Building Trans Inclusion in Museums

The Ontario government is eliminating the cost of police record checks for volunteers of all ages looking to give their time and skills to the causes they care about. This includes Criminal Record Checks and Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Checks, which are commonly required by organizations that work with volunteers.

Beginning April 1, 2022, amendments to the Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015 will remove the fee for these two types of police record checks, making it easier for Ontarians to support animal shelters, food banks, emergency response initiatives, and many more organizations in their communities. Volunteers can also receive up to five copies of these types of police record checks for free, making it easier to apply to multiple volunteering positions.

• Prospective volunteers will still need to pay any fees charged by police services for Vulnerable Sector Checks, which are considered the most thorough type of police record checks and require a comprehensive search of national and local police databases.

Read the full news release HERE. 
Read more about Police Record Checks HERE.
 

Today, March 31st is Transgender Day of Visibility, recognized internationally to celebrate the lives and contributions of trans, gender-diverse, and Two-Spirit people. Ontario museums can play a role in building inclusion and eliminating transphobia through their work as community hubs, trusted institutions, and equal-opportunity employers. The OMA has brought together resources for museums to support their work on inclusion. In this issue of ONmuseums you will find OMA's Inclusion 2025 Guide to Inclusive Museums, resources from other organizations, and examples of trans inclusion in Ontario museums;

• Ontario Human Rights Commission Policy on Preventing Discrimination Because of Gender Identity and Gender Expression: Best Practices Checklist
• BCMA's Gender and Sexuality Inclusion Toolkit for Museums, Heritage and Cultural Institutions

• Check out the Trevor Project's overview on gender and how to discuss gender HERE.
• Read a comprehensive glossary from the Canadian Centre for Gender + Sexual Diversity HERE 
• For helpful guides about proper use of pronouns, inclusive language and allyship, and accounts of trans lived experiences, please see resources from Ontario-based organization Egale HERE.

Practice, Reflect
Consider your museum space. What barriers to inclusion are present? Does the language your museum uses define gender as “male, female, other”?

According to the Ontario Human Rights Commission, “an organization should have a valid reason for collecting and using personal information that identifies a person’s gender”. Do your visitor questionnaires ask for information on gender?
Read the full policy HERE.

Are trans voices welcomed?

• Read about engaging Queer artists and curators from the BCMA HERE.
• Take a look at the UK's Museum of Transology for ideas on how to celebrate trans stories HERE. 

Support
Find your local PFLAG chapter HERE and engage local communities.
Check out Canada’s LGBTQ2+ Archives HERE.

Repeat
Supporting the trans community is an ongoing act. As museums are constantly changing, so too must our practices. Read more about what we can do HERE. 

• Inclusion as a Lens – guidelines on how to begin thinking about diversity and inclusion in your own spaces
• Inclusion in Action – stories from the field submitted by our 10 partner museums 
• Resources – to support your own work in diversity and inclusion
• Community – a list of people committed to the cause of championing diversity and inclusion in the cultural sector

Trans Lifeline is a grassroots hotline and microgrants non-profit organization offering direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis – for the trans community, by the trans community. The organization connects trans people to the community support and resources we need to survive and thrive.

Find out more about it HERE. 

As museums across Ontario face the challenges of reopening safely and renewing relationships with your communities, the OMA is here for you. The OMA successfully advocated for federal emergency support funding through the Museums Assistance Program, the early and streamlined release of Community Museum Operating Grant (CMOG) funds in 2020 and 2021, and for an additional $2 million to support digital activities during pandemic closures. Your support, participation, and membership make our work possible.

Representing the interests of over 700 museums, galleries, and heritage sites across the province, the OMA offers regular webinars and professional development opportunities and resources for pandemic recovery. An OMA membership connects you with our network of over 1000 members, provides you with the tools and resources that support your professional practice, and keeps you informed of breaking news about funding opportunities and policy changes via the ONmuseums weekly newsletter and timely eNews alerts.

If you are already an OMA member, thank you! Please renew your membership when you receive an email reminder.

If you are not yet a member, please consider an individual, institutional, or commercial membership for yourself, your colleagues, or your institution. You can find information about member categories and benefits on our website.

You can make a donation to the OMA on our website or through Canada Helps. Every contribution adds to the collective strength of our sector. You can help us build a more resilient museum sector. Thank you for your support!

For all questions or inquiries please contact the OMA: community@museumsontario.ca or call 416-348-8672 / 1-866-662-8672.