Solidarity Includes Everyone – Transgender Rights Level One

This is an awareness-raising workshop about the challenges facing transgender and gender non-conforming people. How can we work to end discrimination and support our trans members? This introductory workshop includes an overview of appropriate language to use, existing legal protections, and what we as activists can do to make sure our workplaces and the housing sector are as inclusive as possible to two-spirit, transgender, non-binary folks.

This workshop will not be recorded, and our Online Learning Event Cancellation Policy is in place for registration.

We invite you come prepared to be fully present and carve out time and space to be able to give the topic the respect it merits and fully participate and interact with the group. This is not a presentation style session and we will be asking participants to share their thoughts, ask questions and sometimes have small group discussions.

What you will learn

• Vocabulary- who are trans people, and how do we talk about them respectfully? What words to use, words not to use, and invasive questions;
• Barriers trans people face in the workplace and in the world;
• Existing legal protections for trans people;
• The human rights obligations of employers and advocates
• Equity vs equality
• What activists can do to make our workplaces and housing more inclusive.
• Pronoun activity

Presenter

Adrienne Smith, Adrienne Smith Law

Adrienne Smith is a transgender human rights activist and social justice lawyer. They recently argued a BC human rights case which clarified employers’ obligations to recognize correct pronouns for transgender and non-binary workers. Adrienne appeared at the BC Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada where they argued about the deleterious effects of mandatory minimum sentences for women, indigenous people, and drug users. As a trade union activist, they advocate for transgender inclusion in our unions and workplaces. Adrienne volunteers at the Catherine White Holman Wellness Clinic where they give free legal advice, take on human rights cases, and notarize name change documents for trans people.

They hold a double honours BA in English Literature and Geography (2000), a Masters in Human Geography (2005) and a Juris Doctor (2013) all from the University of British Columbia. They held a UBC undergraduate entrance scholarship for 4 years, and the Geography Alumni Award during their undergraduate degree. They received a University Graduate Fellowship and were named the Green College Scholar. They were called to the bar in British Columbia in 2014.

Adrienne is the recipient of the Canadian Bar Association BC Diversity Award; the Canadian Mental Health Association BC Branch Nancy Hall Public Policy Leadership Award; the Allard Law Alumni Achievement Award; and the Vancouver and District Labour Council Syd Thompson award for Award for Community Service.