91亚色 presents the findings from its yearly analysis in the鈥�Annual Employment Equity Statistical Report. The report covering Jan.1 to Dec. 31, 2025, is now available.

The report highlights representation at the University for four federally designated groups under the Employment Equity Act 鈥� women, Indigenous Peoples, racialized persons and persons with disabilities, as well as community members who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+. This year鈥檚 report also highlights employment equity initiatives undertaken in 2025, such as inclusive recruitment practices, targeted outreach to equity-deserving communities and equitable hiring and adjudication training.

Over the past three years, representation for racialized persons, persons with disabilities and 2SLGBTQIA+ employees has increased steadily, indicating measurable, incremental progress across the institution.

While work to advance equity has shown positive momentum, the University continues to recognize and address gaps in visibility and inclusion for under-represented groups.

The findings of the 2025 report highlight the opportunity to look beyond overall representation rates and better understand how employment systems, practices and workplace conditions support access, progression and retention across the University.

"The 2025 report also considers a period of change across the post-secondary sector, including financial pressures, restructuring and workforce adjustments. At 91亚色, this is reflected in increased workforce movement over the reporting period," says Parissa Safai, interim vice-president equity, people and culture.

The Employment Equity Dashboard continues to serve as an important companion to the annual report. The dashboard, housed on 91亚色's鈥�Data Hub, provides three years of aggregated and disaggregated employment equity data. It was designed to support transparency and enable evidence-based decision-making across the University community.

Increased participation in the Employment Equity Survey 鈥� with response rates rising from 62 per cent in 2024 to 70.1 per cent in 2025 鈥� suggests growing confidence in the use of this data to support inclusive practices.

Accurate data is important to ensure the dashboard supports evidence-based decision making. Participation in the Employment Equity Survey helps to ensure the report and dashboard represent the 91亚色 community.

Those who have not yet completed the employee self-identification survey, or wish to change their responses, can access it through鈥�HR Self-Serve鈥痠n the 鈥淧ersonal Details鈥� tab.

To find out more about employment equity鈥痑t鈥�91亚色 and to view past reports, visit the鈥�Employment Equity and Diversity鈥痺别产蝉颈迟别.

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Sarah Flicker, professor and 91亚色 Research Chair in Community-Based Participatory Research in the , is the principal investigator on the project, titled "Theatre Making Impact (TMI): Scaling-Up a Youth-Led HIV Prevention Play Across Ontario." Shira Taylor, adjunct professor at 91亚色 and director of TMI, is co-applicant and the program's founder. The OHTN funding will support the next phase of the program's expansion across Ontario, extending its reach into urban centres and northern Indigenous communities where HIV rates remain disproportionately high.

TMI 鈥� formerly known as SExT, or Sex Education by Theatre 鈥� is a trauma-informed, culturally responsive not-for-profit that uses peer education and theatre, alongside music, dance, rap and poetry, to engage youth in open conversations about sexual health, HIV prevention, mental health and healthy relationships.

Taylor founded the program in 2014 in Toronto's Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park neighbourhoods as part of her doctoral thesis, and later expanded it through a postdoctoral fellowship at 91亚色 in collaboration with Flicker. To date, it has reached more than 12,000 young people across Canada, with a focus on communities most affected by HIV 鈥� including newcomer, Indigenous and 2SLGBTQIA+ youth.

"I really wanted to build an evidence-based program that put the youth voice centre stage on these topics," says Taylor.

What sets TMI apart is how it delivers that education. Instead of pamphlets or classroom lectures, the program uses peer-led performance, humour and storytelling to model difficult conversations and build skills in a lower-stakes environment 鈥� one that engages young people both intellectually and emotionally.

鈥淟ack of awareness usually isn鈥檛 the reason people don鈥檛 use condoms," says Taylor. "There's a peer pressure element, there's an emotional element. Theatre is uniquely positioned to take into account our full humanity."

