Today marked the end of my third week of the Leadership in Action project in Toronto. My main role at Rainbow Faith and Freedom is to develop their Worshipping with Love workshop. Some of this development looks like reaching out to places of worship in the Greater Toronto Area, but also merging this workshop with their Safer S.P.A.C.E.S. program. While I will focus on merging this program with the worship side of things, faith-based homophobia extends beyond the four walls of a place of worship. In their research, RFF has found that religious-based homophobia is found in four main sectors: places of worship, schools, senior care facilities, and the family. This program is a major endeavor by the organization to uplift and champion affirming places for queer folks in Ontario. 

One unique part of my work in Toronto has been getting more acquainted with the country's history with indigenous groups. Churches played a big role in the residential schooling system in Canada, which was disastrous for indigenous groups and their children. A major recommendation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that Canada took part in from 2008-2015 was for churches to address their role in the harm, displacement, and genocide of indigenous peoples and culture. In my work, I plan to include indigenous rights to encompass a more intersectional approach and definition of what "affirming" means.