LGBT2Q+ Growing Families Symposium

The Growing Families Symposium is funded in part by the Westminster College Foundation and is being hosted in partnership with Sexual Assault Centre of London/Women's Community House (recently merged), London InterCommunity Health Centre, and Middlesex-London Health Unit, and Family Service Thames Valley. This symposium will explore issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, 2-spirit, and queer (LGBT2Q+) families.

Are you a member of the LGBT2Q+ Community and interested in starting a family?

Are you a service provider who works with folks with LGBT2Q+ identities?

Are you trying to figure out how family and your LGBT2Q+ identity fit together?

The Growing Family Symposium is the perfect place to explore options and celebrate the families of LGBT2Q+ people! Tickets for this event are $45 for service providers and free or by-donation for community members. All attendees must register through this website and tickets are on a first-come-first-serve basis. This event is on Saturday, March 4th and hosted in the Carousel Room at the Western Fair.

We are inviting both LGBT2Q+ community members and local service providers to the symposium, which includes speaker panels, roundtable discussions, networking opportunities, a community lunch, and a LGBT2Q+ family photobooth! The goals for this event are to develop a supportive network of LGBT2Q+ families and communities; create connections with local service providers; and learn and build knowledge capacities together in addressing issues affecting our families.

Confirmed panelists for this symposium include:

• Keynote Speaker Nicole Nussbaum (Family lawyer, project lead for trans*legal needs Assessment in Ontario, and past president of Canadian Professional Association for Transgender Health)
• Dr. Yasmine Usmani (Medical Doctor in Gynecologic Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility)
• Lori Ward (Parent and PFLAG London Chapter Director)
• Lucas Medina (Executive Director at the Five/Fourteen, Foster Agency for LGBT2Q+ youth)
• Jensen Caughlin (Parent and local advocate for LGBT2Q+ youth)
• Ryan R.A. Robinson
• Anthea Williams
• Caiti Casey

This even would not have been possible without funding and/or sponsorship provided by the following organizations:

• Westminister College Foundation
• Middlesex Rural Alliance to End Violence Against Women
• Rainbow Health Ontario
• Harrison-Pensa
• Pillar Non-Profit
• Metropolitan Community Church - London
• London InterCommunity Health Centre
• Sexual Assault Centre of London / Women's Community House
• Family Service Thames Valley

Special thanks to the Centre for Research on Health Equity and Social Inclusion (CRHESI) for their help with the community evaluation components of this symposium and to Dana Nosella for photographing the family photobooth.

On-site childcare will be provided. If you have any dietary restrictions, accessibility requests, or general questions about this symposium, please email them to lpitre@familyservicethamesvalley.com

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you at the Growing Families Symposium!