CCGSD Closed for National Day of Truth and Reconciliation
September 30, 2022
The CCGSD is closed today, September 30 2022, in recognition of the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.
Our staff have stepped away from their regular work and will use today to reflect on how we are implicated in the ongoing processes of colonialism taking place in this country, as well as what we can do as an organization and as individuals can actively resist those processes.
Decolonization cannot simply be a process of learning – it must also involve action. This can include participating in protests or rallies for Indigenous justice, but the simplest action you can take is financial support. We encourage you to donate money to organizations working to strengthen Two Spirit communities and work across issues of sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Here are some examples of organizations you can support:
- Edmonton 2 Spirit Society
- Native Youth Sexual Health Network
- Two Spirit Manitoba
- Two Spirited People of the First Nations
2SLGBTQI+ rights and justice are deeply and intrinsically connected to Indigenous sovereignty. The discrimination and bigotry faced by our communities in what is today known as North America is connected by a direct line to colonization, Including through the enforcement of a strict Eurocentric gender binary and family structure.
At the same time, however, CCGSD is not an Indigenous-led organization. We are deeply conscious of the racism and trauma that Indigiqueer, Indigitrans, and Two Spirit people have faced and continue to face in settler-led 2SLGBTQI+ spaces. We committed last year to the development of an organization-wide Indigenous solidarity and inclusion action plan, and that work is still underway.