Good-bye binary: Creating safe, affirming spaces in outdoor programs for trans and nonbinary children and youth

“We step into the forest or out onto the land and many of us feel like we belong. But do our gender-creative, transgender and nonbinary children and staff experience that feeling of belonging too?

In this workshop, participants will gain knowledge of the complex intersecting identities transgender, gender-creative and nonbinary children and staff hold, and how this impacts their experience in outdoor nature-based play and learning. Together, we’ll discuss structural changes, inclusive and kind language, and how to navigate tricky questions and facilitate conversations with children. We’ll re-imagine and share our strategies in play and story for supporting a safe and gender-affirming experience in learning on the land.