08
December
2020

Gender and Sexual Diversity Training

 

SFNFCI went through its first trial run of a ‘blended approach’ to training with both in-person and online participants via Zoom, with University of Victoria, social work practicum student Jared Knoll’s in-house delivery of “Gender and Sexual Diversity” (GSD). 

The group experienced a few technical hiccups, like how to maintain a smooth audio experience during live discussion between in-person and zoom participants, but most issues were wrinkled out in real-time and others were able to be addressed afterwards.

Jared Knoll demonstrating the Blended Approach for online participants

 

 

 

Jared’s past experience in journalism and training facilitation, coupled with technical expertise, presented a great opportunity to test out this method. As a 2SLGBTQQIA+ member of Saskatoon Sexual Health, he was also in a good position to incorporate GSD into SFNFCI’s professional capacities, like SDM and SIEVE.

-                                             NI-MMIWG Power and Place Report

New research in the past decade has shown how people of Diverse Genders and Sexualities (DGS) are critically vulnerable to experiencing violence, trauma, poverty, homelessness, and other features of colonialism that put people into contact with the First Nations professionals we serve.

 

From data we incorporated into our SIEVE training from the Women’s Shelters Canada, we see that when surveyed anonymously, 74% of women report having a diverse sexual identity and 46% report a diverse gender identity. This shows how urgent and important these issues are for professional development today.

A central point of the GSD training experience was the role of culture, and how it creates “normal”, with benefits for being normal and costs to being abnormal. The report by the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls highlighted why this is such a vital issue for First Nations.

                                     NI-MMIWG Power and Place Report

The GSD training illustrated the impacts of this "cultural magnet" like this:

The GSD training also invited participants to explore and consider their own gender and sexuality, using a Learning Activity based in the ‘Genderbread Person’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before the training, participants were asked to rate their knowledge and understanding of 2SLGBTQQIA+ issues from “Almost None” (1) to “I’m an Expert” (5).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

100% of participants reported that their understanding of both gender and sexuality improved after the training, and responded that they felt better equipped in professional contexts.

 

Interestingly, participants also reported benefits to their own self-awareness from the training.

SFNFCI looks forward to playing its part in leading the way on these complex, but important social issues that impact our communities, revitalizing traditional attitudes to diversity.

 

For more information and resources on Gender and Sexual Diversity, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ in Saskatchewan, please visit OUTSaskatoon, now led by Napêhikân, Two Spirit, community advocate Jack Saddleback.

T Jared Knoll (he/him) is concluding his BSW through the University of Victoria and preparing to complete a MSW. Founder of the non-profit Heartfire, his professional background is in health equity and the social determinants of health with Upstream and migration justice with Global Gathering Place, as well as human rights, humanitarian journalism, climate justice and genocide prevention. Queer, neurodivergent and born-into-care, he is also an MA in Media, Peace and Conflict Studies from the University for Peace, and a BA in International Studies from the University of Saskatchewan. You can find him on twitter @jaredknoll.

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