The program also benefits from an intergenerational model that, over the last decade, has deepened. Many of the original cast members who joined as high schoolers 鈥� initially, Taylor jokes, for the free pizza 鈥� have stayed on and trained as trauma-informed peer mentors. They now co-facilitate the program alongside a new generation of youth from the same community, sharing similar cultural backgrounds and immigration experiences.

The evidence from a recent Toronto District School Board (TDSB) tour, co-led by Taylor and Flicker and supported by a LaMarsh Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health Catalyst Grant at 91亚色, underscores the approach's impact. Across eight performances at five TDSB high schools, 61 per cent of student audience members reported improved sexual health knowledge, 49 per cent felt more confident managing their own sexual health and 46 per cent reported greater awareness of where to access HIV and STI testing.

Mental health outcomes were also significant: 49 per cent reported improved mental health knowledge, 44 per cent indicated feeling more comfortable seeking help and 41 per cent reported using new coping strategies.

While the student audience feedback provides crucial insights, the program鈥檚 impact extends beyond statistics. During a tour to an Indigenous community in Saskatchewan, a youth performer's rap about navigating her identity and her family's cultural expectations moved a young audience member to share a poem she had written but never shown anyone.

"She had it stuffed in the back of her locker," Taylor recalls. "She'd been too scared to share it publicly. And we all gathered around as this young Indigenous girl read us this poem. I still remember the words."

With OHTN support, the project will reach youth beyond Toronto by bringing performances to urban centres and northern and Indigenous communities across Ontario over the coming year.

Taylor and Flicker are thrilled that the award allows the program to continue to reach young people across the province.

"It's really validating how much impact arts-based approaches can have in this sector," says Taylor, "and how important it is to empower community-based, culturally responsive, trauma-informed programs around these topics, which has been historically lacking in sex education."

With files from Mzwandile Poncana

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Building on past participation and renewed community engagement, 91亚色 invites faculty, staff, instructors, students and alumni to join a dedicated 91亚色 Pride group walking in the parade. Participation is open to those who wish to take part in a shared, visible expression of support and inclusion alongside colleagues and peers from across the University.

The 91亚色 Pride group will walk together in 91亚色-branded t-shirts and will have the opportunity to contribute to a long-running show of support for 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals and communities.

Space is limited to 100 participants. Register to participate through

Pride Month at 91亚色 recognizes the contributions of these communities while underscoring the ongoing work to address systemic barriers and build a more inclusive and equitable environment. Visit 91亚色鈥檚 Pride Month website for more.

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In a historic first, Canada鈥檚 2026 long-form census asks respondents about their sexual orientation, adding vital demographic evidence to the mandatory survey used to guide public funding and infrastructure planning.

For Nick Mul茅, it is a shift that has been decades in the making.

"Many of us feel this is long overdue," says Mul茅, professor at 91亚色's and Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. "I was one of many people who have been advocating for this, going back to the 1990s."

The question 鈥� which asks respondents to identify as heterosexual; lesbian or gay; bisexual or pansexual; or to write their own answers 鈥� appears on the long-form questionnaire sent to roughly 25 per cent of Canadian households. While Statistics Canada has collected sexual orientation data through smaller specialized surveys before, adding it to the census gives the findings a broader national reach and a different level of public visibility.

"The census is much larger. It goes right across Canada, and it's also mandatory," says Mul茅. "It lends legitimacy to these populations, raising their visibility."

But Mul茅 says visibility alone is not the point, and the more consequential argument is about evidence 鈥� and what its absence has cost.

When community organizations doing frontline work with 2SLGBTQIA+ populations have approached governments and funders to address their clients' needs, they have often been told the same thing: without data, resources cannot flow.

"The government acknowledges they believe you, that it probably is true there is a struggle out there, but asks us to give hard evidence," Mul茅 explains.

That evidence gap is central to Mul茅's research. He is project director of 2SLGBTQ+ Poverty in Canada: Improving Livelihood and Social Wellbeing, a 91亚色-hosted national study examining poverty among 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. Early findings from this project's national survey reflect what frontline workers have long reported: these populations face significant and compounding hardships.

