It’s with great regret that we are postponing this event indefinitely due to Covid-19 and all the current challenges. We hope to provide online workshops at some point but are working on multiple other fronts at the moment. Please feel free to get in touch at DivineDiversityLives@gmail.com if you are interested in future workshops. Meanwhile here is the event information for future endeavours.

“LGBTQ+ Awareness for Parents – 201” Hosted by North Van DPAC

201 Blurb

How can we support the 1 in 5 teens navigating queer identity in our high schools, as well as all the kids around them who are caught between allyship, ignorance and bullying? Beyond our own education and research in LGBTQ+ topics, we have had the privilege of hearing many stories from local youth, parents and educators. In conjunction with our own experience as members of the queer community, we’ve distilled a variety of themes and stories into scenarios that we can deconstruct as a group.
As we explore the complexity of navigating many different situations from the perspective of youth and parent, we hope to create a space where any question is welcome. NOTE during the interactive portions of this workshop, participants will be invited to speak but never called upon. We endeavour to create a safer space and not put anyone in an uncomfortable position.

201 Topics

  • What does it feel like to be LGBTQ+?
  • Is identity fixed or evolving?
  • Intersections between LGBTQ+ identity and ethnicity
  • What LGBTQ+ kids are missing from adults
  • Homophobia and allyship within the home and community

Michele Fogal

Michele is a diversity educator, communications consultant and business coach on the North Shore. She has a BFA in Creative Writing, is a traditionally published author of 3 books, and speaks internationally about diversity at writing conferences. She was Small Business BC’s social media expert for 4 years and now works for the West Vancouver School Board. She has begun a master’s program in Interdisciplinary Studies, with a focus on equity and education. Michele is a queer woman, a parent and a lover of story.

Caroline Wedderspoon

Caroline is a diversity educator and a registered clinical counsellor. She works on the North Shore, in several different environments. She is in private practice at Alyson Jones and Associates, and works as a therapist at WorkBC and at CMHA (The Canadian Mental Health Association). Until recently, she worked at Qmunity, Vancouver’s LGBTQ+ Resource Centre. One of her areas of specialization is working with the LGBTQ+ community. Caroline is a queer, cisgender woman and a parent of four.

About Divine Diversity

Michele and Caroline first created the Divine Diversity team to support their own community on the North Shore. They provide diversity presentations and workshops, as well as inclusion consultation and strategy. Their clients include non-profit societies, community organisations and schools. Their goal is to facilitate an evolution beyond tolerance, through acceptance, and into celebration of the divine wealth diversity brings.