Closed captioning is available in both English and French.
KEYNOTE PLENARY
Anti-2S/LGBTQIA+ hate is on the rise across Canada, with trans and gender diverse people in the crosshairs. Despite progress in recent decades, 2S/LGBTQIA+ people continue to face significant inequalities and pervasive discrimination — but rising hate threatens to jeopardize the progress we have made. From protests targeting queer inclusion in the classroom, to politicians leaning into anti-2S/LGBTQIA+ vitriol, to staggering increases in hate-motivated violence, we cannot underestimate the threat presented by rising hate. This session will explore where the contemporary rise in hate came from — contextualizing it within a broader backlash on social justice fueled by far-right, white supremacist, and anti-gay movements — and explore how 2S/LGBTQIA+ communities, alongside our allies, can fight back.
Over the past thirty years, we've made immeasurable gains on 2S/LGBTQIA+ human rights and equality, but we haven't had a 'big fight' on our hands in over 15 years. We fought for trans rights and banned conversion therapy, but neither battles were on the scale we're facing today. Now, hate groups are coming for us with new tactics and strategies, sowing division and fueling hatred towards our communities. To meet this moment, we need to re-learn harsh lessons from our elders, develop a coordinated and strategic response, and build a united coalition against hate.
For years, Fae has been a leading advocate for 2S/LGBTQIA+ communities in Canada, challenging government inaction and confronting hate head-on. For her work, she has been targeted time and again by the behemoths of the anti-2S/LGBTQIA+ movement, most recently through her inclusion in a Hershey's Canada ad campaign. In this session, Fae will share her personal and professional reflections on how we, as a movement, respond to the rise in hate and ensure sustained progress on 2S/LGBTQIA+ equity and human rights.