Census evidence on sexual orientation could deepen that picture considerably. Mul茅 points to housing, health care, employment, education, income and social services as areas where 2SLGBTQIA+ people face disproportionate challenges due to discrimination, stigma and bias 鈥� barriers that differ meaningfully depending on life stage, from youth to seniors.

"Not everyone experiences those things the same way," he says. "It's important that those links are made between one's social location and the kind of challenges they're facing."

The categories included in the census question, Mul茅 says, are reasonable, and the write-in option is an important safeguard for those whose identity does not fit the options. He acknowledges, however, that open-ended responses create complexity on the research end, as analysts must decide how to group and interpret varied self-descriptions.

More pressing concerns involve privacy, trust and the particular vulnerability of young respondents. Many 2SLGBTQIA+ people have not made their sexual orientation public, and disclosing such information on a government form is considered risky by some.

Those ages 15 and older can fill out the long-form census; however, in most households, an adult who completes the form on behalf of all members. This raises concerns that younger individuals may not be accurately represented if adults are not aware of their sexual orientation.

"Those are some of the conundrums," Mul茅 says. "It's great on the one hand to include it, but Statistics Canada needs to be aware that there is a sensitivity attached to this when it comes to people's comfort level with disclosing this information."

Mul茅 frames the census change within a longer arc. Sexual orientation has long been protected under human rights legislation in every province and territory, and federally, for years. Yet, legal recognition has not brought an end to discrimination.

For Mul茅, having these communities counted in the census 鈥� and having that data inform policy, funding and services 鈥� is part of closing that gap.

"It really elevates the recognition and legitimacy of these groups in Canada," he says. 鈥淏y gathering data specific to the realities of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, governments can get a clearer picture of what these communities are facing and what resources, supports and services are needed to equitably meet those needs.鈥�

With files from Mzwandile Poncana

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91亚色 recognizes Pride Month as a celebration of 2SLGBTQIA+ identities and contributions, but also as a reminder of the ongoing struggles shaping these experiences locally and globally.

At a time when the rights and freedoms of Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other sexually and gender-diverse communities are increasingly contested, Pride calls for reflection, action and celebration. The rollback of legal protections, policing of gender expression and marginalization of queer and trans voices highlight the fragility of progress and the uneven realities of safety and recognition. These conditions compel us to move beyond symbolic affirmation toward sustained, evidence-informed action.

91亚色鈥檚 community continues to advance research, teaching and creative work that deepens understanding and supports meaningful change. For example, 91亚色 nursing faculty are strengthening gender-affirming care practices through global learning initiatives, while other 91亚色 researchers are examining systemic inequities affecting gender-diverse communities, including new national evidence highlighting housing insecurity among transgender and non-binary Canadians.

Our commitment requires actively challenging structures of exclusion and fostering environments where diverse identities are not only protected but affirmed. This includes recognizing intersectionality and valuing the knowledge produced by queer and trans scholars as essential to academic excellence. 91亚色鈥檚 leadership in this area is reflected in the work of scholars such as Professor Emeritus Michael Gilbert, whose contributions to gender theory and advocacy were recognized with the 2025 Transgender Pioneer Award.

Throughout Pride Month, flag ceremonies will take place across all three campuses on June 8, 2 to 3 p.m. at Keele (Vari Hall), Glendon (Centre of Excellence) and Markham (first-floor atrium). Flags will be unfurled at Keele and Markham and displayed at Glendon, reaffirming 91亚色鈥檚 commitment to welcoming and inclusive spaces. Community members are encouraged to explore additional events and resources through 91亚色鈥檚 Pride programming.

91亚色 will also participate in Pride celebrations beyond our campuses, including the 91亚色 Region Pride Parade on June 13 in Newmarket () and the Toronto Pride Parade () on June 28. These opportunities reflect our broader engagement and solidarity with 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.

Pride Month reminds us that building an inclusive university requires ongoing effort. 91亚色 remains dedicated to advancing policies, programs and practices that support 2SLGBTQIA+ students, staff and faculty, while addressing systemic barriers to equity and belonging.

