The acronym 2SLGBTQIA+ represents Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and additional people who identify as part of sexual and gender-diverse communities.

The 2S at the front recognizes Two-Spirit people as the first 2SLGBTQI+ communities. The I for intersex considers sex characteristics beyond sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. The + is inclusive of people who identify as part of sexual and gender diverse communities, and those who use additional terminologies.

In French, is 2ELGBTQI+. It is important to note that personnes aux deux esprits et personnes bispirituelles can be used interchangeably, although the acronym remains the same.

Accessibility is the state of being open to meaningful participation by all people, in particular people whose participation (in a specific activity or society in general) is usually limited by oppression of some kind. Accessibility, in general, means being free of barriers which are placed by the more privileged group, inadvertently or advertently, such as lack of childcare, translation or pay-to-access fees. This also includes societal barriers, such as housing not being treated as a right but rather a commodity.  Sometimes the term “accessibility” is used with specific reference to the needs of people with disabilities. A space cannot be deemed “accessible” in this sense if the atmosphere is ableist, even if measures such as wheelchair-accessible venues, Braille/large-print/audio-tape resources, TTY (text telephone) and sign language interpretation are in place. It is a best practice to integrate accessibility into planning and design, as this allows access for all.

Source:  Anti-racist Toolkit, "Anti-Oppression Glossary,” Canadian Federation of Students. 

Allyship/Accompliceship is the active commitment of individuals from privileged groups to work in solidarity with marginalized communities, leveraging their positions to challenge systemic inequities that perpetuate issues like poverty or lack of belonging. This involves not only recognizing one's privilege but also taking concrete actions to amplify marginalized voices, advocate for equitable policies, and dismantle barriers to participation in community initiatives. For example, a community leader who actively seeks out and supports the leadership of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals in climate action initiatives demonstrates allyship by fostering diversity and inclusion in the fight against environmental injustice.

Source: "Anti-racist Toolkit, Anti-Oppression Glossary,” Canadian Federation of Students. 

Anti-oppression is the process of identifying and challenging the systems and behaviors that perpetuate inequality and marginalization. It addresses not just individual discrimination but the broader structures that privilege groups in power while marginalizing others based on race, gender, disability, and other identities. Anti-oppression focuses on redistributing power to create inclusive environments where all voices are valued and everyone can participate fully. It also emphasizes intersectionality, recognizing how different forms of oppression intersect and compound each other, requiring holistic solutions for lasting, systemic change.

Anti-racism is the active process of identifying and dismantling racist behaviors and systems that perpetuate inequality. It centres Black, Indigenous, and racialized voices; redistributes power; and fosters inclusive spaces where diverse communities can thrive. Rooted in equity, anti-racism involves collective accountability and addresses systemic racism to build a just society.

Belonging is the human need to be known, noticed, and missed in community. Belonging is rooted in place. Communities that cultivate a strong sense of belonging have a healthy social infrastructure that fosters social cohesion and well-being and strengthens civic life.

An overt or covert obstacle is used in equity-based approaches to mean a systemic obstacle to equal opportunities or outcomes. To achieve equality, barriers must be removed. Barriers result in equity gaps across and within communities. Living in rural and remote areas creates many barriers to education, job opportunities, and climate responses.

Source: "Anti-racist Toolkit, Anti-Oppression Glossary,” Canadian Federation of Students. 

An opinion, preference, or prejudice, formed without reasonable justification. Bias affects how an individual or group perceives and judges a situation objectively or accurately; and can result in a preference for or against. An example of bias could be preferring to work with a particular group at the expense of another group that you do not have experience with.

Source: "Anti-racist Toolkit, Anti-Oppression Glossary,” Canadian Federation of Students. 

