EXTERNAL: Beyond the Headlines – Celebrating Gender Identity & Expression

How can we address the most important issues facing British Columbians while keeping human rights in focus? To help answer this questions, B.C.’s Human Rights Commissioner is hosting a series of conversations with leading experts from across the country in the Beyond the Headlines discussion series.

Beyond the Headlines takes a deeper dive into the human rights issue facing the province right now, drawing from the Commissioner’s landmark Rights in Focus report, which provides a snapshot of inequities in 10 key systems.

We invite you to join BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner (BCOHRC) on Monday, July 14 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. PDT for the next episode of the Beyond the Headlines discussion series. As many communities celebrate Pride season across B.C., we all have a right to be free from discrimination based on who we are and who we love.

In this third Beyond the Headlines episode, Commissioner Kasari Govender has invited author and illustrator, Jessica Love, to do a reading of her children’s book, Julian is a Mermaid, and participate in a conversation about the joy of exploring identity and the rights that young people have to be their full, authentic selves. The conversation will also include BC Library Association’s Summer Children/Youth reading club coordinator, Georgia Franklin, to discuss the importance of exploring identity through stories in the British Columbia context.

The Commissioner and her guests will discuss crucial questions such as:

• What inspired Jessica Love to write Julian is a Mermaid and what has been the reception?
• Why is it important to reflect diverse experiences of identity exploration in children’s literature?
• How is story telling an important tool for promoting human rights and the depth of human experience?
• How do we support and celebrate our young people in the education system and broader communities, including in the public library network?
• Why is this discussion so important right now?
• They will also respond to audience questions throughout the live discussion.

Click here to register for the Zoom webinar!

EXTERNAL: We are sharing this event on behalf of our friends at BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner. The event is not being hosted by Whistler Public Library, and therefore may be updated, changed, or canceled with little notice.