福利姬自慰

Get to know: LGBTQ resources at 福利姬自慰

Students outside the LGBTOUT office at U of T's downtown Toronto campus (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)

There are parties where you can dance the night away, fashion shows to strut your stuff and counselling services to air concerns.

Across all three campuses, University of Toronto offers a range of services and clubs for LGBTQ students, staff and faculty, so everyone feels welcome.

鈥淲e want to create because we want everyone to excel,鈥 said Kelly Hannah-Moffat, U of T鈥檚 vice-president of human resources and equity. 鈥淭o be excellent, you need to be inclusive, and you need to have people feeling supported and able to work and learn in our environment.鈥


A sticker on the door of Kelly Hannah-Moffat, vice-president of human resources and equity, identifies her office as a positive space. The positive space campaign has supported faculty, staff and students for more than 20 years (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville) 

The Sexual & Gender Diversity Office

Whether you have questions about coming out or have concerns about discriminatory comments, the (SGDO) is there to listen and advise.

鈥淎 big part of what we鈥檙e trying to do is build community and break down the isolation that LGBTQ+ people can sometimes experience,鈥 said Allison Burgess, U of T鈥檚 sexual and gender diversity officer.

The SGDO has been a pillar of the U of T's community since 1999. The office works closely with the Anti-Racism & Cultural Diversity Office, the Equity and Diversity offices at 福利姬自慰Mississauga and 福利姬自慰Scarborough and many other university partners.

For example, the SGDO has worked with 福利姬自慰Mississauga鈥檚 Equity & Diversity Office as the campus developed the first multi-stalled all-gender washrooms at the university.

Read more about the all-gender washrooms at 福利姬自慰Mississauga

The SGDO also organizes discussion groups on subjects like relationships, creating inclusive classrooms and the intersection of sexuality and race. It also provides training around sexuality and gender to students, staff and faculty.

In the summer, the SGDO hosts the 福利姬自慰Pride Pub, a barbecue, a community fair and a party at Hart House. In the fall, the SGDO helps organize Queer Orientation to introduce new LGBTQ students to important campus resources.

Allison Burgess at the Sexual Gender & Diversity Office advocates for LGBTQ people across all three campuses. The office develops partnerships to build supportive learning and working communities at the University of Toronto (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville) 

LGBTOUT

Reilly Helena Victoria Marston, a second-year linguistics student, says she was the first person at her Ottawa high school to come out as trans. But when she started at 福利姬自慰over a year ago, she made new friends at who were once in a similar situation.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an isolating experience being trans because there鈥檚 not a lot of you,鈥 she said. 鈥淏ut just to have other people who are going through your very specific struggle has been wonderful.鈥

Founded as the University of Toronto Homophile Association in 1969, LGBTOUT boasts that it's the oldest LGBTQ student organization in the country.

Gaby Casanova, the club鈥檚 public relations manager, has seen many students come through the club鈥檚 doors 鈥 it's located in the archway of Sir Daniel Wilson residence, just off St. George Street 鈥 and has gotten to know many of them at the LGBTOUT events, like the Homo Hop and Queer Ball.

鈥淭he sense of community that 福利姬自慰provided me was one that I didn鈥檛 experience in high school,鈥 she told 福利姬自慰News. 鈥淭his really is a network of students who want to get to know each other and want to be your support system.鈥

On the Mississauga campus, the student club  provides the same support to LGBTQ students. 

鈥淭he OUT office serves as a positive space where students, regardless of sexual or gender identity, can come and hang out, meet new people and be themselves in a space that is judgement-free,鈥 said the club鈥檚 executive director, Roya Ghahremani.


Gaby Casanova, LGBTOUT's public relations manager outside the club's office (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville) 

College LGBTQ student groups 

is one of a handful of college-specific LGBTQ student groups. They host mixers where they serve macarons and virgin mimosas, fashion shows and discussion panels.

On Valentine鈥檚 Day, they usually have a 鈥淐hallenging the Hetero-Patriarchy鈥 themed party. Last year, some of the guests put their own stamp on the holiday with original Valentine鈥檚 cards.

鈥淢y favourite said 鈥楻oses are red, violets are blue, Valentine鈥檚 Day is hetero-normative,鈥 said Alyy Patel, WiNC鈥檚 president who is double majoring in sexual diversity studies and sociology.

, and also provide support to queer and trans students at their colleges.


Woodsworth Inclusive hosted a Queer Fashion Show on Nov. 16, 2016. The club's president, Alyy Patel, is pictured kneeling in the front row, centre (photo courtesy of Alyy Patel)

Sexual Education Centre
 
The  is a student-run, non-profit organization that takes a 鈥渇ree, confidential, non-judgmental peer support approach to sex education.鈥

The centre caters to students, staff and faculty, providing peer support, workshops and a library of sex-related books, from How to Survive a Long-Distance Relationship to Queering Bathrooms: Gender Sexuality and the Hygienic Imagination.
 
Centre for Women and Trans People
 
In 1986, female undergrads rallied on campus for a safe space for women and trans people. The Women鈥檚 Centre was established the same year. In 2006, it changed its name to include Trans People and passed its first trans policy two years later.

The is equipped with a drop-in space for students and community members to study and socialize. They also have a community cupboard, providing food for those in need.

U of T Scarborough has a local while U of T Mississauga has a .

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