Mr. Speaker, this Thursday, March 31st, is the International Transgender Day of Visibility, an annual event dedicated to celebrating transgender people and raising awareness of discrimination faced by them worldwide. It is also a day to celebrate the contributions of transgender people and their achievements in society.
The day was founded by transgender activist Rachel Crandall of Michigan in 2009 as a reaction to the lack of LGBT recognition of transgender people, citing the frustration that the only well known transgendercentered day was the Transgender Day of Remembrance, which mourned the murders of transgender people, but did not acknowledge and celebrate living members of the transgender community.
The first International Transgender Day of Visibility was held on March 31, 2009. Since then, it has been spearheaded by the USbased youth advocacy organization Trans Student Educational Resources.
In the Northwest Territories, the Northern Mosaic Network, formerly know as the Rainbow Coalition, is working hard to advocate on behalf of this vulnerable sector. They are "invested in making the Northwest Territories a safer, more equitable place for 2SLGBTQIPA+ youth, families and adults." In the past I have spoken about the amazing work done by this NGO, work that includes inclusive youth activities such as ski and paint nights, body positive swims, and peer support groups where noncisgendered youth have an opportunity to spend time in a welcoming, inclusive environment where they can lean on each other for support and understanding.
The Mosaic runs a youth centre and a library, providing resources for those wishing to discover more about 2SLGBTQIPA+ issues and history, and to learn about the accomplishments of those who have contributed to the movement and to celebrate their achievements. The Mosaic also offers training for organizations and businesses that want to improve their corporate culture towards making them more inclusive.
Mr. Speaker, I challenge all of my colleagues and the people of the Northwest Territories to spend time this Thursday, the International Transgender Day of Visibility, learning more about the accomplishments of transgender people and their history. If people are not sure how, then I suggest a great place to start would be the Northern Mosaic Network and looking into the amazing work they do. I can't say enough about how their important work is saving lives. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
