Rachel Loewen Walker is an adjunct professor, in Political Studies at the University of Saskatchewan and the managing director of Alchemy Group Consulting. Prior to this she was the Ariel F. Sallows Chair in Human Rights with the College of Law (2020-22) and the Executive Director of OUTSaskatoon (2013-2020), a 2SLGBTQ community centre. While at OUTSaskatoon she started Pride Home, a long-term, 2SLGBTQ+ group home and worked with 2SLGBTQ+ leaders across Canada to develop The Enchanté Network, a national organization that aims to build the capacity and reach of Two Spirit and LGBTQ Centres country-wide.

Rachel is the director of the SSHRC-funded Social Innovation Lab on Gender and Sexuality, an interdisciplinary, community-led knowledge mobilization hub, that works with students, community organizations, and researchers to action projects for community partners. 

BOOKS

Loewen Walker, R. (2022). Queer and Deleuzian Temporalities: Stories from a Living Present. Bloomsbury: London.

(Forthcoming, projected 2025). Weinstein, Jami, Loewen Walker, Rachel, Elmore, Rick, Cisney, Vernon (eds). Theory at the End of the World Thinking with Claire Colebrook. Cambridge University Press.

BOOK CHAPTERS

(Forthcoming). Loewen Walker, Rachel. “What is Philosophy for if not to save the World?: Colebrook, Politics, and the Parental Rights Movement,” Weinstein, Jami, Loewen Walker, Rachel, Elmore, Rick, Cisney, Vernon (eds). Theory at the End of the World Thinking with Claire Colebrook. Cambridge University Press. 133-147.

(Forthcoming). Weinstein, Jami, Loewen Walker, Rachel, Elmore, Rick, Cisney, Vernon. “Introduction” in Loewen Walker, Rachel. Weinstein, Jami, Loewen Walker, Rachel, Elmore, Rick, Cisney, Vernon (eds). Theory at the End of the World Thinking with Claire Colebrook. Cambridge University Press. Iii-xviii.

(Forthcoming). Loewen Walker, Rachel and Stoliker, Bryce. Is Human Rights Policy Enough? Examining Bill C-16’s Impact on Trans People in Custody and the Continued Toll of Failing to Uphold Policy Changes. In James Gacek and Richard Jochelson (eds.). Rainbow Captives: 2SLGBTQ+ Experiences Within and Beyond Prison. Vancouver: UBC Press.

Tait, C., Henry, B., Loewen Walker, R. (2018). Child Welfare: A Social Determinant of Health For Canadian First Nations and Métis Children? In R. Henry, A. LaVallee, N. Van Styvendale, & R.A. Innes (Eds.), Global Indigenous Health: Reconciling the Past, Engaging the Present, Animating the Future, (pp. 151-173). Tuscon: University of Arizona Press.

Loewen Walker, R., Peers, D., Eales, L. (2016). New Constellations: Lived Diffractions of Dis/ability and Dance. In Bios: Feminist Philosophies of Life. Montreal: McGill-Queens Press.

Loewen Walker, R. (2010). Politically queer: Ellen Degeneres and the changing face of American television 1997-2007. In J. Elledge (Ed.), Queers in American Popular Culture, vol 1 (pp. 1-24). Santa Barbara: Praeger.

JOURNAL ARTICLES

(2024). Loewen Walker, Rachel, Bergen, Jake, Fayant-Mcleod, Tiberius, and Marshall, Kerry. Choosing to Stay: Building a Future for Gender-Diverse People in Saskatchewan through Stories of Hope and Belonging. Gender & Society, 38(3), 351-378. https://doi.org/10.1177/08912432241252613.

(2024). Gwun, D., Snow, B., Potter, E. Loewen Walker, R., Millman, Alexandra, Krakowsky, Y.,Lorello, G., Du Mont, J., Barker, Lucy., Lezard, P., Sivagurunthan, M., Urbach, David, and Armstrong, Kathleen. The landscape of Medicare policies for gender-affirming surgeries in Canada: an environmental scan. BMC Health Serv Res 24, 916. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-11361-w4.

