It’s a powerful question—and one we each have a part in answering. Do we want to be a community where every person, regardless of their gender identity or gender expression, feels safe, valued, affirmed, and fully included? A place where no one is made to feel like they’re too much, or not enough, just for being who they are?
That vision is at the heart of the Trans and Non-Binary Equity Strategy—a strategy released by our Office that reflects a shared, campus-wide commitment to equity, belonging, and transformation. This isn’t just a strategy. It’s a call to action, a blueprint for a better Waterloo—one built together.
This work began in direct response to the attack on our campus in June 2023, which targeted gender identity and deeply impacted our 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. That act of hate and harm demanded not only reflection, but action. It made clear that safety, belonging, and inclusion cannot be assumed—they must be actively built. In the aftermath, our community came together to ask: What now? This Strategy is our way forward.
It was informed and co-created by members of our 2SLGBTQIA+ communities—students, staff, and faculty who showed deep courage in sharing their experiences and speaking up in the hope of sustainable change. They didn’t just point to problems—they helped imagine solutions. They spoke up not only for themselves, but for those who couldn’t, or didn’t feel safe enough to. That is leadership. That is community in action.
And there were those who chose not to participate—whether out of fear, fatigue, or protest—and their absence was not overlooked. Silence, too, is a message. The Strategy listens to that silence and understands it as part of the story. It reminds us how much work remains, and why this work matters.
The development of this strategy was also shaped by the input and ongoing support of campus groups like QTA and GLOW. For years, they have advocated, supported, defended, and shown up for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community with love, grit, and determination. Their efforts laid the foundation for this moment—and for the path ahead.
This initiative was led by Washington Silk, MSW, RSW, Dr. Alex Pershai, and Danielle Boland, who guided campus-wide consultations with thoughtfulness and integrity.
This Strategy invites all of us to reflect, to listen, and turn intention into action—not just in policy, but in the everyday choices we make- how we teach, how we lead, how we speak and how we care for each other.
Review the full strategy here.