Associated Youth Services of Peel -- Various Queer and Trans History Workshops

Since 2020, I have regularly been hired by the Associated Youth Services of Peel and similar organizations to lead workshops on queer and trans history. These happen a few times a year with a couple different groups. 

This relationship began with trans history workshops presented for trans youth groups run by AYSP. A couple times a year, Tobias Evans-Hinostroza, a counsellor for AYSP, would reach out to hire me to prepare and run a workshop for the youth group he runs. Largely presented over Zoom, I would share a PowerPoint slideshow that told various trans histories that would be relevant to the participants. Notable workshops included general trans history in Canada, the history of transition related surgery in Ontario, and expansive understandings of trans people throughout history. During these workshops, I would educate on the given subject, but always remain open to further questions that strayed beyond. It is my belief that in knowing trans history, we can imagine a trans future. At a time when trans identities are under attack, providing these glimpses allow trans youth to picture a world where they can continue to exist.

In 2025, I began delivering workshops for AYSP and other Peel community groups as part of larger events. These included Trans Day of Visibility, Trans Day of Remembrance, and Peel Pride. For TDoR and TDoV, I presented on the Association for Canadian Transsexuals, the earliest known trans activist group in Canada. In addition to the slideshow, I brought books and artefacts from my collection to show attendants. For Peel Pride, there was a planned digital exhibit, but that proved unsuitable on the day. Instead, I conducted one on one conversations with many Pride goers about queer and trans history, aided by the number of books and historic artefacts I brought with me. I had a table set up where I laid out the materials I had brought and encouraged people to look through the collection and have conversations about queer and trans history. 

A Polaroid taken during my Trans Day of Visibility workshop in 2025. The Polaroid film was damaged by an x-ray machine at the airport, hence the washed out colours.

My table at Peel Pride. I brought multiple books from my collection that I could interpret for Pride goers.