Two people sit on a table in front of a wall with a rainbow on it and a screen that says
Jocelyn Deng (left), the administrative coordinator of the Gender and Sexuality Resource Centre, says she contacted Genie Gokhman (right), because of her experience with gender-affirming voice therapy. [Photo by Zayn Daureeawoo/the Charlatan]

Carleton’s Gender and Sexuality Resource Centre held its inaugural workshop on Tuesday to teach students how to manipulate their voices to better express themselves.

The workshop discussed qualities that shape a voice’s sound and how they can safely be manipulated for gender affirmation and authentic self-expression.

A speech language pathologist led the event, guiding about a dozen participants through various techniques and directing them to online resources for further practice.

The centre’s administrative coordinator, Jocelyn Deng, said she was inspired by social media posts about voice techniques. The voice workshop, she said, would allow students to explore “something a lot of people don’t think about” by directly seeking expert advice.

Deng said she hopes the workshop highlighted gender affirmation techniques beyond medical means, which not everyone can access.

“I hope students feel empowered to express themselves the way they want to, and feel like they can let their peers know some tips.”

Deng added that the workshop provided knowledge that would help the Gender and Sexuality Resource Centre better accommodate gender diverse students.

Genie Gokhman, a speech therapist specializing in gender-affirming voice therapy, facilitated the event.

“Having (the workshop) in the university itself makes it more accessible,” she said. “It shows (students) that their needs are important, they’re being seen.”

The workshop covered the physiology of the voice, including the role of hormones, and vocal habits like posture and breathing. Gokhman discussed vocal safety, including ways to safely manipulate the voice when wearing a binder, a gender-affirming garment used to compress the chest.

Gokhman told students about options for gender-affirming voice training, exploring the pros and cons of consulting speech-language pathologists and vocal coaches.

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Chelli Kraemer says she attended the event because she finds voice training “interesting to learn about.” She appreciates learning about the range of her voice and how to make it her own. [Photo by Zayn Daureeawoo/the Charlatan]
“Stuff online can be extremely overwhelming — there’s so much out there,” said Chelli Kraemer, a third-year earth science student. “(The workshop) really helped to figure out what’s going on.”

Kraemer said she hopes the Gender and Sexuality Resource Centre holds similar events in the future. She wasn’t alone — during the event, other participants requested more sessions, which Gokhman said she would be up to lead.

Deng added the centre plans to do more events related to gender affirmation..

“It’s less about having a more feminine or more masculine voice,” Gokhman said, “and more about finding your voice.”

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Featured image by Zayn Daureeawoo/the Charlatan.

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