Every month, the Canadian University Press (of which The Silhouette is a member) facilitates a #cupchat using the platform ScribbleLive. This month's topic is transgender inclusivity and the discussion will begin at 5 p.m. EST. Join the discussion by posting your thoughts below.

As gender and sexual diversity become more openly acknowledged, universities must acknowledge the needs of their LGBTQ students. Though many university students have experienced some form of discrimination on campus, transgender students experience a unique set of obstacles. From bathrooms to dorm rooms to professor interactions, we want to know how Canadian universities are addressing (or not) the needs of transgender students. Are there universities that are explicitly trans inclusive? Are they implicitly inclusive? Are there other institutions doing a better job than others and can universities replicate those institutions?

CUP’s Queer Issues coordinator Lee Thomas will facilitate our discussion along with a panel of Canadian experts on transgender issues who will be participating in the chat including Gabrielle Bouchard and Jan Lukas Buterman.

Gabrielle Bouchard is the peer support and trans advocacy coordinator at the Centre for gender advocacy; a fee-levy organization affiliated with Concordia University. Gabrielle participated in the creation of a name of common usage policy at Concordia and is coordinating part of the ongoing struggle to bring legal equality for trans people in Quebec. She’s the instigator of a complaint to the Quebec Human Rights Commission (CDPDJ). The complaint, made on behalf of trans people in Quebec, aims to end legal discrimination enshrined in the Civil Code of Quebec. She also provides training and workshops on trans issues to social actors, front-line workers and in post-secondary institutions.

Jan Lukas Buterman is pursuing his Master’s in Educational Policy Studies at the University of Alberta, specializing in Adult Education. His thesis research looks toward the intersections of law, identity and modern information system technologies. Jan holds degrees in Education and History, as well as diplomas in Adult Education and Public Relations. Jan is an activist and educator focusing on issues of relevance to trans-identified people in Canada.