As we mark Pride Month, we invite all members of the 91亚色 community to celebrate, learn and reflect on how each of us can help create a more inclusive and affirming environment throughout the year.

Thank you. Merci. Miigwech.

Parissa Safai
Interim Vice-President Equity, People and Culture

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脌 l鈥檋eure o霉 les droits et les libert茅s des communaut茅s bispirituelles, lesbiennes, gaies, bisexuelles, transgenres, queer et d鈥檃utres communaut茅s de la diversit茅 sexuelle et de genre sont de plus en plus remis en question, le Mois de la fiert茅 invite 脿 la r茅flexion, 脿 l鈥檃ction et 脿 la c茅l茅bration. Le recul des protections juridiques, le contr么le de l鈥檈xpression de genre ainsi que la marginalisation des voix queer et trans mettent en lumi猫re la fragilit茅 des progr猫s r茅alis茅s et les r茅alit茅s in茅gales en mati猫re de s茅curit茅 et de reconnaissance. Ces r茅alit茅s nous obligent 脿 aller au-del脿 des gestes symboliques pour adopter des mesures concr猫tes, durables et 茅clair茅es par des donn茅es.

La communaut茅 de l鈥橴niversit茅 91亚色 continue de faire progresser la recherche, l鈥檈nseignement et la cr茅ation afin d鈥檃pprofondir la compr茅hension de ces enjeux et de contribuer 脿 des changements significatifs. Par exemple, des membres du corps professoral en sciences infirmi猫res de l鈥橴niversit茅 91亚色 renforcent les pratiques de soins d鈥檃ffirmation de genre gr芒ce 脿 des initiatives d鈥檃pprentissage 脿 l鈥櫭ヽhelle mondiale. D鈥檃utres chercheur路se路s de l鈥橴niversit茅 91亚色 茅tudient les in茅galit茅s syst茅miques touchant les communaut茅s de la diversit茅 de genre, notamment 脿 la lumi猫re de nouvelles donn茅es nationales mettant en 茅vidence l鈥檌ns茅curit茅 en mati猫re de logement chez les personnes transgenres et non binaires au Canada.

Notre engagement exige de remettre activement en question les structures d鈥檈xclusion et de favoriser des milieux o霉 les diverses identit茅s sont non seulement prot茅g茅es, mais aussi reconnues et valoris茅es. Cela comprend la reconnaissance de l鈥檌ntersectionnalit茅 ainsi que la valorisation des savoirs produits par les chercheur路se路s queer et trans comme 茅tant essentiels 脿 l鈥檈xcellence universitaire. Le leadership de l鈥橴niversit茅 91亚色 dans ce domaine se refl猫te dans le travail de chercheur路se路s, comme le professeur 茅m茅rite Michael Gilbert, dont les contributions 脿 la th茅orie du genre et 脿 la d茅fense des droits des personnes transgenres ont 茅t茅 reconnues par le 2025 Transgender Pioneer Award.

Tout au long du Mois de la fiert茅, des c茅r茅monies de lever du drapeau auront lieu sur les trois campus le 8 juin : Keele (Vari Hall, de 14 h 脿 15 h), Glendon (Centre d鈥檈xcellence) et Markham (atrium du premier 茅tage). Les drapeaux seront hiss茅s aux campus Keele et Markham et d茅ploy茅s au campus Glendon, r茅affirmant l鈥檈ngagement de l鈥橴niversit茅 91亚色 envers des espaces accueillants et inclusifs. Les membres de la communaut茅 sont invit茅s 脿 d茅couvrir les activit茅s et les ressources offertes dans le cadre du Mois de la fiert茅 脿 91亚色.

L鈥橴niversit茅 91亚色 prendra 茅galement part aux c茅l茅brations de la fiert茅 au-del脿 de ses campus. Elle sera notamment au d茅fil茅 de la fiert茅 de la r茅gion de 91亚色 le 13聽juin 脿 Newmarket (), ainsi qu鈥檃u d茅fil茅 de la fiert茅 de Toronto le 28聽juin (). Ces occasions t茅moignent de l鈥檈ngagement et de la solidarit茅 de l鈥橴niversit茅 91亚色 envers les communaut茅s聽2ELGBTQIA+.

