Gender Spectacular offers kids space for fun and answers in Victoria
A new youth drop-in for families at Quadra Village Community Centre is a celebration of gender diversity, organizers say.
Alyx MacAdams and Kendra Farley began Gender Spectacular as a way to give trans and non-binary gender children who are in Grade 7 and younger a way to play in a safe space with kids like them.
"There's not really spaces for those kids 12 and under to get together to play, to meet each other, to have the opportunity to be in a safe space as a trans or gender-creative child, in a social setting, in a play group, not a clinical space," MacAdams told All Points West host Robyn Burns.
Farley says the drop-in is also meant to be a place where parents and families can have questions answered if they're not sure how to support children with diverse genders or gender identities.
"There's a real feel of isolation: your kid is coming out as trans or maybe you as an adult are identifying as trans, and there's a sense of, how do I meet other people? How do I find community?" MacAdams added.
"For families … maybe the first trans person they're meeting, to their knowledge, is their child, who is four or five."
In addition to tackling big issues and answering big questions, MacAdams says the drop-in will have food, games and crafts for kids to enjoy
The first Gender Spectacular is 5:30-7:30 p.m. PT Friday at Quadra Village Community Centre.
With files from CBC Radio One's All Points West
To hear the full story, click the audio labelled: Gender-creative kids get space for fun and answers in Victoria
