Our Certification & Training

We offer specialized in-house programs designed to educate lawyers and justice professionals on how best to serve Beneficiaries¹. Only professionals who successfully complete this program and earn the Black LGBTQ Justice Affirming Assessment (BLGBTQJAA) certification will be eligible to receive referrals from Black LGBTQ Justice Canada. This includes lawyers, criminal justice practitioners, human rights advocates, and refugee and immigration service providers working with Beneficiaries seeking Black LGBTQ culture-affirming support.

Focuses on:

• Addressing gaps in legal analysis relating to Black LGBTQ multiple discriminations and pan-Blackness in extra‑judicial and sentencing contexts.
• Understanding the intersection of race, class, culture, and LGBTQ identities within the justice system and legal context.
• Applying Black LGBTQ Justice-Affirming Assessment to ensure equitable outcomes in legal and human rights cases.
• Expanding access to culturally appropriate and LGBTQ-affirming programs and community-led initiatives that support individuals navigating the justice system.
• Advancing justice through complex intersectional legal frameworks that address the interconnected impacts of race, gender, sexuality, gender identity (including transgender, gender-expansive, and non-binary identities), gender expression, and culture.

¹Beneficiaries are Black LGBTQ gender-expansive individuals impacted by and navigating the criminal justice system, immigration and refugee processes, and human rights hearings.