The Regina YWCA, a women’s organization with a mandate to eliminate racism, empower women, stand up for social justice, help families, and strengthen communities, has hired a biological male to speak on behalf of women’s issues.

Fae Johnstone, a biologically male trans-identified person formerly known as Zac Johnstone, has been offered the role of keynote speaker at the Nutrien Women of Distinction Awards to be held in Regina on May 6, 2023.

Johnstone, on the national board of the YWCA, was recently involved in a controversy when Hershey’s hired the activist as one of five women to be featured in the chocolate company’s special Women’s Day campaign, resulting in swift backlash from biological women.

.@Timcast reads the ingredients of Jeremy's Chocolate: "Fairtrade...soy free."@michaeljknowles: "So, Jeremy insists that if he is going to tell a joke, it has to be a very, very expensive joke...We insist upon the highest quality products that we can can possibly find." pic.twitter.com/DgK07VuN6e

— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) April 20, 2023

In a further slap in the face to women, one of the nominees for the YWCA Regina Women of Distinction Award for Igniting Equity is a transgender activist named Cat Haines.

A nominee for the @YWCARegina Women of Distinction Award is also a MAN. Nothing against him personally, but a man should not nominated for the Women of Distinction Award.
As @YWCARegina doesn't allow comments on this post either, it's an angry emoji. 🤬https://t.co/fTltvxLycU

— ConnieMarkie (@ConnieMarkie) April 22, 2023

YWCA ignored the previous concerns of women about Johnstone taking their opportunities when hiring Johnstone to be the plenary speaker at the organization’s upcoming awards, an insult to the 600,000-plus women and girls in Saskatchewan to have their gender colonized by a biological male from Ottawa.

Fae Johnstone, Executive Director of @Wisdom2Action delivered trans inclusion workshops for YWCA staff and YWCA board of directors. For more information on Wisdom2Actions work please visit: https://t.co/h4LPdrOTTt pic.twitter.com/dKsNoGHXtL

— YWCA Halifax (@YWCAHalifax) November 2, 2022

YWCA Regina continues to dismiss criticisms from women on social media, locking the organization’s Twitter account to prevent criticism from the public. Women who call the organization with grievances are subject to patronizing accusations of transphobia and intolerance from staff.

So vile. Transphobia has no place in feminism. Thank you for all you do.

— YWCA Canada (@YWCA_Canada) November 30, 2021

Women’s concerns deserve to be heard, especially by organizations purporting to support and represent them. To send a pre-prepared email to Adrienne Soroka, the YWCA Regina manager of events, to tell her that women and girls will not be made obsolete by our own organizations, please click here.

To sign our petition asking YWCA Regina to rescind its invitation to Fae Johnstone to speak on behalf of women and girls, please click here.