Financial challenges shutter Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity
After 19 years of 2SLGBTQIA+ advocacy and education, the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity (CCGSD) has closed its doors, citing bankruptcy.
“This is the result of severe financial pressures that could not be overcome. We are profoundly grateful to all staff, funders, donors, partners, and community members for believing in and working toward a world free of discrimination,” reads a statement on the organization’s website.
The statement said the organization’s board of directors is now focused on supporting former staff members as they seek new opportunities.
“These staff members are highly skilled in program management, coordination, communications and facilitation, and are leaders in the fields of education and inclusion and queer history for queer and trans youth in various communities.”
Canada launched a Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan aimed at advancing rights and equality for Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and additional sexually and gender diverse people in 2022, but it’s unclear if this offered any financial support to the struggling CCGSD.
A number of provinces, including Alberta, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, have introduced, or plan to introduce, legislation targeting healthcare for trans youth.
A recent, peer-reviewed report published in Nature studied the impact of anti-trans legislation in America and found restrictions on gender-affirming health care and discriminatory school policies increased suicide attempts among transgender and nonbinary young people by as much as 72 per cent in some cases.
