More than half of trans, non-binary and gender-diverse workers in the Canadian screen sector have had adverse experiences related to their gender identity on set, according to a new report from the Spindle Films Foundation.

In a survey polling gender-diverse members of the Canadian film industry, 53% of respondents said they experienced adverse incidents related to their gender identity the last time they were on set. More than half of that group said negative incidents occurred daily.

“Spindle Films Foundation is gravely concerned that the safety, support and celebration of trans and non-binary humans in the Canadian film industry are more at risk now than they were even a year ago,” said Javelin Laurence, Spindle Films Foundation’s director of research, education and accessibility in the report. “We are here, we are queer, and we are committed to the belief that every person deserves the opportunity to thrive.”

Examples of adverse incidents mentioned in the report include having to educate employers on sensitive topics and the misuse of pronouns.

According to the report, 63% of gender-diverse respondents said they delayed revealing or concealed their gender identity while working in the industry, while 42% of respondents reported that they felt they lost a job opportunity due to their gender identity.

“That means the fear of harm in our industry is preventing filmmakers from discovering and living their authentic identities,” said Laurence. “This includes limiting the expression of their gender, accepting incorrect pronouns despite the distress it causes, masking their gender variance, and even delaying accessing medical care.”

Despite the occurrences of adverse incidents, 82% of respondents said they had a supportive experience while on set. The top reported positive events included having an advocate in a position of power (34%), having a sense of community with other gender diverse cast and crew (29%) and having their pronouns respected on set (29%).

Recommendations in the report include having competitive, quality health insurance that covers gender-affirming care; gender equity in hiring; having all cast and crew members offer their pronouns and having pronouns listed on call sheets; and having all production members go through basic gender diversity education to avoid potential harms such as misgendering.

Other recommendations include revamping the way paperwork systems function to avoid using legal names to avoid deadnaming an employee; having at least one gender-neutral bathroom available or marking bathrooms by either having urinals or solely stalls and not by gender identity; and having policy in place to determine what production should do whenever harm is done to a gender-diverse individual.

The Spindle Films Foundation is a non-profit that supports transgender, non-binary, two-spirit and gender-diverse Canadians in the film industry. Laurence developed the survey along with input from the foundation’s founding members and with support from the Calgary non-profit Skipping Stone.

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