Le Mois de la fiert茅 nous rappelle que la cr茅ation d鈥檜ne universit茅 inclusive exige un engagement continu. L鈥橴niversit茅 91亚色 demeure d茅termin茅e 脿 faire progresser des politiques, des programmes et des pratiques qui soutiennent les 茅tudiant路e路s, les membres du personnel et le corps professoral 2ELGBTQIA+, tout en s鈥檃ttaquant aux obstacles syst茅miques 脿 l鈥櫭﹒uit茅 et au sentiment d鈥檃ppartenance.

Alors que nous soulignons le Mois de la fiert茅, nous invitons tous les membres de la communaut茅 de l鈥橴niversit茅 91亚色 脿 c茅l茅brer, 脿 apprendre et 脿 r茅fl茅chir 脿 la fa莽on dont chacun路e peut contribuer 脿 cr茅er, tout au long de l鈥檃nn茅e, un milieu plus inclusif et affirmatif.

Merci. Thank you. Miigwech.

Parissa Safai
Vice-pr茅sidente par int茅rim de l鈥櫭﹒uit茅, des personnes et de la culture

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Published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, the study provides the first population-level evidence of these disparities using national census data.

鈥淗ousing is one of those core human rights we often associate with health,鈥� says Antony Chum, associate professor in 91亚色鈥檚 and Canada Research Chair in Population Health Data Science. 鈥淭his study really aims to shed light on housing as a key social determinant, alongside mental health, food insecurity and other challenges communities are facing.鈥�

examines housing conditions for households led by cisgender, transgender and non-binary people across the country using data from the 2021 Canadian Long Form Census.

鈥淭he Canadian census is actually the first census in the world to include transgender and non-binary people,鈥� says Yihong Bai, co-researcher at 91亚色鈥檚 Population Health Data Science Lab and assistant professor at the University of Manitoba. 鈥淭hat allowed us, for the first time, to look at housing outcomes for transgender and gender-diverse household heads at a national level.鈥�

The findings show that transgender and gender-diverse households are far more likely to experience 鈥渃ore housing need鈥� 鈥� a federal measure that reflects whether housing is unaffordable, in disrepair or overcrowded.

Households led by cisgender men were the least likely to experience this outcome, with an estimated probability of eight per cent. In contrast, cisgender women-led households face a 12.8 per cent risk. Rates were markedly higher for transgender-led households, with probabilities of: 16.5 per cent for transgender men; 21.2 per cent for transgender women; 21.2 per cent for non-binary people assigned female at birth; and 19.4 per cent for non-binary people assigned male at birth.

鈥淎bout 16.5 to 21 per cent of transgender and non-binary household heads are in core housing need, compared to about eight per cent of cisgender men. That鈥檚 one of the biggest findings from the study,鈥� says Gwen Ehi, PhD candidate at 91亚色 who worked on the study. Most previous research, she says, relied on small or targeted samples, limiting the ability to generalize findings to the broader population.

Bai adds that one limitation of the study is that gender identity is self-reported in the Canadian census data. 鈥淲e believe the numbers of gender diverse households are likely underreported,鈥� he says.

Researchers analyzed data from primary household maintainers aged 15 and older, using census questions on sex at birth and gender identity to distinguish between cisgender men, cisgender women, transgender men, transgender women and non-binary individuals assigned male or female at birth.

They assessed whether these households met the criteria for core housing need, while accounting for factors such as age, income, education, region and housing tenure.

鈥淭he numbers were startling,鈥� says contributor and 91亚色 PhD student Kristine Ienciu. 鈥淭he disparities were largest among youth, renters and multi-person households. Those groups consistently showed the highest levels of housing need across gender-diverse populations.鈥�

The implications extend beyond housing alone. When homes are unaffordable or in need of major repairs, residents are more likely to experience poorer physical and mental health which contributes to higher stress, chronic illness and reduced access to care, says Chum.