Community compensation refers to the equitable remuneration of community members for their time, expertise, and lived experiences when engaging with organizations, particularly in grassroots and non-profit sectors. It ensures that individuals, especially those historically excluded, are fairly compensated for their contributions to decision-making, advisory roles, or project participation. This practice values community input, promotes equity, and fosters stronger partnerships by addressing systemic inequities and recognizing the importance of lived experience in shaping meaningful outcomes

A distinctions-based approach refers to policies and practices that recognize and respect the unique rights, interests, and circumstances of the three distinct Indigenous groups: First Nations, Métis, and Inuit. This approach acknowledges that each group possesses its own cultures, histories, rights, laws, and governance structures, necessitating tailored strategies to address their specific needs and priorities

Diversity refers to the variety of differences that exist between individuals and groups. It includes many different dimensions of identity, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, socioeconomic status, physical and mental abilities, and cultural background. Our diverse identities impact how we experience advantages or encounter barriers such as belonging, access to resources and poverty.¹

Equity recognizes that people have different needs and that treating everyone the same may not lead to fair outcomes. It depends on addressing systemic barriers and structural inequalities that disproportionately affect marginalized communities. Equity involves giving everyone what they need to be successful, even if that means giving some people more resources or opportunities than others. Equity leads to equality of opportunities.¹

Tamarack offers the Be A Light Fund scholarship as one of our equity measures. An equal approach would be to charge everyone the same rate regardless of circumstances. An equitable approach offers discounted rates for individuals with financial barriers. The scholarship creates more equal opportunities for learners wishing to access events and workshops.²

To be an equity-denied person/group means to be excluded, ignored, or pushed to the outer edge of a group, society, or community. Equity-denied groups have historically been denied equal access to opportunities such as employment, education, social services, and access to housing.

Equity-denied groups are communities that experience ongoing systemic barriers to full inclusion and participation as a result of entrenched histories of discrimination and exclusion. These barriers limit fair access to opportunities, resources, and decision-making power and are shaped by intersecting factors such as race, Indigeneity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, disability, age, and religion. In the Canadian context, equity-denied groups often include Indigenous Peoples, racialized communities, 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, women, people with disabilities, and religious minorities. Addressing inequity requires recognizing that these barriers are created and maintained by institutional systems, not by the individuals or communities experiencing marginalization, and that it is the responsibility of those systems to create pathways for equity, belonging, and justice

Equitable outcomes reference situations where there is no variation in outcomes at a population level based on race or ethnicity. Equitable outcomes require that power is shared with those most impacted by current systems and that we transform our individual, organizational, and collective societal behaviours to centre work that narrows and ultimately eliminates disparity gaps.

While “First Nations” refers to the ethnicity of First Nations peoples, the singular “First Nation” can refer to a band, a reserve-based community, or a larger tribal grouping and the status Indians who live in them. For example, the Stó:lō Nation (which consists of several bands), or the Tsleil-Waututh Nation (formerly the Burrard Band).

Source:  Anti-racist Toolkit, "Anti-Oppression Glossary,” Canadian Federation of Students. 

Sex is designated at birth based on reproductive organs and chromosomes, which creates a binary of male and female.  For many people, their sex matches their gender identity, though these should be considered separate. Trans people, for example, are assigned one sex at birth but have a different gender identity. Gender, on the other hand, denotes a social, cultural, or psychological state of being, as opposed to that of biologically assigned sex. Some people do not have a gender identity that corresponds to their assigned sex, namely transgender, transsexual, intersex, and genderqueer individuals.

Source:  "Anti-racist Toolkit, Anti-Oppression Glossary,” Canadian Federation of Students. 

Inclusion is the practice of creating a welcoming and supportive environment where everyone feels valued, feels respected, and has a sense of belonging, regardless of their background, identity, or abilities. Inclusion involves actively seeking out and valuing diverse perspectives, experiences, and identities and creating spaces where everyone can participate and contribute fully without fear of judgment or repercussions.¹

Indigenization is the deliberate integration of Indigenous knowledges, values, and practices into institutions and policies, ensuring they reflect Indigenous worldviews. This process involves collaboration with Indigenous communities to embed their perspectives in decision-making and leadership. It also encompasses reconciliation by acknowledging settler colonialism and decolonization by dismantling colonial views. 

