We define “gender affirmation” as ​​behaviours and/or actions that affirm a transgender, nonbinary, and/or gender non-conforming person’s gender identity. This can range from using a transgender person’s pronouns to a physician supplying a transgender patient with hormones. 

Gender affirming apparel, such as binders, trans tape, breast forms, tucking underwear, transfeminine clothing, can be used to significantly reduce gender displeasure and gender dysphoria. However, for many people, these items are financially inaccessible. The problems of gender dysphoria and financial barriers are also apparent when we see trans and gender diverse individuals trying to change their name and gender markers on IDs, such as their birth certificate, OHIP card, and more.

Jane Mao, Sam Connolly and Jenna Huys, active members of the Queen’s community, teamed up to start a project that hopes to reduce and/or eliminate some issues when accessing gender-affirming care by offering peer support when connecting people to resources and using a pay-what-you-can system to reduce financial barriers.

GAAP is a group founded by people with multiple marginalized identities, such as queer, racialized, and gender diverse, and our hope is to serve people with the same or similar identities and lived experiences. When we call GAAP a “community group”, we mean that we are satisfying the needs of our own community.

For example, when we get requests from someone who is BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Colour), the GAAP respondent on the receiving end is also BIPOC because we understand the sensitivity needed when navigating the intersection between race and gender. Additionally, 25% of our working budget is is set aside to meet the needs of BIPOC. This commitment stems from the acknowledgment that Two-Spirit, trans, non-binary, and gender diverse BIPOC are often more likely to experience financial hardship due to the intersection of colonial, racial, class, and gendered oppression.