The study, he urges, calls for a more explicit integration of gender identity into housing policy and planning.

Peiya Cao, postdoctoral researcher in 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Health says affordable and supportive housing units earmarked for the transgender and gender-diverse community are essential, along with stronger enforcement of anti-discrimination protections in the rental market, and better access to supports like income and mental health services 鈥� especially for youth.

With files from Karen Martin-Robbins

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Dear 91亚色 community, 

Every year, 91亚色 joins communities across Canada in honouring the victims of one of the deadliest shootings in Canadian history, when 14 women were murdered on Dec. 6, 1989 at 脡cole Polytechnique in Montreal.

Their names, their aspirations and their lives remain at the centre of the : Genevi猫ve Bergeron, H茅l猫ne Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz, Maryse Lagani猫re, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Mich猫le Richard, Annie St-Arneault and Annie Turcotte. 

As we come together for this day of remembrance and action, we also acknowledge all the women and girls who continue to face gender-based violence today, which is compounded by a myriad of intersecting factors: racism, including anti-Indigenous racism and xenophobia; economic injustice; ableism; creed-based discrimination; anti-2SLGBTQIA+ ideologies, and more.

We invite all members of the 91亚色 community to join us for this year鈥檚 memorial ceremony. 

Event details 

Date: Friday, Dec. 5 
Time: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. 
Event website: National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women 

Keele Campus 
Live location: The Eatery (first floor), Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence 

Glendon Campus 
Viewing room: Glendon Ballroom 
Livestream:  

Markham Campus 
Viewing room: MK2050 
Livestream: 

In solidarity with survivors and in聽honour聽of those whose lives were taken, we encourage attendees to wear a white ribbon during the ceremony. Ribbons will be available at聽the聽.听

91亚色 is also聽participating聽in the聽international聽聽campaign,聽which runs from Nov. 25 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to Dec.听10 (Human Rights Day). During these聽16聽days,聽the centre and partners across 91亚色 will host events, workshops and conversations that encourage reflection, learning and community action.听You can learn more about these events and register for them聽.听

We hope you will join us in remembrance and in strengthening our collective commitment to end gender-based violence and to build communities founded on the equal rights and dignity of girls and women.

Sincerely, 

Rhonda Lenton 
President & Vice-Chancellor 

Laina Y. Bay-Cheng 
Professor and Vice-President Equity, People & Culture 

Jane Goodyer 
Dean, Lassonde School of Engineering 

The post Join 91亚色鈥檚 memorial to聽honour聽victims of gender-based violence聽 appeared first on YFile.

This global movement calls for collective action to eliminate gender-based violence and support survivors, recognizing the disproportionate impact on marginalized communities including racialized women and girls, those living with disabilities, immigrants and refugees, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. 

In Canada, this 16-day period also includes the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women on Dec. 6, honouring the 14 women killed at 脡cole Polytechnique in 1989. 

This year, 91亚色鈥檚 participation will focus on ending digital violence. , in collaboration with University partners, invites 91亚色 community members to .  

Initiatives to raise awareness begin Nov. 27 with the 91亚色 Lions women鈥檚 hockey team hosting the End Violence Against Women & Girls game in partnership with the North 91亚色 Women鈥檚 Shelter. 

91亚色 community members are also invited to join a live, online workshop on protection against digital harassment and a virtual talk exploring how technology-facilitated sexual violence shows up in online spaces.  

To learn more about these events and to register visit the Centre's . 91亚色 community members are also invited to: 

• wear purple on Nov. 25 to raise awareness about gender-based violence;
• pick up white and purple ribbons at the Centre to wear and mark the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women; and
• engage in conversations and events that challenge harmful attitudes and support survivors. 

