PATHSPROVINCIAL ASSOCIATION OF TRANSITION

HOUSES AND SERVICES OF SASKATCHEWAN

Gender, Sexual Orientation

and Shelter Services

2012 Joint World Conference on Social Work and Social Development:

Action and Impact

RESEARCH QUESTION

How do we best provide service to transgender and transsexual people?

METHODOLOGY

researched the existing understanding and frameworks of sexual and gender identities,

reviewed literature on best practices in terms of sheltering transgender and transsexual individuals

identified the specific circumstances of abuse that transgender and transsexual people endure

surveyed our member agencies and members of our national network to determine existing responses

reviewed the legal precedents and requirements for service identified community supports and services outside of the

sheltering system.

BRIEF OVERVIEW

13 shelters providing service to a population of one million people

Canadian Network of Women’s Shelters and Transition Houses is our national organization

began in the mid-1970s starting with a few small safe places in apartments run by volunteers

now 600 government-funded, professionally staffed shelters across the country

SHELTER STANDARDS

“Shelters will have the discretion to deny admission to individuals who are not anatomically female or who have not completed a male to female transgendering process. Staff will take every measure possible to find appropriate alternate accommodation for those denied admission for reasons of gender. Staff are directed to Appendix B, Gender, Sexual Orientation and Shelter Services, for direction in providing assistance to transgender and transsexual individuals.”

ROLE OF SHELTERS IN EDUCATION

leaders in educating the public about violence against women

inequality between women and men is the root cause of domestic violence

women were experiencing violence because they were women and that men were by and large the perpetrators

RE-EXAMINING THE TRADITIONAL FRAMEWORK

Delusions of Gender by Dr. Cordelia Fine, 2010 calls into question the biological imperative of gender specific female and male behaviour.

Origins of Violence/Strategies for Change – advocating for inclusion of psychological and philosophical factors in understanding violence more generally

CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS

Shelter residents have all been victimized by men and live with the resulting trauma.

The new complexity of gender identity is not familiar to the women we serve so that they are responding based on their own current assumptions and understandings.

The policy that we currently have in our standards may in reality be the best alternative at this point.

Construct shelters which allows for more privacy for individuals and families as opposed to the traditional communal living which is typical of shelters.