The Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity

Three individuals sit smiling at the camera in front of a blue background. The first from the left has red hair, wears glasses and is in a black shirt and pants. A dark-skinned Black person with long hair is sitting in the middle wearing a black and white checker-patterned top and yellow skirt. The person on the right of the image is sitting with their legs crossed and has short hair and is wearing a white top and blue pants.

Ophea’s Monthly Recognition Spotlight aims to illuminate the bright spots within the education sector through recognizing the critical work being done by community members and value-aligned organizations, and its impact on student and staff well-being. This initiative also aims to strengthen connections between the Ontario education sector and organizations serving equity-deserving groups through raising awareness of the resources and services available to Ontario educators. Read on to learn about this month’s featured Spotlight, The Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity.



Tell us about your organization

The Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity (CCGSD) is a non-profit organization that intersectionally promotes sexual and gender diversity in (non-)romantic relations through education, research, and advocacy. Our vision is to create a world free of discrimination where the human rights of 2SLGBTQI+ people would be truly respected. By recognizing the complexity of people’s lives and experiences, our resources and programming serve to empower marginalized queer, trans and Indigenous youth as well as provide the wider public with tools for building allyship with 2SLGBTQI+ communities.

Our goal is to promote healthy relationships, respect and dignity within and towards the 2SLGBTQI+ community. We recognize that 2SLGBTQI+ youth have become disproportionately affected by bullying, violence, and hate crimes in comparison to their cis-heterosexual peers. We also recognize the effects of racism and colonialism on queer Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC). Bridging the gaps between differently marginalized queer folk across different places has been and continues to be one of our priorities.

What are some guiding principles that are important to your organization?

CCGSD’s work is driven by the four core Principles of Social Justice:

  • Access: We are committed to ensuring that all people and communities have access to rights-based goods and services: education, healthcare, shelter, and food, among others;
  • Equity: We work to identify and eliminate societal barriers that prevent marginalized and oppressed individuals, peoples and communities from participating fully in society;
  • Rights: We believe in and protect the civil, political, economic, cultural, and social rights of all people and communities.
  • Participation for all: We firmly declare that when rights-based or accessibility-related decisions will affect a person’s life, or a community’s well-being, that person or community needs to be included as a determining factor in the decision-making process.

What is an upcoming initiative that you are excited about?

CCGSD is partway through Not Just the Tip, a national comprehensive sexuality education pilot project generously funded by Health Canada. Developed in partnership with Wisdom2Action and Dr. Nadine Thornhill and guided by two expert advisory councils, Not Just the Tip is designed to bring sexual health educators across the country the skills and confidence they need to teach sex-ed in a way that is intersectional, inclusive, and inspiring.

The first phase of this project, a national needs assessment, was completed in late 2022, and CCGSD staff have just completed five pilot projects with sexual health educators in cities across the country: Regina, Toronto, Ottawa, Halifax, and St. John's. Staff are now combining feedback gathered at these pilot sessions with input from project advisors in preparation for the third phase, which will launch in May of 2023. Educators from all five pilot locations will be brought to Ottawa for a "train the trainer" summit. From July 2023-February 2024, these educators will then each deliver five educational sessions to peers in their home communities.

While the current iteration of Not Just the Tip is limited to five pilot cities, there is hope that it will act as a proof of concept that can be scaled up to build the capacity of educators across the country. In time, the tools built through Not Just the Tip will raise the bar for inclusive and intersectional comprehensive sexuality education in Canada.

How can our audience support your organization’s goals?

2SLGBTQI+ communities in Canada, and trans communities in particular, are facing increased marginalization and social stigma. Those who consider themselves allies to 2SLGBTQI+ people must stand up and affirm their belief in a future without discrimination.

Ophea’s audience can support CCGSD by donating to support our work, signing up for our mailing list to keep up to date on the latest anti-trans organizing taking place in Canada, and for standing up for trans people in their workplaces, communities, and interpersonal relationships. This also includes writing to elected officials and urging them to support funding and legislative priorities that help safeguard the 2SLGBTQI+ community.

For more information visit ccgsd-ccdgs.org or email CCGSD at support@ccgsd-ccdgs.org. To stay connected and up-to-date on CCGSD’s resources, research and advocacy work follow them on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

""Image of two individuals wearing Kn95 masks seated at a table in front of a row of green lockers. The person on the left has short red curly hair, glasses, and wears a teal crewneck decorated with pins and stickers featuring the rainbow flag. The person on the right has short hair with blue tips that is styled in a combover. They wear a black t-shirt and have tattoos on both arms. The table they are both seated at features resources from the CCGSD about 2SLGBTQIA+ identities.
""Ten people sit grouped around the far end of a wooden table. All are smiling at the camera, and some are making peace signs with their hands. The group is diverse in terms of racial background and gender expression. The photo was taken in a log cabin, and glimpses of green foliage are visible through the windows that aren’t obscured by people leaning in for the photo.
One individual smiling at the camera in front of a presentation screen reflecting a title slide reading Gender, Expression and Love. The person is wearing glasses and is making the peace sign with their hands.
""Three individuals stand smiling at the camera in front of a neutral background. The first from the left is a dark-skinned Black person wearing a bright fuschia top, green skirt, and yellow accessories. The person in the middle has long red curly hair and wears glasses and a black jumpsuit decorated with a heart-shaped sticker featuring the Pride flag. The person on the right of the image wears a maroon suit complete with matching hat and also decorated with a heart-shaped Pride flag sticker, a bright blue
""Image of two individuals wearing Kn95 masks seated at a table in front of a row of green lockers. The person on the left has short red curly hair, glasses, and wears a teal crewneck decorated with pins and stickers featuring the rainbow flag. The person on the right has short hair with blue tips that is styled in a combover. They wear a black t-shirt and have tattoos on both arms. The table they are both seated at features resources from the CCGSD about 2SLGBTQIA+ identities.
""Ten people sit grouped around the far end of a wooden table. All are smiling at the camera, and some are making peace signs with their hands. The group is diverse in terms of racial background and gender expression. The photo was taken in a log cabin, and glimpses of green foliage are visible through the windows that aren’t obscured by people leaning in for the photo.
One individual smiling at the camera in front of a presentation screen reflecting a title slide reading Gender, Expression and Love. The person is wearing glasses and is making the peace sign with their hands.
""Three individuals stand smiling at the camera in front of a neutral background. The first from the left is a dark-skinned Black person wearing a bright fuschia top, green skirt, and yellow accessories. The person in the middle has long red curly hair and wears glasses and a black jumpsuit decorated with a heart-shaped sticker featuring the Pride flag. The person on the right of the image wears a maroon suit complete with matching hat and also decorated with a heart-shaped Pride flag sticker, a bright blue