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About LANTRN

A national coalition built on the belief that every trans person in Canada deserves access to affirming, knowledgeable legal support.

What is LANTRN?

LANTRN — the Legal Advocacy Network: Trans Rights & Navigation — is a national coalition connecting trans and gender diverse people with affirming legal professionals and allied support workers across Canada. We believe that navigating the legal system should never be an additional burden on top of the barriers trans people already face.

Our provider directory spans lawyers, paralegals, legal navigators, social workers, community advocates, and duty counsel from coast to coast to coast. Every listed provider has affirmed their commitment to trans-inclusive, non-pathologizing practice.

LANTRN was created by Dr. Pedrom Nasiri, MStJ (they/them) and Tiffany Sostar (they/them), building on the foundational work of the Prairies Trans Wellness Initiative.

Our affirmations

Every provider listed in the LANTRN directory has affirmed the following:

  1. I affirm that there is nothing wrong with being trans, non-binary, or gender expansive and recognize gender diversity as a valid and natural part of human experience. I am committed to providing legal services that are inclusive, respectful, and affirming of transgender and gender-expansive individuals and families.
  2. I acknowledge that transgender and gender expansive people, including parents, youth, partners, and families, have unique and individual legal needs. I am committed to not making assumptions about a person's identity, relationships, family structure, or goals. I approach each matter with dignity, respect, and client autonomy.
  3. I believe that transgender and gender expansive people have the right to bodily autonomy, safety, family recognition, healthcare access, and equal protection under the law. I recognize the importance of ensuring meaningful access to justice for these communities.
  4. I am committed to ongoing learning regarding the legal, social, and systemic issues affecting trans and gender expansive communities in Canada, including developments in constitutional, family, human rights, healthcare, education, and administrative law.
  5. I recognize that legal systems have historically contributed to the marginalization of transgender and gender expansive people and families. I am committed to practising in ways that challenge discrimination, reduce barriers to justice, and support substantive equality.
  6. Where possible and within the scope of my capacity and professional obligations, I am willing to be contacted regarding opportunities for pro bono, sliding scale, advocacy, or emergency legal support related to the rights and wellbeing of transgender and gender-expansive individuals and families.

The team

they/them

Tiffany Sostar

Co-Founder · Groundfire Counselling & Community Work

A narrative therapist, community worker, and PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne, Tiffany lives as an uninvited guest on Treaty 7 land. They love collective narrative practice and documentation, and are interested in the ways it intersects with legacies of queer and feminist zine culture. In response to escalating hostility toward trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming communities, Tiffany is undertaking a series of community work projects aimed at creating a body of narrative responses in support of trans lives.

they/them

Dr. Pedrom Nasiri

Co-Founder · Centre for Family Justice Research, Calgary

Dr. Nasiri is Founder and Director of the Centre for Family Justice Research, an independent Canadian institution based in Calgary, Alberta. Their scholarly work sits at the intersection of sociolegal studies and family justice policy. Their research focuses on 2SLGBTQ+ and polyamorous families, conversion therapy legislation, and the legal frameworks that shape how diverse families are recognised — and overlooked — in Canadian law. Their practice is collaborative at its core, treating communities as partners and prioritising the lived experiences of those most affected by legal barriers.

Coalition partners

Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC)
Centre for Family Justice Research
Groundfire