2SLGBTQ+ Advisory Committee

The mandate of the 2SLGBTQ+ Committee is to advise Council and staff on enhancing access and inclusion for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender diverse, Two-Spirit, intersex, asexual, and queer communities to fully participate in City services and civic life.

Meeting Updates

Meeting Format:

Civic Agency meetings may be in-person, electronic (as authorized by Section 14.14 of the Procedure By-law), or a hybrid of the two. Meeting agendas and minutes are posted online under the ‘Meetings’ tab below.

Virtual Meeting Platform:

Virtual meetings use Cisco WebEx Webinars (formerly Webex Events). No software download is required.

Attending Meetings:

To view a meeting online or listen by phone, follow instructions provided below.
Join link is made available at least 24 hours before the meeting.
For in-person attendance at City Hall, seek directions to the meeting room from Security staff. If arriving after 5:00 pm, enter via the 12th Avenue entrance by using the intercom (this entrance is equipped with a wheelchair ramp).

Note:

Unlike meetings of City Council, there is usually no public speaking option during Civic Agency meetings. Virtual attendees will be muted and unseen by meeting participants. If you wish to get in touch with a Civic Agency, please see the contact information at the bottom of this page.

Next Meeting Details:

Date: January 9, 2025
Time: 5:30 pm
Location: Committee Room 1, 3rd Floor, City Hall; Virtual (Webex Webinars)
Meeting Password: (Dial 5428 from telephone keypad)

Joining via Webinar:

Click Join the Meeting (link provided closer to meeting date)
Enter the meeting password when prompted: 5428

Joining by Phone (Audio Only):

Dial 1-604-646-8916 (Local) or 1-855-699-3239 (Canada/US Toll-Free)
Enter the access code followed by pound: (provided closer to meeting date)
Enter numeric meeting password followed by pound: 5428#

Consent - Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy:

To view or participate in meetings virtually, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information outside Canada as described below. The City of Vancouver collects your personal information in accordance with section 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act for purposes of organizing and administering civic agency meetings. For virtual Civic Agency meetings, your contact information will be shared with the City’s web conferencing provider, Cisco WebEx. Information submitted to WebEx will be stored on servers in the United States and may be accessed in the United States or internationally for technical support purposes. If you have questions about the collection of this information, please contact the Director of Access to Information and Privacy by emailing privacy@vancouver.ca or mailing a letter to 453 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Y 1V4.

Mandate and scope

Advises Council and staff on enhancing access and inclusion for Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities to fully participate in City services, and civic life
Works with staff to ensure that city facilities and events are accessible for people who identify outside the gender binary
Works collaboratively with counterparts from other civic agencies to identify opportunities for joint action on issues of mutual interest
Works co-operatively with external agencies and groups whose activities affect constituent communities
Engages in outreach to disseminate information and encourage participation from constituent communities

Meeting and administrative procedures

The 2SLGBTQ+ Advisory Committee holds six regular meetings per year, in addition to working sessions generally scheduled during intervening months throughout the year.
Type A Advisory Committees may, at their discretion, establish sub-committees focused on relevant topics of interest, non-members may participate in sub-committees and attend regular meetings if invited.
A member who is absent from more than two consecutive regular meetings without a leave of absence is deemed to have resigned.

Remuneration

Type A Advisory Committee members and alternate members are eligible to receive reimbursement for certain meeting-related expenses.
Non-member subcommittee participants are not eligible to receive reimbursement.
A light meal will be provided to Type A Advisory Committee members attending in-person regular meetings held over lunch or dinner hours.

Eligibility

Persons appointed to a Type A Advisory Committee shall meet the following essential criteria:

Not be employed by the City of Vancouver
Live or work in Vancouver, or have a significant body of experience with issues related to the mandate of the advisory body in Vancouver
Have connections to relevant communities, groups, and/or organizations in Vancouver
Be able to demonstrate relevant experience or knowledge, abilities, and skills related to the mandate of the advisory body
Be able to work in a team environment with intercultural sensitivity

Term limit

Beginning in 2019, no member of the public shall serve for more than eight consecutive years on the same Type A Advisory Committee. A former member is eligible for reappointment after one year of non-membership.

Terms of Reference

2SLGBTQ+ Advisory Committee Full Terms of Reference

Members

Appointments end December 31, 2024

Saif Al Shamaa
Eddy Elmer (Co-Chair)
Tara Fraser (Co-Chair)
Hana Chisako Acorn
Rick Hurlbut
Tristan Lai
Ilaine Marjoribanks
Chris Morrissey
Bradley Sarandi
Viplav Subramanian (Vice-Chair)
Michael Yus

Liaisons

Council Liaisons:

Councillor Rebecca Bligh
Councillor Peter Meiszner

Staff Liaison:

Vacant

Vancouver Public Library Liaison:

Samantha Mills

Vancouver School Board Liaison:

Trustee Joshua Zhang

Park Board Liaison:

Commissioner Brennan Bastyovanszky

Vancouver Police Department Liaison:

Constable Stephen Jones

Terms and Membership Composition

Persons appointed to a Type A Advisory Committee shall meet the following essential criteria:

Not be employed by the City of Vancouver;
Live or work in Vancouver, or have a significant body of experience with issues related to the mandate of the advisory body in Vancouver;
Have connections to relevant communities, groups, and/or organizations in Vancouver;
Be able to demonstrate relevant experience or knowledge, abilities and skills related to the mandate of the advisory body;
Be able to work in a team environment with intercultural sensitivity.

Composition:

Up to 12 members of the public (quorum is a majority of appointed members) with at least 50% being self-identified women and/or non-binary, genderfluid, trans, Two-Spirit, or gender non-conforming, and one seat reserved for an Indigenous person which may not be filled otherwise;
Greater than 50% of said members’ seats shall be filled by people who identify as members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community;
Up to 2 non-voting Council liaisons (appointed by Mayor);
Up to 2 non-voting staff liaisons (appointed by City Manager).
1 non-voting Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioner liaison and/or staff liaison (optional);
1 non-voting Vancouver School Board Trustee liaison( optional);
1 non-voting Vancouver Public Library staff liaison (optional);
1 non-voting Vancouver Police Department staff liaison (optional).

Length of term:

Term ends immediately before the first Monday after November 1 in the year of a general local election. However, no regular meeting shall be held between the last day of the nomination period and general voting day.
Members are appointed until December 31, 2024, at which point appointments are automatically renewable to the end of the term, and recruitment shall be conducted to fill any vacancies arising.
Beginning in 2019, no member of the public shall serve in more than eight consecutive years on the same Type A Advisory Committee. A former member is eligible for reappointment after one year of non-membership.

Volunteer opportunities will be posted on the City’s vacancies webpage when available.

In addition to the regular meetings listed here, the Committee also meets several times per year for informal working sessions. Please contact the Meeting Coordinator for more information.