In a unanimous vote during an April 28 meeting, the Vancouver Park Board adopted 77 measures to accommodate “trans and gender-variant people” in the city’s parks and recreation facilities, contained in the report, Building a Path to Parks & Recreation for All: Reducing Barriers for Trans* & Gender Variant Community Members, written by the Trans* and Gender-Variant Inclusion Working Group. The authors of the study stress the need for an “inclusive” approach to counter “gender-policing in the form of verbal harassment, public-shaming and physical violence by others who feel they do not belong there.”

As an example of inclusivity, the report praises the Killarney Community Centre, which includes universal change room space that is larger than the men’s and women’s rooms. The universal space has single- and multi-user change room stalls, along with a universal shower space. This model is to be used in Vancouver’s recreational facilities.

The report’s authors also suggest providing “universal steam rooms rather than gender-segregated steam rooms.” Existing facilities should be updated with single-user change and shower booths in the men’s and women’s spaces. The installation of single-user universal washrooms is also suggested.

The report also provides examples of signs to be used for change rooms and washrooms. The men’s and women’s washrooms and change rooms, as well as the universal change rooms, all have “trans people welcome” written at the bottom. None of them have will standard symbols of women or men in accordance with the recommendation to “remove and refrain from using gendered symbols of bodies on signage in VPB facilities.” The VPB also agreed that “Trans* and gender variant stickers” are to also be used at the entrances to recreation facilities, along with an explanation about their meaning.

The report calls for pilot drop-in fitness programs at some Vancouver facilities for “trans* and gender variant community members, allies, friends and families” led by instructors selected according to “gender and cultural representation,” with programming staff that is “actively supportive” of transgender people.

Instructors should not use “gendered language” or make “assumptions about the ways in which individuals (sic) bodies do or do not feel or experience movement based on perceived gender differences.” All staff, contractors, and volunteers must be trained in “trans* and gender variant awareness and sensitivity.”

Single-sex fitness classes must permit people who identify themselves as that sex to attend, whether or not biology matches. An example of an inclusive program is “All Bodies Swim,” which “organizes body-positive nights at local public pools.” Their tag line is “Trans folk, queers, people of colour, fatties, scars, fur, mobility aids, inked, pierced. This is a pool party celebrating all bodies. Let’s ally and get wet!”

Forms should not collect information about gender unless absolutely necessary, in which case the categories “Transgender,” “Gender Variant,” and “I identify as ____” should be included to the formerly standard male and female designations. A pilot program will also be instituted to provide self-registration kiosks near the front desk “to allow for private consideration and selection of gender options.” Park Board Commissioner Trevor Loke said that the recommendations will “approve the quality of access” to recreation and “help make Vancouver the most inclusive city in the world.”