Youth Panel
YOUTH PANEL
WITH A PERFORMANCE BY "6 BELOW BAND & CHOIR"
In Partnership with "Skipping Stone"
Sponsored by RBC
Sunday, April 2nd, 2023
12:15 PM - 1:45 PM PT (UTC-7)
Michèle Pujol Room, Student Union Building, & Online
University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
lək̓ʷəŋən territory
All conference registrations include access to the Youth Panel. As space allows, the event is also open to the public by donation at the door.
Devon Afquir
Devon (15, He/They) is a Moroccan Canadian whose father immigrated from Morocco and whose mother is a fifth generation Canadian. He is a student in 9th grade in Hinton, Alberta (the gateway to the Rockies), he lives with his parents, older brother and his four birds Grace, Bo, Brock and Pharoah. Devon is passionate about theatre, music and writing. His writing is driven by his want to make a change in our current world and hopes to one day have one of his own plays performed on stage.
Lou Burke
Lou (17, They/It) is a nonbinary person, their family stems from Italy, England and Ireland. It lives in Calgary, Alberta with their parents, little brother and cat named Bowie and attends Grade 11. They are interested in advocacy for those who face similar struggles to it, as well as learning more about the world--particularly animals and their habitats. Lou hopes to be involved in Zoology or nature conservation in the future.
Emily
Emily uses she/they pronouns, and is 15 years old. She is a trans lesbian biromantic demi-girl and lives on Treaty 7. They are currently a Grade 9 student and live with their parents and younger brother. She is very interested in being involved in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community as well as aviation and is a Royal Canadian Air Cadet. Her dream is to be a pilot or a paramedic.
R
R (17, he/him) is a member of the Metis Nation of Alberta, and is currently in grade 11, where he is part of his school's Visual Arts Program. R lives with his parents and three cats and enjoys figure skating as a hobby. R also enjoys math and science and is interested in pursuing architecture after high school.
6 Below is a 2SLGBTQIA+ community-focused, youth choir & band who perform songs that empower and affirm trans and gender diverse folks. They have performed throughout Mohkinstsis (Calgary, Alberta) at various events since 2021 including the Calgary Pride Festival.
The 6 Below ensemble is part of Skipping Stone x Anacrusis Music’s Queer Youth Music Program which builds community, connection and confidence in queer and trans youth between the ages of 5 and 18.
Amelia
Amelia (she/her) is a Sephardic Jewish trans women who is a passionate educator and advocate. She is a co-founder of Skipping Stone, a nationally recognized agency that supports trans and gender diverse youth and families and has previously held positions as the President of the Trans Equality Society of Alberta and the Director of Community Engagement with Calgary Pride, & faculty member with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health's Global Education Initiative. In 2018, she was awarded the Grand Heart Award in recognition of her contributions to advancing LGBTQ2+ human rights in Alberta.
Parker
Parker (he/him) is a queer asian trans man and member of Skipping Stone's Community Team and facilitates Mosaic Hearts (for racialized trans folks), offers intakes, gender gear appointments, peer support, leads Skipping Stone’s Trans ID clinic, helps with the Expressions program, and is a peer mentor. He loves board games, video games, and nerding out with other gaymers, as well as singing, karaoke, and playing instruments.