Our trained and empathetic volunteers are available to listen to and support you.
1 (855) 909-9038 , ext. 12020
Modernization and Resilience in the Face of Challenges
In 2020 and 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic leads ATQ to shift its services to a virtual format. This digital transition makes it possible to maintain and strengthen connections with gender-diverse communities across Quebec.
More than 30 online events are offered in collaboration with LGBTQ+ organizations and various partners. ATQ’s presence on social media, particularly Facebook and Instagram, grows significantly during this period.
Fundraising efforts focus on emergency funding related to the pandemic, notably from the Fondation du Grand Montréal and the Canadian Red Cross. Support from Fondation Émergence also enables the creation of a support group for trans and non-binary people aged 50 and over.
Finally, an emergency assistance program provides support to more than 180 members of the community.
During this period, ATQ implements an online booking form on its website for one-on-one meetings with a support worker, offering a free and accessible service.
The organization also develops a diverse range of virtual programming, including improvisation, relaxation, dance, and fitness workshops, inclusive French classes, and movie nights in collaboration with Massimadi. Voice exploration workshops prove especially popular within the community.
Maintaining services during the lockdown relies largely on the sustained commitment of volunteers. At the same time, ATQ mobilizes alongside organizations and health and social services professionals to denounce the impacts of Bill 2. In this context, the organization participates in the Commission des institutions on December 3, 2021, at the National Assembly of Quebec, where it submits a brief on this bill, which it considers discriminatory.
ATQ also takes part in the annual SAVIE-LGBTQ gatherings, as well as in the work of various committees of the Conseil québécois LGBT and one of the advisory committees of the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal.
In terms of direct support, the Emergency Assistance Program enables the distribution of prepaid gift cards to meet food and pharmaceutical needs. In certain situations, ATQ also covers the cost of hormone therapy for members experiencing significant precarity.
Finally, the organization becomes a member of Gender Advocacy and strengthens its ties with AGIR, Massimadi, and Projet 10, further consolidating its network of partners.
In 2022, although government measures related to the pandemic—such as curfews, lockdowns, gathering limits, and mask mandates—are gradually lifted, ATQ’s fundraising efforts remain largely focused on securing emergency funding to ensure the continuity of its services.
Despite the relocation of GRIS-Québec’s offices, where ATQ’s satellite office in Quebec City had been housed, volunteer support workers in the region are able to maintain service delivery through the organization’s digital platforms.
Alongside its recurring funding, ATQ receives support from the Secrétariat à la condition féminine du Québec and the Fondation du Grand Montréal, contributing to the organization’s financial stability during this transitional period.
This time also marks a phase of organizational change, particularly within the board of directors and executive leadership, as the organization adapts to post-pandemic realities.
In 2023, ATQ begins a year marked by significant changes and improvements to its services, notably with the arrival of a new Executive Director in January. The organization undertakes a comprehensive overhaul of its IT and administrative infrastructure.
A major restructuring project is launched, aimed in particular at modernizing technological tools, brand identity, as well as internal procedures and policies. These transformations are made possible through support from the Government of Canada’s Community Services Recovery Fund.
The year is also marked by significant efforts to develop and diversify the organization’s sources of revenue, while continuing the professionalization of its services, building on the adaptations implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. ATQ also invests in the development of its team by offering more ongoing training and gradually improving working conditions.
In terms of activities, ATQ hosts an information and awareness booth on May 17 in Montreal’s Village, in collaboration with the Société de développement commercial du Village, and takes part in a reception organized by Égides — the International Francophone Alliance for Equality and Diversity.
ATQ continues its advocacy efforts and takes part in meetings of the Table de concertation trans du Québec, as well as in a parliamentary roundtable in Ottawa with the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, and the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth.
In terms of public engagement, ATQ is also received at Montreal City Hall for the International Transgender Day of Visibility, where it meets with MNAs Manon Massé and Jennifer Maccarone.
The organization also develops and strengthens its ties with JAG, the Société de développement commercial (SDC) du Village, Divergenres, Jeunesse Lambda, the Enchanté network, and several other community partners.
In 2024, a year marked by significant change, ATQ consolidates its foundations both financially and structurally. Within the span of a year, the organization undertakes a deep transformation, including a major technological upgrade, the modernization of its visual identity, and the launch of a new, more functional and accessible website.
Its staff team grows to as many as nine people, including an intern completing a bachelor’s degree in sexology—making it the largest team in ATQ’s history.
The organization invests in several major initiatives: the modernization and relaunch of its listening and referral line, the creation of an Employment Support Program, the development of the “Trans 101” training and awareness workshop program, as well as a significant project focused on the management and preservation of its archives. A three-year strategic plan is also adopted to strengthen the organization’s structure and guide ATQ’s future development.
Major collaborations also take place, notably with the creative agency Cossette as part of the La Manif recyclée project. The organization is also represented by its Executive Director, Victoria F. Legault, at the Nordic Cities for LGBT+ Safety practical seminar in Oslo, Norway.
A tribute is paid to Marie-Marcelle Godbout through the Montréal, ville de femmes project: her name is now included among the 73 pioneers featured on an alternative metro map celebrating women who have shaped the city.
For the first time in its history, the City of Montreal’s municipal council adopts a declaration marking the International Transgender Day of Visibility, attended by members of ATQ’s staff and board of directors.
Alongside its growth, the organization increases its media and institutional visibility, regularly being called upon to speak on issues affecting trans and non-binary people in Quebec. ATQ also meets with the Comité de sages sur l’identité de genre, tasked with making recommendations on issues related to the recognition of trans and non-binary people.
September 2024
Relocation to the organization’s current offices
Taking advantage of major renovations at the Centre communautaire LGBTQ+ on Plessis Street, the organization seizes the opportunity to relocate to larger, fully renovated offices within the Gestion Fullum Harmony community space, in order to better meet the growth of its team and the needs of its beneficiaries.
Despite a context marked by a rise in anti-trans discourse and increasing challenges to the rights of trans people across several Western societies, ATQ strengthens its foundations and continues its mission by providing essential, community-based services to trans and gender-diverse communities throughout Quebec.
From 1980 to 2025, the services established at the organization’s founding continue to exist, remaining true to a “by and for” community-based approach. This continuity reflects the organization’s resilience, as well as the enduring vision of Marie-Marcelle Godbout and all those who, over the decades, have contributed to building and evolving this pioneering organization.
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Our trained and empathetic volunteers are available to listen to and support you.
1 (855) 909-9038 , ext. 1