While traversing Ontario’s scenic lakes and forests, gender diverse students celebrated their identities proudly.
The Yellow House Student Centre for Equity and Inclusion, a campus centre providing support to equity-deserving groups, and Student Wellness Services (SWS) hosted its first annual Gender Diverse Wellness Retreat to Elbow Lake on April 27 to 28.
Fifteen transgender, non-binary, genderqueer, and agender students attended the retreat with the goal of honouring their identities by participating in song circles, meditations, and discussions of poetry. Attendees hiked, fished, canoed in the lake, and made art.
“When we were younger, we were busy explaining ourselves and looking out for our safety while other kids got to enjoy camp games, so this experience was really healing,” a student who went on the trip said in a statement to The Journal.
The retreat was designed by gender diverse individuals who understand the experiences of student attendees, Kel Martin, sexual and gender diversity advisor at The Yellow House, explained in a statement to The Journal.
Martin said the gathering was much needed in the community and emphasized the importance of encouraging gender diverse students to come together to support one another.
The support staff guiding students through the retreat were also gender diverse, making for an affirming experience, Danny McLaren, EDI coordinator at The Yellow House, explained in a statement to The Journal.
It was a unique time where people were not hyper-aware of their gender identity and aspects of themselves that differ from cisgender students at Queen’s, McLaren added.
“It’s so rare that trans people get to serve our own communities, and it was empowering for students to be able to see this and to interact with trans adults and elders, be fed by trans chefs, be taught by trans facilitators, be cared for by trans wellness practitioners,” McLaren said.
The retreat was supported by gender diverse members of Kingston community organizations including TransFamily Kingston, Beyond the Binary, Knifey Spooney, and Hope Green Collective.
Corrections
A previous version of this article incorrectly reported the length of the retreat and the activities conducted. Incorrect information was published in the June 24 issue of The Queen’s Journal.
The Journal regrets the error
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