Item - 2025.CA27.1

Appointees' biographies:

Felipe del Campo

Felipe del Campo is a Senior Policy and Research Analyst at Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE), where they have led critical initiatives, including the development of Canada’s first2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan. With a Master’s in Political Science and extensive experience in public policy, they have contributed to strategic public health communications and the advancement of 2SLGBTQI+ policies.

Susan Gapka

Susan Gapka (she/her/elle) is a founding member of the Toronto Trans Coalition Project which emerged from the advocacy work of the Trans Lobby Group in Ontario Canada which she also founded. As chair, Susan helped lead the Ontario campaign to fund transition related surgeries and helped change the Vital Statistics Act so trans people's legal documents more accurately reflect their lived identity, and successfully campaigned to adopt legislation to amend the Ontario Human Rights Code and Canadian Human Rights Act. 

leZlie lee kam

leZlie lee kam is a world majority, brown, Carib, Trini, Indo, Chinese, callaloo, differently-abled, Jurassic, bionic DYKE Elder/Rainbow Senior. leZlie is a community activist, educator, connector, storyteller, knowledge-keeper, event curator, accessibility consultant and sometime actor. leZlie is a co-chair of the board of Pride Toronto, the coordinator of the Youth/Elders Program at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. leZlie is an educator training staff with the City of Toronto’s ten long-term care homes; and leZlie is a staff of the Visiting Homemaker’s Association and a member of the Toronto Senior Pride Network. leZlie advocates for RAINBOW (2SLGBTQI+) SENIORS and Indigenous, Black, queer, trans, disabled, intersex people of colour. leZlie lives her life from an anti-oppression, anti-racism, anti-colonialism, pro-Indigenous, intersectional, and intergenerational perspective. leZlie enjoys doubles, dancing, dim sum and a Trini 'lime' any time. leZlie says "my Existence is my Resistance".

Leyla Shahid

Leyla Shahid has worked for over 13 years on gender mainstreaming in policy analysis, strategic engagement and learning facilitation. She has liaised with all levels of government in Canada, and international and domestic civil society organisations on operationalising equity, diversity and inclusion. Leyla values emotional literacy and lived experiences, and centres intersectionality, systems thinking and complexity of identities in her work and personal life.

The Civic Appointments Committee recommends that:

1. City Council appoint Susan Gapka to the Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (2SLGBTQ+) Advisory Committee, at pleasure of Council, for a term of office ending on November 14, 2026, or until the mandate is completed, whichever comes first. 

2. City Council waive Section 8.6, Interviewing Candidates, of the City of Toronto Public Appointments Policy, to appoint LeZlie lee kam to the Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (2SLGBTQ+) Advisory Committee, at pleasure of Council, for a term of office ending on November 14, 2026, or until the mandate is completed, whichever comes first.

3. City Council direct that Confidential Attachments 1, 2 and 3 to the report (May 28, 2025) from the Chief People Officer remain confidential in their entirety as they relate to personal matters about identifiable individuals being considered for appointment to the Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (2SLGBTQ+) Advisory Committee.

Candidates' biographies

Susan Gapka

Susan Gapka (she/her/elle) is a founding member of the Toronto Trans Coalition Project which emerged from the advocacy work of the Trans Lobby Group in Ontario Canada which she also founded. As chair, Susan helped lead the Ontario campaign to fund transition related surgeries and helped change the Vital Statistics Act so trans people's legal documents more accurately reflect their lived identity, and successfully campaigned to adopt legislation to amend the Ontario Human Rights Code and Canadian Human Rights Act. 

leZlie lee kam

leZlie lee kam is a world majority, brown, Carib, Trini, Indo, Chinese, callaloo, differently-abled, Jurassic, bionic DYKE Elder/Rainbow Senior. leZlie is a community activist, educator, connector, storyteller, knowledge-keeper, event curator, accessibility consultant and sometime actor. leZlie is a co-chair of the board of Pride Toronto, the coordinator of the Youth/Elders Program at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. leZlie is an educator training staff with the City of Toronto’s ten long-term care homes; and leZlie is a staff of the Visiting Homemaker’s Association and a member of the Toronto Senior Pride Network. leZlie advocates for RAINBOW (2SLGBTQI+) SENIORS and Indigenous, Black, queer, trans, disabled, intersex people of colour. leZlie lives her life from an anti-oppression, anti-racism, anti-colonialism, pro-Indigenous, intersectional, and intergenerational perspective. leZlie enjoys doubles, dancing, dim sum and a Trini 'lime' any time. leZlie says "my Existence is my Resistance".

This report recommends the appointment of two individuals to the Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (2SLGBTQ+) Advisory Committee.