Resources

When LGBTQI newcomers arrive in Canadian cities they encounter an often confusing range of social attitudes, from open celebration and expectations to be out, loud and proud through intolerance, discrimination and threat.Their efforts to rebuild lives--find housing, search for jobs and meaningful work, form new relationships and belong, are complicated by the combined and intersecting impacts of racism, xenophobia, sexism, homophobia and transphobia.

How can we support LGBTQI newcomers to navigate this complex terrain?

This webinar, organized by From Borders to Belonging, presents examples of some common struggles LGBTQI newcomers face, and explores them through the lens of ethical care. We underline the importance of upholding ethical commitments to respect self-determination, protect the right to confidentiality and privacy, and to offer competent care.

In this webinar, guest speakers from the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity (CCGSD) examine the conversion practices and their impacts on immigrant queer and trans youth in Canada and discuss how it extends globally through an intersectional lens. The speakers review the Bill C-4, the new federal bill on conversion practices and the offences under this new bill. They unpack the limitations and the gaps of Bill C-4, particularly on how it impacts racialized and immigrant queer and trans youth. 

This webinar was organized by From Borders to Belonging and took place on November 2nd, 2023. 

The webinar begins with a cross-country check in. Advocates will share what they are witnessing in their cities and its impacts. We see that the current wave of Anti-2SLGBTQI hate is well organized and well funded. Similar strategies are being deployed in Canada and internationally. Locally, we see that newcomer communities are being targeted with misinformation. We raise the question of how to address the current rise of Anti-2SLGBTQI hate without further entrenching harmful xenophobic and colonial discourses of racialized communities as “backwards” and threats to a presumed progressive Canada.

Our panelists will then share strategies for organizations and invite discussion of how we can organize collaborations and coalitions that promote respect and safety and counter hate.

This infographics summarizes the key points of 3 articles on supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ Muslims authored by Rahim Thawer and published in Medium in 2022 & 2023. It is created by Seyhan Kogukoglu from Riverdale Immigrant Women's Centre in collaboration with the OCASI-PSI team. While it is meant to complement the 2SLGBTQIA+ Muslims and Mental Health webinar by Rahim Thawer, it can be used as a stand alone resource as well. The infographics includes publicly accessible articles and videos on 2SLGBTQIA+ Muslims. 

In this webinar organized by OCASI-PSI in December 2023, psychotherapist, writer, public speaker, and community organizer Rahim Thawer (he/him) explores the tensions that affect the mental health of 2SLGBTQIA+ Muslims, including managing homophobia and coming out, reconciling sexuality and faith-based identities, both being critical of Islam and fighting Islamophobia, seeking and creating affirming spaces, acculturating as asylum seekers and Canadian-born 2SLGBTQIA+ Muslims, and religious-cultural factors affecting access/understanding of mental health services. Rahim's talk draws on academic literature, personal lived experience, and community organizing work with two queer Muslim groups based in Canada. 

In this interactive webinar, Anya, and Stephanie discuss gender identity and autism, and talk about ways to support your queer and gender-diverse autistic children.

Stephanie is a cis-gender social worker who has years of experience working with autistic youth, teens and adults, and their families.

Anya is a non-binary person, consultant, and educator who has years of experience supporting queer and gender-diverse youth, adults, and families in the 2-SLGBTQIA+ community. Anya brings a genuine and authentic voice to this discussion to further support families along their journey to understand and affirm their children.

Together, they provide with the language and skills to help service providers build strategies for supporting, children to live their authentic selves.  

This webinar is appropriate for parents and caregivers of autistic youth as well as professionals working with autistic youth.