Office of Women and LGBTQ2 Veterans

Office of Women and LGBTQ2 Veterans.

Dear Members of the Association,

We are pleased to provide a note from RCMP-VAC Liaison officer, Sgt. Kim Hendricken regarding a series of upcoming discussions on the changing support programs for female and LGBTQ2 Veterans

The actual invitation is from Cindy Tessier of VAC/ACC speaking for Minister Lawrence MacAulay

“Hello everyone, I hope you are able to join us for this inspiring and informative series kicking off on Wednesday Aug 26. If you aren’t able to join, but would like to access the replay immediately, please register as you’ll receive the link to the webcast immediately. I’m very excited to share this update with Veteran friends and new stakeholders.

We encourage you to help spread the word with your networks – the event is free and we still have capacity for many more to join in!

Cindy

Lawrence MacAulay’s Message:

Dear Veterans and Stakeholders,

Veterans Affairs Canada will host a series of panel discussions to provide an update on the Department’s initiatives since I had the pleasure of hosting the first forum for women Veterans last May.

The initial forum generated tremendous insight regarding key issues facing women Veterans and led to many changes to support Women Veterans and other underrepresented Veterans such as members of the LGBTQ2 community. This includes the creation of the Office of Women and LGBTQ2 Veterans.

While we understand the challenges are not the same for each group, the Office of Women and LGBTQ2 Veterans is the first initiative to address the barriers and continue to better understand their experiences so we can best support them. By taking these steps, Veterans Affairs Canada can continue to deliver on its mandate to support the well-being of all Veterans and their families, and to promote recognition and remembrance of the achievements and sacrifices of those who served Canada in times of war, military conflict and peace.

As a follow-up to the first forum held in May 2019, and recognizing current public health restrictions, we are offering a three-part series of panel discussions as well as a roundtable as part of our ongoing commitment to strengthen partnerships with the women and LGBTQ2 Veteran and stakeholder communities.

As the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, it is my pleasure to extend this invitation for you to join our live webcasts each to be held at 11am EDT on the following dates each for a duration of 90 minutes:

August 26: Panel discussion with senior officials from Veterans Affairs Canada, the Department of Women and Gender Equality and the Canadian Armed Forces / Department of National Defence including a joint update on Women and LGBTQ2 Veterans.

September 9: Panel discussion with senior officials from Veterans Affairs Canada on Women Veterans Research and Data

Date to be confirmed: Panel discussion with senior officials from Veterans Affairs Canada Policy, Services and Program initiatives impacting Women.

Date to be confirmed: A Roundtable discussion inviting Veterans and Stakeholders from the LGBTQ2 community to share experiences and perspectives with senior officials from Veterans Affairs Canada.

Please register for the series at Registration VAC Virtual Series. A onetime registration will be valid for the complete series. We recommend using Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Edge browsers to register.

Upon registration, there is an opportunity to include a question that you wish to be addressed throughout the series.

If you have difficulty registering, have questions about this event, or wish to pose your question directly, please email vac.engagement.acc@canada.ca.

Are you interested in learning more about the Office of Women and LGBTQ2 Veterans? Please visit the Office’s website.

Sincerely,

Lawrence MacAulay, PC, MP
Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence