When you are aayahkwew (Gender Non-Conforming), Crip and Indigenous you are in a constant state of coming out, especially because people make assumptions based on who they perceive you to be. Diverse understandings of gender, sexuality and ability existed here before colonization and it is everyone’s responsibility to learn the queer stories that have existed on these lands since time immemorial.
Using and respecting people’s pronouns saves lives, and despite people putting their pronouns in things like signatures and when they introduce themselves, they are often not acknowledged if they do not match the physical way that people expect either online or in real life. Believe people when they trust you enough to share the stories of their life with you and recognize the opportunities, we have to learn from one another to make Centennial a place of true belonging for everyone.