Click to reveal author's notes (with any spoilers!)
Finding the right clue for 13D - TWO SPIRIT - was the hardest part of preparing this puzzle, and my research - starting from my limited French-Canadian knowledge base - was definitely illuminating. I found particularly illustrative the way in which Canadian government sources frame their use of the '2SLGBTQI+' acronym (Two Spirit; Lesbian; Gay; Bisexual; Transgender; Queer; Intersex; +) as a blanket statement of inclusivity, positioning Two Spirit individuals as "the first 2SLGBTQI+ communities", while some Indigenous sources - First Nations Health Authority and the Chiefs of Ontario, particularly in their recent Trans Day of Remembrance statement - will purposefully separate the 2S from the rest of the acronym with a slash to underline the distinct nature of such identities outside and pre-dating Western views on gender and sexuality. Recognizing the sensitivity of the topic, and the way in which other Indigenous voices use the 2SLGBTQI+ acronym without a slash, I opted to use the slash in the clue.
The Centre is *for*, is in favour of, Canadian crosswords. It is a creative space where the default assumption is Canadian, from the references to the spelling.