Provincial Learning Event Webinar: Jewish Queer Trans (JQT) Seniors Initiative Training Workshop

April’s Provincial Learning Event featured the JQT Seniors Initiative, a Community Response Network hosted by JQT Vancouver, a 100% volunteer-run Jewish queer and trans charitable nonprofit. This session explored the unique experiences of Jewish queer and trans seniors and highlighted opportunities to build more inclusive and responsive care.

The initiative’s mission is to make visible and close gaps in the care of Jewish queer and trans seniors by working collaboratively with Jewish, 2SLGBTQIA+, and healthcare organizations in BC.

The workshop provided:

• Education on the barriers impacting Jewish queer and trans seniors in healthcare, including antisemitism and queerphobia
• Resources such as the BC Jewish Queer & Trans Seniors Resource Guide, and JQT
• Affirming Care: A toolkit for mental health providers
• Recommendations on making healthcare more inclusive for Jewish queer and trans seniors, and ample opportunity for Q&A

Presented by: Carmel Tanaka, MPH, (she/her) is the founder and executive director of JQT Vancouver, a 100% volunteer-run Jewish queer and trans charitable nonprofit. In 2020, Carmel conducted an oral history project collecting stories from Jewish queer and trans elders across BC. Elders were sharing their fears (upon entering long term care) of having to go back into the closet twice-fold, as queer and also as Jews. This led to the creation of the JQT Seniors Initiative, which in April 2023, produced the BC Jewish Queer & Trans Seniors Resource Guide to address knowledge gaps so that community members can make more informed decisions in light of what they can and cannot get access to or plan for as Jewish queer and/or trans people living in BC today. In February 2024, Carmel hosted a town hall on JQT Dying & Death, which opened the door to more inclusive Jewish burial practices for trans and nonbinary burials. In May 2024, the initiative released their Outreach Report, which revealed critical gaps, not only in available healthcare services, but also in awareness and understanding of many issues confronting Jewish queer and trans seniors. Carmel has been offering training workshops to help close these gaps.

Learn more at: www.jqtvancouver.ca