The Vancouver park board is moving ahead with further initiatives to boost community programming for trans and gender diverse citizens.

The park board voted unanimously on November 19 to approve $35,000 in funding for expanding trans, gender diverse, and two-spirit arts and culture programming from the Queer Arts Festival (QAF) at community centres and parks.

The programming will include:

• a workshop series, with created work to be shown at the 2019 QAF;
• screenings and installations of contemporary video art;
• increasing accessibility to QAF, particularly for those facing financial challenges, by issuing a limited amount of free tickets to QAF performances, talks, and screenings;
• development of staff training about the role of the arts in diverse and new perspectives and voices;

The QAF will work with park board staff to evaluate the work and outcomes.

The funding will cover artist and workshop feeds, workshop materials, festival tickets, communications, facilitation with artists, QAF administrators, and park board staff groups.

The approval was made one day before the Transgender Day of Remembrance being observed today (November 20) in Vancouver and Surrey. It also arrives shortly after the B.C. government announced improvements for access to gender-affirmative surgery for trans people and the addition of a third-gender option on identification.

Other previous trans-inclusive programming initiatives that have been launched by the Vancouver park board since 2013 include:

• trans-dedicated weight room sessions were launched at Britannia Community Centre in April 2018;
• Pride-related social events, such as a Two-Spirit Pre-Pride Social community feast as well as a Teen Pride Pool Party at Templeton Park Pool;
• self-defence courses for trans people;
• a two-spirit and allies walk and workshop with Urban Native Youth Association and Moberly Arts Centre;
• Queer and Trans Youth Drop-in at the West End Community Centre, running from September to December 2018.

Back in April 2014, the park board approved 77 recommendations for making its facilities inclusive for trans and gender-variant people.

The park board and the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre has had a 20-year relationship with QAF. The QAF began as Pride in Art in 1998, founded by two-spirit artist and activist Robert Hong, and launched its first festival in 2008 before rebranding as the Queer Arts Festival in 2010.

The festival celebrated its 10^th anniversary this year that coincided with the launch of Sum Gallery in Chinatown.