Tatiana Ferguson
Tatiana Ferguson is a management consultant and co-founder of the Black Queer Youth Collective; a Canadian Social Enterprise founded in 2017 with the social purpose of providing opportunities and support to Black LGBTQ+ youth.
Since arriving in Canada from the Bahamas in 2014, Tatiana Ferguson has worked as a sexual health educator, project coordinator, community-based researcher, and advocate for trans and queer BIPOC communities. Tatiana has worked with numerous organizations including METRAC, Black CAP, The 519, Planned Parenthood Toronto, and the Sherbourne Health Centre (Black Queer Youth Stage manager). Ferguson has also participated in and facilitated workshops for community programs like Supporting Our Youth’s Human Rights Equity and Access Team (HEAT), the Trans Youth Mentorship Program, and the Canadian Council for Refugees Youth Action Gathering. In 2016, she created Perception, a personal development group for LGBTQ2S+ asylum seekers, newcomers, and refugees with support from EGALE Youth Outreach. In 2017, she spearheaded the Toronto For All: Trans Youth of Color campaign, consulted on the Toronto Action Plan to Confront Anti-black racism, and helped to launch the Domino Project with support from Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre.
In recognition of her contributions to Queer and Trans activism, Ferguson has received several awards. In 2016, she was the recipient of the Volunteer of the Year award by Planned Parenthood Toronto. That year, she was also the recipient of the LGBTQ Youthline Award for outstanding achievements in Queer activism. In 2019, she was honored by the Mark S Bonham Centre during 50 Years of Activism.
During her 2021 fellowship in the Queer and Trans Research Lab, Tatiana examined the key motivators for African, Caribbean, and Black Transwomen in Canada when dating and in pursuit of long term relationships through the TRANScending Love: Rings & Tingz project.
Reference links
HuffPost – Toronto For All campaign