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3.0 Report Outline The report begins with the "Introduction" and the "Conference Outline" which outlines the goals of the conference. This is followed by this section, the "Report Outline" which leads the reader through the various sections of the report. In the body of the report, the next section "Streams," describes what each of the four streams accomplished during our discussions. In that section, a description of the discussion is followed by detailed and concrete recommendations which are prioritized for each stream, starting with the Oppression, Street and Relationship Violence Stream, the Health Stream followed by the Education Stream, and finally the Youth Stream. The "Conclusion" section briefly describes the common themes and includes a summary of the priority recommendations from each stream. The report ends with "Appreciative Comments from Conference Participants." For the purpose of this report the terms LGBT and Queer are used interchangeably. While we realize that the term Queer may be offensive or controversial to some, it is the term many young, urban LGBT's, prefer to use and so it is used here. The term 'transgendered and transgender' are self-defined umbrella terms for all persons whose gender identity is ambiguous, dual, or changing, for example, drag kings, transvestites, butch lesbians, drag queens, and transsexuals. The term 'transgendered' is specifically noted here because our own communities are working together to recommend appropriate legal terminology to ensure that transgendered persons are not denied human rights protection under hate crimes and violence legislation.You will note that interspersed throughout the document there are anecdotal stories. These are actual glimpses into the lives of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgendered persons here in BC. These stories have been kept anonymous to protect the confidentiality of the authors. Some are very graphic, others less so. Each tells a tale of pain and tragedy and more importantly, they tell a tale of survival, strength and hope. To our communities, if you are reading these Pieces of Our Lives and you feel overwhelmed or need help, or if you have also been a victim of violence, bashings, abuse and hate crimes, remember, you are not alone. Call your local queer support group for help or call your local emergency services, transition house or your local mental health office. Many of you may not live in an area which has any of these services or it may not be safe to contact them, consider contacting one of the Resources listed in the Violence section. |