Stephanie is a Transgender Advocate from Edmonton, who is a Director/Board Member on the Trans Equality Society of Alberta (TESA).  TESA has a mandate to be a witness to and a voice for matters concerning Trans Albertans. In this role, she has assisted in bringing positive change to Trans Albertans by working with the previous and current provincial government to make changes to or to bring about new legislation.  This included the Vital Statistics Act and Traffic Safety Act which allowed for easier changes to Birth Certificates, Drivers Licenses and Provincial Identification Cards; An Act to Amend the Alberta Bill of Rights to Protect our Children (aka Bill 10) that allowed for the formation of Gay Straight Alliances (GSAs) in schools; and Alberta Human Rights Amendment Act, 2015 (aka Bill 7) which brought in both gender identity and gender expression into this enactment. Stephanie makes herself available to speak to students at schools, colleges, and universities; at various sessions that are facilitated by the Alberta Human Rights Commission; at various seminars, symposiums and conferences in Canada and the United States; and at various events like the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) and the Hate to Hope March and Rally.

October 4th

2:30pm - 3:30pm

No Looking Back - Transition in Today's Workplace

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Transgender individuals are not trapped in their bodies; they are stuck in the pre-conceptions of others.  Society needs to honour the experience of transgender individuals over their own interpretations. Transgender individuals spend way too much of their lives pretending to be someone who they are not and for others while they hide who they truly are. Many believe that this is a choice; but it truly is not.  I transitioned so that I could live as my true, authentic self.  When I transitioned, I became the first Manager in the Government of Alberta and the first high level amateur sports referee in North America to do so. It did not happen overnight as I worked with my Human Resource Consultant for almost a year to ensure that I would have a very smooth transition.  This session will allow you to see my journey, from my eyes, as I address what I did to ensure success for myself and for those who I interacted with.

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3:30pm - 4:30pm (Breakout Session 7)

LGBTQ Workplace Issues Q&A Session

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