The 519 is a City of Toronto agency committed to the health, happiness, and full participation of the LGBTQ2S communities by promoting inclusion, understanding, and respect. Guided by Rebecca Hooton, of The 519, the Orbis Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee hosted our first session for the team. In this session, we learned about fostering queer and trans-inclusive environments. Rebecca’s session was engaging, informative, and helpful-thank you, Rebecca!
Here are just some thoughts on the session provided by our team:
“It was very helpful. I learned a lot and even shared some of the best practices with some of my friends. I think it is a necessary conversation to have, and it was definitely eye-opening even more so as a parent. I took some advice and I will be be making some changes myself. Thank you so much for setting that up and including me.”
“Thank you for spearheading the initiative. I think it’s effort well spent and will mean a lot to those it directly affects, beyond even the benefits it will bring to helping maintain a positive working environment. It was really nice to see so many staff in attendance too.”
“I loved that session!!!! Learned so many things!”
“It was great! A lot of good information from Rebecca there. There are so many layers to people, and I want to make sure I’m respecting who they are and make them feel comfortable. Like I thought the two-spirit term was synonymous with non-binary, so now I know not to use it as such.”
“Since realizing how cissexism seeps into my language, I have also updated our staff information forms to remove “preferred” from pronouns. You don’t prefer them; they are YOUR pronouns.”
About our Guide, Rebecca Hooton, & How Your Team Can Connect With Her:
Rebecca Hooton (she/her) is a queer settler from Montreal. Her approach to community work is informed by her community organizing and training in theatrical collective creation. She is committed to ever-deepening understandings of intersectional feminism, anti-racist praxis, and healing justice.
To connect with Rebecca and inquire about sessions with The 519, email: rhooton@the519.org