By prioritizing relationships with Indigenous leaders, Indigenization aims to address systemic inequalities, foster belonging, and support community-driven solutions, contributing to more equitable, peaceful, and sustainable societies. While Indigenization is connected to decolonization and reconciliation, each are distinct in their goals and approaches. Though different, all three frameworks are equally important in fostering equity and justice for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples. 

Indigenous refers to the original peoples of any given land who have been adversely impacted by colonization, imperialism and capitalism through the displacement and settlement of their traditional territories. In Canada, the Indigenous peoples of this land are Aboriginal people which includes First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples.

Source:  Anti-racist Toolkit, "Anti-Oppression Glossary,” Canadian Federation of Students. 

Inuit people are the Aboriginal people of Arctic Canada, who live above the tree line in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and in Northern Quebec and Labrador. However, large communities of Inuit can be found in Ottawa, Ontario and Edmonton, Alberta. The Indian Act does not cover the Inuit; however, in 1939, the Supreme Court of Canada interpreted the federal government’s power to make laws affecting “Indians, and Lands reserved for the Indians” as extending to the Inuit.

Source:  Anti-racist Toolkit, "Anti-Oppression Glossary,” Canadian Federation of Students. 

Justice is an evolving concept of fairness and the idea that individuals must be treated equitably, have equal access to opportunities and resources, and have a right to self-determination. Justice systems are based on principles of morality, ethics, and law, but allow systems that perpetuate inequity to be challenged to dismantle present-day systemic inequalities.

At its core, justice is about maintaining good relationships through using the resources at our disposal to ensure people are treated in ways that they feel create a culture of dignity, respect and trust to preserve the health and well-being of individuals and the community.¹

Métis refers to Aboriginal people of specific mixes of First Nation and European ancestry who identify as Métis people, distinct from First Nations, Inuit, or non-Aboriginal people. The Métis have a unique culture that draws on their diverse ancestral origins, such as Scottish, French, Ojibway, and Cree.

Source:  Anti-racist Toolkit, "Anti-Oppression Glossary,” Canadian Federation of Students. 

An oppressor is either one who uses their power to control a group or individual, or one who refuses to use their power to stop abuses of power. 

An oppressed person, or equity-deserving person, is controlled by an oppressor and by those who remain silent in the face of oppression occurring.

Oppression is the state of being subjected to unjust treatment or control. There are many forms of intersectional oppression, including racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, ableism, ageism, homophobia, and transphobia.

Source: "Anti-racist Toolkit, Anti-Oppression Glossary,” Canadian Federation of Students. 

The French word pérégrination refers to a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about themselves, others, nature, or a higher good through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life.

While the process and outcomes needed may shift in response to staff, community, and societal needs, our foundational goal to achieve equitable outcomes in the community will not.

Tamarack’s journey including the process, learning and action is just as important as achieving equitable outcomes across communities.  

Power is a relational concept that can involve control over access to valued resources. It can manifest visibly, hidden, or invisibly, and can also embody positive attributes through community empowerment and collective action.

It encompasses power over others, power with others, and power within a group, and can be held by both individuals and groups.

Power can be acquired at the expense of others and wielded for both positive and negative purposes. Traditionally seen as domination, power also serves as a positive force for change.

• Power over relates to domination and control, often perpetuating inequality.

• Conversely, power with builds collective strength and equitable relations.

• Power to highlights individual potential for action.

• Power within focuses on self-worth and mutual respect.

Power can be personal (values, beliefs, feelings), interpersonal (actions, behaviours, language), institutional (rules, policies, procedures), and cultural (concepts of beauty, truth, right). 

Power transformation is the notion of giving historically excluded communities direct control over shaping their own experiences and sense of belonging. Power transformation recognizes the nuances of power by creating a shared agreement that creates self-determination for historically excluded communities to direct the shift of power in sustainable and realistic phases.

