Kathryn Foss (she/her) is a transgender woman who is the parent of two wonderful children, a military veteran, and an advocate for diversity and inclusion. Growing up in a small town and then serving in the military, Kathryn spent a significant portion of her life conforming to expectations and uniformity; however, she found her voice after transitioning to becoming an educator and advocating, sharing her story and perspective on bias and privilege.
While serving in the military, Kathryn held a leadership role in the Defence Women’s Advisory Organization, established the Positive Space Program, and founded the Defence Team Pride Advisory Organization. She used her experiences and position to assist in the development of updated transgender policies, as well as the updating of many other personnel policies to be more inclusive to all members.
Kathryn was awarded the 2018 Liz Hoffman Memorial Commendation by the Canadian Armed Forces Ombudsman for her work supporting women and transgender military members, as well as for her efforts establishing a department-wide Positive Space peer-support program. In 2020, Kathryn was also named a Gender Equality Trailblazer by Women and Gender Equality Canada, and mentioned by name by the Prime Minister on International Women’s Day.
Kathryn is currently a board member with Rainbow Veterans of Canada, serves as a member-at-large on the Canadian Pride Historical Society, as well as being a member of the advisory committee on the LGBT Purge at the Canadian Museum of Human Rights.
