UVic hosts Trans history conference during Transgender Day of Visibility
The University of Victoria is playing host to the "Moving Trans History Forward" conference, which launched on March 30 and will run until April 2, coinciding with International Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31.
The fifth bi-annual conference will bring to together more that 400 people from 20 countries to discuss the past, present and future of Trans+ people.
Open to the public by donation, the conference is both in-person and online to allow international Trans+ activists, academics, students, artists and allies to attend.
"The conference is about bringing people together," said Aaron Devor, Transgender Studies chair at the University of Victoria.
"The majority of the people who attend our conference are Trans+ people," he said.
"It’s a very rare occasion when Trans+ people get to be in a space for that many days and hours where they are in the majority."
Devor, who is the world’s first and only chair in Transgender Studies, says this allows for freer speech and for ideas to be explored more widely.
He says the conference and International Transgender Day of Visibility are significant for empowering Trans+ people and their allies.
"Trans+ people are able to stand up with their allies and make themselves known and feel good about who they are," said Devor over the lunchbreak of the conference on Friday.
"It’s important for Trans+ people to find each other and to be able to explore across a vast array of topics and ideas."
"UVic is home to the world’s largest Transgender Archives, which represents 17 countries on six continents, more than 130 years of research and over 60 years of activism," the conference said in a release.
"In January 2016, the university also established the world’s first and only chair in Transgender Studies."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.