In the context of work, psychological safety is a condition where the environment supports team members' well-being and actions are collectively taken to reduce both potential and actual harm to their mental well-being. Team members share the responsibility of fostering this safety by contributing to a culture of trust and respectful dialogue, where everyone feels invited to express and develop solutions for concerns and participate in maintaining a safe and supportive workplace.⁴

The idea that the human species is divided into distinct groups based on inherited physical differences. Genetic studies in the late 20th century refuted the existence of biogenetically distinct races, and scholars now argue that “races” are cultural interventions reflecting specific attitudes and beliefs that were imposed on different populations in the wake of Western European conquests beginning in the 15th century. The idea of race as a socially constructed way of grouping people is important because of the way that “the ideology of race has become embedded in our identities, institutions, and culture... as the basis for discrimination and domination.”

Source: Britannica. United Way Worldwide, "Strengthening Our Equity Muscle to Accelerate Impact, The United Way Equity Framework” Appendix D, Glossary of Terms, page 129.

Racialized refers to anyone who experiences racism because of their race, skin colour, ethnic background, accent, or culture. Racialized people are people of colour, Indigenous peoples and ethnic and cultural minorities.

Source: "Anti-racist Toolkit, Anti-Oppression Glossary,” Canadian Federation of Students. 

In a Canadian context, Reconciliation refers to the process of acknowledging and addressing the harms and injustices inflicted upon First Nation, Métis, and Inuit Peoples, particularly in the context of colonialism and its ongoing legacy. It involves working towards a respectful and equitable relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples based on mutual understanding, healing, and recognition of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit rights and sovereignty. This may look like having a comprehensive community compensation guide or process for community engagement.⁵

In the context of Indigenous discourse in Canada, the term "settler" refers to non-Indigenous people who live on lands traditionally and continually occupied by First Nations, Métis, and/or Inuit Peoples. This designation encompasses people who have arrived at various points in history, including contemporary times. It refers to any non-Indigenous people whose presence contributes to the ongoing dynamics of settler colonialism, a structure characterized by the displacement and attempted assimilation of Indigenous communities. The term underscores the responsibility of non-Indigenous individuals to acknowledge and address the historical and present-day impacts of colonization on Indigenous Peoples

A settler-led organization is one where the leadership and decision-making roles are primarily occupied by non-Indigenous individuals. Even when such organizations employ First Nations, Métis, and Inuit staff, the organization can still be described as settler-led if management positions continue to be predominantly held by non-Indigenous individuals. This dynamic reflects broader patterns of settler colonialism, where non-Indigenous governance structures often oversee initiatives affecting Indigenous communities. 

Sexual orientation is about who someone feels romantic or sexual attraction toward. A person might be attracted to people of a different gender, the same gender, more than one gender, or not feel sexual attraction at all. Everyone's experience of sexual orientation is different, and it can change over time. 

A person’s relative position within society based on how closely their various social identities align with societal norms and ideals. It impacts how they are generally perceived by others, their relative access to resources, social acceptance, respectability, representation and visibility, authority, and their overall experiences in the world. Your social location is influenced by the privilege and power you have.

Source: Terms and Definitions: Systems of Oppression and Privilege,” Egale, https://egale.ca/awareness/systems-of-oppression-and-privilege-terms/  

Systems of oppression refer to how societies or groups of people create and maintain unfair power dynamics that disadvantage certain individuals or communities based on characteristics like race, gender, class, sexuality, or ability. These systems can include laws, policies, social norms, and economic structures that perpetuate inequality and limit opportunities for marginalized groups

Tokenism means including people from underrepresented groups to demonstrate diversity, but does not truly value or include diverse perspectives and experiences. This often happens in institutions and organizations and doesn't address systemic discrimination. In the anti-racist view, tokenism is seen as a surface-level attempt to show diversity by highlighting a few individuals without addressing the real problems of fairness and justice. Examples of tokenism include having diverse representation but not listening to their voices.

Source: "Anti-racist Toolkit, Anti-Oppression Glossary,” Canadian Federation of Students.