On December 6th, Alison Klein became the first 2SLGBTQIA+ neurodiverse person to co-deliver a Queer Inclusion presentation to Community Living staff.
After a year of meeting with the staff teams at posAbilities, Kinsight, and Burnaby Assocation for Community Inclusion (BACI), listening to what they see are the gaps in CLO support services when supported 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, CQC teamed up with QMUNITY for a historic workshop. On December 6th, CQC Peer Coordinator Alison Klein (she/fae) became the first 2SLGBTQIA+ neurodiverse person within the Community Living Sector to not only hold a paid staff role in a queer advocacy organization, but also to co-deliver a Queer Inclusion Workshop alongside QMUNITY to staff within the sector she receives support. Testimonial from the Queer Inclusion Workshop:
The information provided was all very valuable, and I specifically appreciated that the phrase “WHEN you make a mistake” was used when discussing pronoun use. It felt a lot more validating than “IF you make a mistake.” It was a moment of clarity for me in that I felt “okay, I can problem solve when I do this and it’s not an abnormal occurrence.” – Community Living Support staff member.