(2024). Loewen Walker, Rachel, and McLean, Isabelle. ‘“Teaching to Transgress”: Bringing Community-Led Learning to the Law Classroom.’ Canadian Legal Education Annual Review 11.

(2024). Loewen Walker, Rachel. Call it Misogyny. Feminist Theory. 25(1), 64-82. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/14647001221119995

(2023). Loewen Walker, Rachel. 2SLGBTQ+ Issues. In: Sellers, M., Kirste, S. (eds) Encyclopedia of the Philosophy of Law and Social Philosophy. Springer, Dordrecht.

(2023). Marshall, Kerry, Martin, Wanda,  Loewen Walker, Rachel, and Helen Vandenberg. “Exploring the Impacts of Heteronormative and Cisnormative Ideologies on Fertility Intentions and Family Planning Experiences Within the 2SLGBTQ Community: A Qualitative Case Study.” Journal of Holistic Nursing. Early online publication.

(2022). Loewen Walker Rachel, & Hartman Andrew. Avoiding Risk, Protecting the “Vulnerable”: A Story of Performative Ethics and Community Research Relationships. Engaged Scholar Journal: Community-Engaged Research, Teaching, and Learning, 8(2), 28-45. https://doi.org/10.15402/esj.v8i2.70776

(2022). Dykhuizen, Melissa, Marshal, Kerry, Loewen Walker, Rachel, & Saddleback, Jack. Holistic Health of Two Spirit People in Canada: A Call for Nursing Action. Journal of Holistic Nursing 40 (4): 383-396.

(2020). Niemanis, Astrida, and Loewen Walker, Rachel. (Translation into Turkish) Kultur ve Siyasette Feminist Yaklasimlar. ‘“Weathering”: Climate Change and the “Thick Time” of Transcorporeality.’ Feminist Approaches in Culture and Politics. [Turkish Translation]

(2014). Zoe Avner, William Bridel, Lindsay Eales, Nicole Glenn, Rachel Loewen Walker, and Danielle Peers. “Moved to Messiness: Physical Activity, Feelings, and Transdisciplinarity.” Emotion, Space and Society 12, 55-62.

(2014). Loewen Walker, Rachel. The Living Present as a Materialist Feminist Temporality. Women: A Cultural Review 25 (1), 46-61.

(2014). Neimanis, Astrida, and Loewen Walker, Rachel. “Weathering: Climate Change and the ‘Thick Time’ of Transcorporeality.” Hypatia 29 (3), 558-575.

(2014). Loewen Walker, Rachel. “A fair country?: A feminist and postcolonial reading of Canada’s colonial encounter.” Canadian Journal of Native Studies 34 (1), 117-131.

(2013). Tait, Caroline, Henry, Bobby, and Loewen Walker, Rachel. “Child Welfare: A Social Determinant of Health For Canadian First Nations and Métis Children?” Pimatisiwin, 11 (1), 45-60.

(2013). Loewen Walker, Rachel. Environment imagining otherwise. Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy, vol 10 (1), 34-37.

(2011). Loewen Walker, Rachel. “Toward a FIERCE nomadology: Contesting queer geographies on the Christopher Street Pier.” PhaenEx, 6 (1).

(2008). Loewen Walker, Rachel. “Becoming queer: Performance art and constructions of identity.” Gnosis, 9 (3), 1-25. http://alcor.concordia.ca/~gnosis/vol_ix_3/articles.html

(2004). Loewen Walker, Rachel. “‘Queer’ing identity/ies: Agency and subversion in Canadian education.” The Canadian Online Journal of Queer Studies in Education, 1(1). http://jqstudies.oise.utoronto.ca/journal/viewarticle.php?id=6&layout=html

SELECT COMMUNITY REPORTS 

(2024). Loewen Walker, Rachel, Rose, Gwen, Rochon, Charlotte, Benson, Sheri, Steinback, Natasha, Malyk, John, Tahery, Farkhonda, Tasnim, Nishat, & Adesenya, Temitayo. Building Tomorrow: Transforming Nonprofit Governance. Saskatoon, SK; The Social Innovation Lab.

