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About Us

The 519 Education and Training team provides organizations with the insights, tools, and understanding to create environments that are 2SLGBTQ+ inclusive, respectful and welcoming.

More than 10,000 people participate in our education and training sessions each year and hundreds of non-profit, public sector and corporate organizations work with us to advance 2SLGBTQ+ inclusive spaces where people can be their authentic selves.

In 2024, the team:

  • trained 9,436 people
  • conducted 258 workshops
  • trained 134 organizations of varying sizes across different sectors

STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES ABOUT OUR 2025 PRIDE SPEAKER SERIES!

 

Rain or shine, through the summery sizzle and the wintry whirlwind, we’re here and queer…for all seasons.

Join us during Pride month for this series of virtual talks delivered by 2SLGBTQ+ leaders at The 519. A mix of returning much-loved talks and brand new ones, the series will empower you with tangible skills and knowledge to champion inclusion in your workplace and beyond. All this while supporting our year-round work serving 2 Spirit, queer, and trans people in Toronto and beyond!

 

Our Services

We offer consulting, training and custom education services for each organization, providing training that’s relevant to your context and your unique requirements.

Contact us for more information on what we can offer, virtual or in person.

Email Us

Our introductory-level training covers:

  • Common words used to express sexuality and gender diversity here in Ontario;
  • The difference between sex, gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation as it relates to the Ontario Human Rights Code;
  • Pronouns and the importance of respecting people’s pronouns at work and in everyday life;
  • The foundations for understanding affirmation and allyship and their importance as ongoing practices in your life at home and at work.

Housing Sector Inquiries:

Building off years of advocacy and the work of our Education and Training department, The 519 has launched an online learning curriculum which is currently freely accessible to all city funded shelter providers.

For more information, including how to request access, please visit our Sector Capacity Building page.

Workplace Trainings:
  • Training on sexual and gender diversity in the workplace
  • Workshops for employers and employees
  • Training for leadership
  • Training for front-line staff
HR & Resources
  • Forms (intake forms, client files, patient charts)
  • File Management (paper files, digital files, Human Resource Management Systems)
  • Processes (payroll, pension and benefits administration, leaves of absence, recruitment, selection, interviewing)
Policy Review
  • Policy development and review
  • Policy review for inclusion of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression
  • Development and review of accommodation policy, dress code policy, workplace transition guidelines
Special Consultations
  • Consultation services
  • Physical environment audit
  • Talks and Panels
  • Trainings specifics to your Industry

Meet Our Training Experts

Ash McGhee
Manager, Education and Training

Mx. Ashley McGhee, B. Ed., M.A., O.C.T.

Pronouns: She/Her

Areas of Expertise:

  • Supporting employers working with 2SLGBTQ+ people
  • Supporting 2SLGBTQ+ families

Pronouns: She/Her

Areas of Expertise:

  • Supporting employers working with 2SLGBTQ+ people
  • Supporting 2SLGBTQ+ families
Omar Ramcharran
Specialist, Education and Training

Omar Ramcharran

Pronouns: He/They

Omar is a racialized non-binary and queer community builder, activist, and educator trained as an Environmental Biologist with a research focus on Cultural Anthropology. Attached to the Education and Training department, their work spans over a decade across the governmental, private, and not-for profit sectors on alleviating systemic barriers in gender mainstreaming and health disparities rooted in settler colonialist practices.

Omar is a racialized non-binary and queer community builder, activist, and educator trained as an Environmental Biologist with a research focus on Cultural Anthropology. Attached to the Education and Training department, their work spans over a decade across the governmental, private, and not-for profit sectors on alleviating systemic barriers in gender mainstreaming and health disparities rooted in settler colonialist practices.
Jo Jefferson
Specialist, Education and Training

Jo Jefferson

Pronouns: They/Them

Areas of Expertise:

  • 2SLGBTQ+ Seniors
  • Families
  • Schools
  • Arts-based practices
  • Trans rights
  • History

Pronouns: They/Them

Jo is a queer/trans writer, parent, and community worker. Their background is in popular education for personal and community transformation. They believe that we have to dream the world we want, and then work together to build it.

Areas of Expertise:

  • 2SLGBTQ+ seniors
  • Families
  • Schools
  • Arts-based practices
  • Trans rights
  • History
Specialist, Education and Training

Lama

Pronouns: They/Them

Pronouns: They/Them

Lama is a lifelong student who has been on staff with The 519 since 2021.  Lama’s work is rooted in uplifting and empowering communities to build bridges of empathy and understanding and foster authentic and inclusive spaces through education and learning. They are passionate about finding innovative ways to engage learners in accessible and meaningful learning. 

Susan Gapka
Facilitator, Education and Training

Susan Gapka

Pronouns: She/Her

Areas of Expertise:

  • Housing and homelessness
  • Mental health, addictions and harm reduction
  • Trans rights
  • Community organizing

Pronouns: She/Her

Areas of Expertise:

  • Housing and homelessness
  • Mental health, addictions and harm reduction
  • Trans rights
  • Community organizing
Victor Zhang
Specialist, Education and Training

Victor Zhang

Pronouns: He/Him

Areas of Expertise:

  • Queer youth engagement/activism
  • 2SLGBTQ+ newcomers
  • Queer and trans feminism
  • Transnational queer movement/history
  • Community-based art
  • Queer Asian advocacy

Pronouns: He/Him

Victor is a queer and feminist activist, educator, and researcher. His scholarship and activism are situated in the fields of queer migration experience as well as transnational feminist work in the Pan-Asia area. To connect knowledge production with community engagement, he is interested in arts- based/arts-informed methodology, particularly in the forms of screening art and theatrical exploration.

Areas of Expertise:

  • Queer youth engagement/activism

  • 2SLGBTQ+ newcomers

  • Queer and trans feminism

  • Transnational queer movement/history

  • Community-based art

  • Queer Asian advocacy

What Our Clients Say

“The 519 training was both confirming and eye-opening in many respects with very strong facilitators. We left the workshop with new insight and a desire to share and discuss what we had learned.”

— Suzanne Marion, Toronto Public Library

“Working with The 519 guarantees that workshops will be informative, comprehensive and relevant. The support and resources provided by The 519 has made a world of difference as we continue on this journey; we are better for our partnership with The 519.”

— Jacqueline Silvera, Senior Manager, Diversity and Mediation Services, University Health Network

“We are thankful for the safe and supportive space The 519 created, allowing us to learn and grow. The training resonated personally and professionally with our staff, and we are eager to continue this journey, applying the principles we’ve learned to create a truly inclusive environment for all.”

— Dana Elsaid, Autism Ontario

Autism Ontario

Connect with us for more information on our training services.

Ash McGhee
Manager, Education and Training
AMcGhee@The519.org

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