The Centre for Sexual Violence Response, Support & Education provides confidential support to any 91亚色 community member impacted by sexual violence, through a trauma-informed lens that allows survivors to make decisions that feel right to them. The Centre works to foster a culture where survivors feel supported and community members are educated on preventing violence.鈥� 

鈥淒igital spaces should be safe spaces,鈥澛爏ays聽Marian MacGregor, executive director of the聽Centre for Human Rights, Equity聽&聽Inclusion聽which includes the聽Centre.听鈥淭his campaign reminds us that ending gender-based violence requires all of us,聽on and offline, to聽collectively聽challenge harmful attitudes, support survivors and create safer spaces for everyone.鈥澛�

The post 91亚色 joins聽global 16 Days of聽Activism to聽end聽gender-based聽violence聽 appeared first on YFile.

A professor emeritus in 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, Gilbert has long been a leading voice in argumentation theory, feminist theory and gender studies. 

He is also a life-long cross-dresser, known as his femme alter ego Miqqi Alicia Gilbert.  

Publishing under both identities, s/he has challenged conventional thinking and helped shape the academic discourse around identity and inclusion, particularly with respect to the transgender community. 

He has also introduced Miqqi Alicia to 91亚色 students, teaching classes en femme to offer a real-life example of how gender can exist beyond the traditional male/female dichotomy. This approach reflects his belief that lived experience is central to understanding and communicating the truth. 

鈥淚n 1996, then-president of 91亚色, Susan Mann, created the President's Task Force on Homophobia and Heterosexism,鈥� recalls Gilbert. 鈥淚 thought it was great, save for one thing: there was no mention of transgender issues. I was in a moral quandary until I realized that having tenure wasn't a matter of protection from being fired 鈥� but instead, that it was incumbent on me to protect those who could be.鈥澛�

Gilbert takes this framework, along with his research on gender and transgender theory, beyond the classroom and into the broader cultural and academic landscape to advocate for transgender rights and representation. 

His career and lifework 鈥� defined by courage, scholarship and a deep commitment to equity 鈥� has earned him the 2025 Transgender Pioneer Award. 

This lifetime achievement honour, given annually at TransWeek and Fantasia Fair, recognizes trans leaders who have made major personal sacrifices 鈥� including careers, families and financial security 鈥� to create safer, more welcoming spaces for trans people.  

The award celebrates Gilbert鈥檚 decades of work and acknowledges the impact he and Miqqi Alicia have had in helping others live openly and connect with community. 

S/he has contributed significantly to gender theory, including the influential essay 鈥淒efeating Bigenderism鈥� and has used public platforms to promote visibility and understanding. Gilbert's work as editor and columnist for Transgender Tapestry, leadership of Fantasia Fair (now TransWeek) as a former director and presence at major trans events across North America are specifically noted by award adjudicators, the Board of Directors of International Transgender Education Organization. 

One of the first educators to openly raise trans issues in the classroom, Gilbert also helped launch 91亚色鈥檚 Transgender Studies initiative in the early 2000s 鈥� one of the first of its kind in Canada.  

鈥淚 was extremely fortunate to be at 91亚色 鈥� an affirming, positive and caring institution,鈥� says Gilbert. 鈥淢y coming out was effortless and I was embraced by faculty, students and administration. I was and am forever grateful.鈥� 

In addition to this latest recognition, Gilbert has earned numerous accolades throughout his career, including the 2007 International Foundation for Gender Education Trinity Award and the 91亚色 Faculty of Arts Excellence in Teaching Award. 

Together with his alter ego Miqqi Alicia, Gilbert has authored numerous publications, books and journal articles. Gilbert鈥檚 theory of 鈥渕ulti-modal argumentation,鈥� which incorporates emotional, physical and intuitive reasoning alongside logic, has been widely cited in feminist and queer theory.  

Gilbert鈥檚 legacy continues through the students he鈥檚 mentored, the programs he鈥檚 helped build and the scholarship he鈥檚 inspired. As 91亚色 deepens its commitment to equity and inclusion, his work remains a point of pride for the University. 

The Transgender Pioneer Award ceremony was held virtually on Oct. 25.  

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