(2024). Loewen Walker, Rachel, and Temitayo Adesanya. “Democracy’s Sledgehammer: The Use of the Notwithstanding Clause for Saskatchewan’s Bill 137, ‘The Parent’s Bill of Rights.’” Johnson Shoyama Policy Brief. 1-6.  https://www.schoolofpublicpolicy.sk.ca/documents/research/policy-briefs/jsgs-policybriefs-bill-137.pdf

(2024). Loewen Walker, Rachel. Review of Queer Professionals and Settler Colonialism: Engaging Decolonial Thought within Organizations, by Cameron Greenspan. Canadian Journal of Native Studies, vol 1-2 (211-214).

(2024). Hartman, Andrew, and Loewen Walker, Rachel. Mapping Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ Movement: Growth, Capacity, and Futures. The Social Innovation Lab, The Enchanté Network, & Psystem.

(2023). Loewen Walker, Rachel, Sereda-McShane, Claire, and Loadman, Cheryl. Queer Seniors of Saskatchewan: A Needs Assessment and Community Report. Queer Seniors of Saskatchewan and the Social Innovation Lab.

(2022). Fayant-McLeod, Tiberius., Bergen, Jake, Loewen Walker, Rachel, and Bird, Naomi. 'So they know we’re here': The Trans Sask Community Report. Trans Sask Support Services.

(2021). Loewen Walker, Rachel, MacLean, Isabelle, LeBlanc, Kathryn. Driving Transformational Change: Recommendations for Funders in Supporting 2SLGBTQ Community Organizations. The Enchanté Network and the Social Innovation Lab on Gender and Sexuality.

(2019). Loewen Walker, R. OUTSaskatoon’s Recommendations to the Standing Committee on Health: LGBTQ2 Health in Canada. Presented to the Federal Government of Canada. Ottawa, ON

(2015). Loewen Walker, Rachel, and Chelle Matthews. Policy Recommendation: Changing Saskatchewan’s Vital Statistics Act in order to Reduce the Discrimination of Transgender Persons. OUTSaskatoon. Saskatoon, SK

(2013). Loewen Walker, Rachel, and Chelle Matthews. Policy Recommendation: Toward the Inclusion of Gender Identity and Expression as Protected Grounds in the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code. The Avenue Community Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity. Saskatoon, SK

Trans Rights are Human Rights
Saskatchewan Law Foundation Legacy Grant (2023-2026)

Social Innovation Lab on Gender and Sexuality
SSHRC Partnership Development Grant (2021-2025)

The Social Innovation Lab on Gender and Sexuality (SIL) is made up of students, community partners, and scholars in gender and sexualities studies, community-based participatory research (CBPR), human rights law, and social justice. SIL is a community-university “laboratory” that brings communities and individuals together to collaborate on intersectional projects. The academic team members take responsibility for training and supervision, while community organizations lead and determine the scope, timelines, and goals of the projects.

SIL amplifies the resiliencies of gender and sexually diverse communities, including their tremendous creativity and capacity for innovation. SIL’s inter-sectoral approach helps to explore social, cultural, legal, and political environments, supporting outcomes such as policy development around trans rights, supporting increased legal protections for 2SLGBTQ+ people in prisons, and advocating for access to comprehensive healthcare for gender affirming surgeries, among many other projects.

Queering Leadership, Indigenizing Governance
SSHRC Partnership Development Grant (2022-2027)

PhD, Philosophy, 2019 (University of Alberta): The Matter of Time: Stories from a Living Present

MA, Philosophy, 2009 (University of Saskatchewan): Becoming Queer: From Rhetoric to Rhizomes and Toward and Ethics of Accountability

BA, Dbl Honours in WGST and Philosophy, 2008 (University of Saskatchewan)