A British Columbia secondary school is promoting a workshop this week for students between 14-year-olds to 19-year-olds on how to access “gender affirming care,” which includes life-altering surgeries.
As part of its Gender Junction Workshops series, Revelstoke Secondary School will hold a Zoom conference on Feb. 25 advertised to “gender diverse and gender creative youth.”
The workshop will cover a range of topics including “navigating coming out, transitioning and accessing gender affirming care, acquiring gender affirming gear, self advocacy and where to direct your parents, caregivers and teachers for support.”
“Gender affirming care” is a range of interventions designed to affirm a person’s chosen gender identity.
As per BC’s Provincial Health Services Authority, the controversial practice includes medical and surgical procedures such as testosterone or estrogen hormone treatment, vaginoplasty, breast implants, orchiectomy (teste removal) and hysterectomies (uterus removal).
Non-profit organization Trans Connect (ANKORS) coordinator Nicola Hare will be facilitating the workshop for students. The group advocates for more access to “hormones, surgeries, gender-affirming garments, and other trans-positive healthcare options.”
“(We offer) community support groups and events for LGBTQ2IA+ youth and trans, two spirit, intersex, and gender diverse community members of all ages to support togetherness and health,” its website states.
While also serving as a community hub for transgender youth, the website includes a variety of resources on “safe drug use” including a publication titled The Meth Booklet.
One of the sections of the booklet is an explicit guide on how to have “Chemsex” which refers to the use of “drugs to enhance and sustain sexual encounters.”
On Mar. 2. Revelstoke Secondary will also host a similar event designed for parents and family members of “gender diverse youth.”
“You may have a lot of questions about supporting a young person who is gender creative, trans, or questioning. What is the difference between gender identity, expression and sexual orientation?” the event description explains.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect the fact that Revelstoke Secondary School is not hosting the workshop. Instead, they are promoting the workshop to students 14-year-olds to 19-year-olds on how to access “gender affirming care.”
