 minutes of Zoom sessions!
An average of 180 Zoom participants each month
270 people participated in our RDT pilot workshops
178 people attended virtual Pride events
Through our partnership with OK2BME, 129 counseling sessions were provided for 48 clients between August 2020 and June 2021

In addition, we’ve added seven new programs to our roster, including:

A 2SLGBTQ+ Book Club in partnership with Waterloo Public Library
A Queer Crafting Circle in partnership with Button Factory Arts
A 2SLGBTQ+ Yoga Group in partnership with The Branches
A 2SLGBTQ+ Mindful Movement dance therapy group
A Social Networking Group for Young 2SLGBTQ+ Adults aged 25-40
A 2SLGBTQ+ Youth Peer Support Group for ages 18-25
A Transgender Peer Support Group for Cambridge

And we’re not finished yet! We know there is still a need for programming for Black, Indigenous, and racialized people, programming for people with underrepresented genders and orientations, and programming for children, parents, and families. We’re currently working with consultants from local Black and Asian communities to help us understand the needs of those communities and how we can create programming and spaces that are accessible and relevant for them.

New SPECTRUM Resources

The SPECTRUM team has also worked hard to create and launch the following resources for the 2SLGBTQ+ community and their allies in 2021:

And, just wait until we welcome you back to our new physical space which is more than double the size and will be decorated with a mural by Trisha Abe…

We need support to keep going!

We’ve accomplished so much this past year, but there’s so much more than needs to be done! We hope that you’ll include SPECTRUM in your year-end giving to help us continue to keep our doors open and to allow us to provide programs and services that have been life-saving for some members of our community.

Click here to make a donation to SPECTRUM today!

Events, SPECTRUM News

Transgender Day of Remembrance 2021

Every year on November 20th, we observe the Transgender Day of Remembrance to remember the transgender people we have lost to violence in the past year.

This year, the Glow Centre and SPECTRUM are partnering with ACCKWA and SHORE Centre on a virtual vigil event for the Transgender Day of Remembrance on Saturday November 20, 2021 at 3pm. From 3-4pm we will hear from speakers, and from 4-5pm there will be a facilitated healing circle.

Click here to register for the event.

(A small number of students will be able to attend in-person on the U Waterloo campus, other community members will be able to attend virtually)

The event will be hosted by Sam Faulkner. Our speakers will be Dewe’igan Bearfoot, Cait Glasson, TK Pritchard, and Teneile Warren. The healing circle will be facilitated by Mandi Cowan and Washington Silk.

Dewe’igan Bearfoot (she/they)

Dewe’igan Bearfoot is a two-spirit transfemme Anishnaabe woman hailing from Spry Lake Ontario. They came out as Bisexual at the age of 16 and then came out as Trans between the ages of 19 and 20. Since then they’ve become an advocate for Mental Health Awareness, 2S and LGBTQA+ Rights and Land Back.

Sam Faulkner (they/them)

Sam is a design student interested in advocacy work and community event planning as well as user experience research and hearing health. They have participated on numerous committees that focus on improving transition related health care and LGBTQ+ sports inclusion including co-founding Ottawa-based trans youth group, SAEFTY. In their free time, they enjoy crocheting and writing articles for their university’s student government.

Cait Glasson (she/her)

Cait is a lesbian who came out as such 29 years ago, and at 55 is a mother, grandmother, activist, educator, and, incidentally, trans. Cait is the former President of the Board of Directors of SPECTRUM, Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space.

TK Pritchard (they/he)

TK is the Executive Director for SHORE Centre, a reproductive rights and sexual health non-profit. TK has previously worked as the Public Education Manager for the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region, a Sexual Health Educator, and as a facilitator for OK2BME running social support groups for queer youth.

Teneile Warren (they/them)

Teneile Warren is a Black, Nonbinary, and Queer identifying Racial Equity and Anti-Oppression Educator based in Kitchener, Ontario. Through their professional practice, they consult with public and private institutions on addressing racial equity, gender equity, creating anti-oppressive spaces, and guiding organizational equity change initiatives. They are the co-founder of insideWaterloo and the Equity and Inclusion Officer at the Waterloo Region District School Board.

Washington Silk (they/them)

Washington Silk is a Registered Social Worker. They hold a BA in Anthropology from the University of Lethbridge (2010) and a Master of Social Work from Wilfrid Laurier University (2013). Wash is a passionate transgender and queer social worker with over 10 years of clinical and community experience. They are a white settler from Alberta. They have lived experience of ADHD, learning disabilities and mental health struggles and recovery.

Mandi Cowan (they/she)

Mandi Cowan is the co-owner of Cultivate Counselling. They graduated with a Master of Social Work from Carleton University in 2014 and have worked in the KW area ever since. As an experienced therapist, and also someone who has accessed mental health services, Mandi believes in the importance of finding a counselling space that values you as a unique and complex person or couple, and can adapt to meet your needs and goals.

Below are local resources for transgender people, and those looking to learn more about trans and gender-diverse people here in Waterloo Region.

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