Black Lives Matter: A Statement from Queer Yukon Society & All Genders Yukon Society

Queer Yukon Society and All Genders Yukon Society condemn racism in all its forms. We condemn police brutality and murder, and we condemn quiet complacency with the racist status quo. We stand with the protestors who are putting their bodies on the line to create change. We know that as queer and trans people, we have the rights we have today because of the work of activists—many of whom have been Black, Indigenous, and of colour. We know it is time to repay that debt.  

Queer Yukon Society and All Genders Yukon Society will not stay silent – we are adding our voices to those calling for change and an end to systemic violence in our community and across the world. As individuals, we are committed to doing this work by examining our privilege and biases, unlearning racism, and standing alongside racialized people in the fight for rights and equality. In addition to our individual efforts, our boards commit to being accountable, learning and growing from our mistakes, engaging in anti-racism training, and to actively listening to Black people, Indigenous people, and people of colour. 

We commit to looking at our boards, committees and events and ensure that Black people, Indigenous people, and people of colour are increasingly represented and feel safe, and respected. We commit to consulting with Black people, Indigenous people, and people of colour in the development of the Yukon Pride Centre, with the goal of creating an anti-racist space that responds to the needs of queer and trans Black people, Indigenous people and people of colour.

This is not the end of our conversation on racism. We want to hear from our community and take direction from queer and trans Black people, Indigenous people, and people of colour. 

Queer Yukon Society and All Genders Yukon Society will be making a donation to Black Health Alliance, a community-led registered charity working to improve the health and well-being of Black communities in Canada. We commit to this being one of many steps towards being an actively anti-racist organization. 

We hope all our members and allies will also commit to unlearning racism and we have included a few resources for those wanting to get started.  If you can contribute financially to support anti-racist work, some suggested links are included below as well.  

Queer Yukon Society & All Genders Yukon Society 

To contact Queer Yukon: info@queeryukon.com
To contact All Genders Yukon Society: AGYSboard@gmail.com 

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Anti-Racist Resources

10 Steps to Non-Optical Allyship 
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA04VKDAyjb/  

12 (Mostly) Canadian Books about Racism, Anti-Blackness, and Anti-Racism, Plus Places to Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 
https://caseythecanadianlesbrarian.com/2020/06/01/10-canadian-books-about-racism-anti-blackness-and-anti-racism-plus-places-to-put-your-money-where-your-mouth-is/

An Essential Reading Guide For Fighting Racism
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ariannarebolini/george-floyd-amy-cooper-antiracist-books-reading-resources 

Guide to Allyship
https://guidetoallyship.com/ 

How to Ally: Do’s and Don’ts 
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA8FJhIhhRt/ 

Places to Donate 

BLACKSPACEWPG 
https://www.blackspacewpg.ca/ 

Black Health Alliance
http://blackhealthalliance.ca/

Black Lives Matter - Toronto
https://blacklivesmatter.ca/

Black Lives Matter – Vancouver
https://blacklivesmattervancouver.com/

Black Youth Helpline
https://blackyouth.ca/

Calgary Black Empowerment Fund
https://ca.gofundme.com/f/calgary-black-empowerment-fund

Federation of Black Canadians
https://fbcfcn.ca/

Justice for Regis
https://www.gofundme.com/f/justice-for-regis 

Minnesota Freedom Fund
https://minnesotafreedomfund.org/donate 

Official George Floyd Memorial Fund
https://ca.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd 

Rainbow Railroad
https://www.rainbowrailroad.org/donate 

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Queer Yukon Society (QYS) was launched in 2013 as a small group of dedicated volunteers with the goal of providing opportunities for the LGBTQ2S+ community to gather, socialize and support one another – primarily through social gatherings and the establishment of a Pride Festival in the Yukon.  

All Genders Yukon Society (AGYS) is focused on providing services to members of the Trans, Two-Spirit, Non-binary and questioning community, as well as their primary supports (significant others and family). AGYS helps community members by facilitating the funding of mental health services for members of the community (including single, couples, and group sessions), supporting outreach so community members can connect with other members one-on-one and get individualized support, and connecting folks with information about how to access trans-friendly medical services. 

Together, our organizations are working together to develop capacity within our community and to establish the Yukon Pride Centre.