A ‘Courageous Conversation’ on Pride, diversity and intersectionality

The Courageous Conversations speaker series promises to push boundaries and foster dialogue when it returns to the University of Calgary on Aug. 29. This virtual event will focus on Pride, diversity and intersectionality, with a deep exploration of the multifaceted nature of identity and the importance of inclusivity.

One of the event’s speakers is Dr. Tonya Callaghan, BA’90, Bed’96, PhD, a professor with the Werklund School of Education. Callaghan is an experienced educator with more than a decade of secondary teaching experience; however, their career took a pivotal turn after witnessing a promising high schooler face relentless homophobic bullying, leading to that student’s suicide.

This experience compelled Callaghan to act, ultimately leading to their impactful research on combating heterosexism and transphobia in educational settings and beyond. Today, Callaghan is widely recognized for their efforts, earning numerous awards, including UCalgary’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award.

“I'm just happy to be recognized as such a scholar that does this kind of work, to share the kind of transdisciplinary approach that I have to redressing heterosexism, homophobia and transphobia,” says Callaghan. “I’m thrilled that this speaker series exists to begin with.”

Callaghan’s research largely focuses on supporting gender and sexual minority groups and is aimed at eliminating the oppression these groups face. 

One of their projects is “Over the Overseas Rainbow: The Development of an Intersectional Training Initiative to Support LGBTQ+ Newcomers to Canada,” a collaborative effort with Calgary’s Centre for Newcomers and counselling psychology scholars that seeks to discover best practices for serving LGBTQ2S+ newcomers in Alberta. 

Another project led by Callaghan is “The Catholic Closet: An International Comparative Study of Homophobia and Transphobia in Catholic Schools,” which compares Catholic education systems in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the U.K. Specifically, it explores the conflicts between Catholic canon law and national laws, with the goal of resisting heterosexist oppression.

Callaghan’s Courageous Conversations presentation, Critically Queer as Praxis: A Transdisciplinary Approach to Research Redressing Heterosexism, Homophobia and Transphobia, will highlight findings from both projects. In addressing these findings, Callaghan emphasizes the importance of listening to the voices of young leaders.

“Young people are leading the revolution. We can't assume that they should listen to (older activists) and take our advice,” says Callaghan. “Those of us who don't consider ourselves youth anymore need to do what we can to create space for the youth voices and ensure that youth leaders are not forgotten.” 

In their talk, Callaghan also intends to address the impact of discrimination, including some of their personal experiences and the challenges faced by LGBTQ2S+ teachers, while being mindful of potentially triggering topics.

The session will also feature Dr. Safaneh Mohaghegh Neyshabouri, PhD, another leading voice in LGBTQ2S+ inclusive education. Mohaghegh Neyshabouri, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Arts, is known for their expertise in teaching and addressing sensitive subjects. The 2023 recipient of UCalgary’s Teaching Award for Inclusive Excellence, their research of resistance, social movements, and gender and sexuality studies is deeply intertwined with issues of social justice, particularly concerning women’s issues, and their approach to teaching is rooted in fostering empathy through literature and dialogue.

Mohaghegh Neyshabouri’s Courageous Conversations presentation, Disrupting the Campus: Lessons from Queer Pedagogy, will look at how these principles have impacted their teaching methods, fostering an inclusive classroom environment. 

Hosted by the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and moderated by Dr. Malinda S. Smith, vice-provost and associate vice-president research (EDI), Courageous Conversations engages the university community in meaningful dialogue about the challenges we face together.

“How do we teach and learn together in unsettling spaces marked by differences of ideas and perspectives, social divides and even disruption?” asks Smith.

Smith strategically developed this year’s focus around the idea of “together.” Beginning with the season launch session, Learning Together: LGBTQ2S+ Inclusive Teaching, Research and Scholarship, the session will be followed by Working Together: Practising the Science of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, with the Haskayne School of Business (scheduled for Oct. 10); and Thinking Out Loud Together: Why Civil Discourse Matters on Campus, with UFlourish (scheduled for Nov. 12). These themes reflect Smith’s broader vision for the series, launched by UCalgary in 2020 and aimed to explore difficult social issues in ways that allow us to learn, teach, research and live well together.

“The series aims to engage in courageous conversations to build mutual understanding,” says Smith. “What does this moment require of each of us so that we can teach, learn, work and think together?”

To be a part of this conversation, register now to join Drs. Mohaghegh Neyshabouri and Callaghan Aug. 29 at 12 p.m.

Join us at noon on Monday, Aug. 26, for the University of Calgary’s Pride Flag Raising Ceremony hosted by the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Learn more