Harlan
Harlan is a member of the Saddle Lake Reserve, White Fish Lake Band of The Cree First Nation, and grew up up on his mother’s reserve, The Beaver Lake Indian Reserve. Harlan describes his experience of growing up a “sissy boy Indian” (his term) and how these fundamental characteristics have developed into the foundation of his strengths. Harlan is an avid advocate and activist for Two-Spirit people. While living in New York he founded the North East Two Spirit Society. Harlan is also the founder and managing editor of the Two spirit Website: TwoSpiritJournal.com He has served on the Presidential Advisory Committee on HIV and AIDS (Obama appointed). Currently Harlan is a PhD Candidate at UBC doing Two-Spirit research and is developing the first Two Spirit childrens book entitled: Grandma Susie Can’t Go Hunting
Harlan’s story is one of a series of stories recorded in conjunction with the Gender Ally project. In partnership with Artemis Place Alternative High School in Victoria, onmyplanet.ca has developed a series of 15 workshops on Trans, Two-Spirit and Gender non-conforming inclusion. All workshop videos are viewable online, and all workshop materials are free to download. onmyplanet.ca gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Victoria Foundation on the genderally.ca project.
Graham
Graham is a professional dancer and choreographer. He is a principal dancer in national and international works. Here he talks about growing up in a small western Canadian city, his relationship with his mom and his experiences as a gay man in the world of dance. Graham is currently the Head of Contemporary Dance at the Alberta School of Ballet.
Graham’s story is one in a series of videos recorded in conjunction with Out Saskatoon, in 2014. Heart felt thanks to the sponsors of this series: media-net.bc.ca in Victoria, BC and Out Saskatoon in Saskatoon, SK. Special thanks to Liz Senecal at Out Saskatoon.
Warren
Warren is a two spirit gay man from Iskatewi-zaaga’iganiing Nation at the Manitoba/Ontario border. He is among the last in his nation to grow up speaking the language and learning traditional ways. At the time of this video he was working with the Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy. Warren is now an independent consultant, advocate and educator around human rights issues, Two Spirt culture and Aboriginal culture. You can find Warren HERE
Warren’s story is one in a series recorded at World Pride in Toronto, Ontario in 2014. Heart felt thanks go to the sponsors of this series: Media Net in Victoria, BC, Trinity Square Video in Toronto and The Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies, Lynch History Grant. Special thanks to Milada Kovacova at Trinity.
Christian
Christian is a gay Asian man and at the time of this video was working in the HIV/AIDS sector in Toronto. He was Community Engagement Co-ordinator at Asian Community AIDS Services (ACAS) and the Ontario Positive Asians (OPA+) Coordinator. He talks about immigrating to Canada, his sexual history and substance and his work in the gay Asian communities.
Christian’s story is one in a series recorded at World Pride in Toronto, Ontario in 2014. Heart felt thanks go to the sponsors of this series: Media Net in Victoria, BC, Trinity Square Video in Toronto and The Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies, Lynch History Grant. Special thanks to Milada Kovacova at Trinity.
Meryn
Meryn talks about his process of becoming himself. A writer and performer, Meryn garnered an amount of fame in the early 90s for his spoken word single “The Sweater”. At the time, he was under some scrutiny from the LGBTQ press. Here, he talks about being queer in the 80s (not queer enough for some) and eventually changing his gender (but not his queerness). Rock on Meryn.
Meryn’s story is one in a series recorded at World Pride in Toronto, Ontario in 2014. Heart felt thanks go to the sponsors of this series: Media Net in Victoria, BC, Trinity Square Video in Toronto and The Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies, Lynch History Grant. Special thanks to Milada Kovacova at Trinity.
Jack
Jack talks about his experience as a young trans person and how that inspired his advocacy work today. at the time of the video Jack was the President of the Student’s Union at the University of Saskatchewan, he was also the Saskatchewan Rep for the Mental Health Commission of Youth Council, the Saskatchewan Rep and Vice Chair for the National Indigenous Youth Council on HIV and AIDS, and was on the Aboriginal Peoples Patient & Family Advisory Council in the Saskatoon Health Region.
Jack’s story is one in a series recorded in conjunction with Out Saskatoon, in 2014. Heart felt thanks goes to the sponsors of this series: media-net.bc.ca in Victoria, BC and www.outsaskatoon.ca in Saskatoon, SK. Special thanks to Liz Senecal at Out Saskatoon.
Andrew
Andrew talks about coming out as queer and the double whammy of being queer with a disability. He has an open and disarming way about him and has made it his goal in life to help bring the level of discomfort around disability to something more manageable for everyone. Andrew is a disability awareness consultant and a public speaker and can be reached at: www.andrewmorrisongurza.com. Visit Andrew’s website to find out more about the #deliciouslydisabled campaign.
Andrew’s story is one in a series recorded at World Pride in Toronto, Ontario in 2014. Heart felt thanks go to the sponsors of this series: Media Net in Victoria, BC, Trinity Square Video in Toronto and The Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies, Lynch History GrantSpecial thanks to Milada Kovacova at Trinity.
Wes
Wes’s Story was recorded in November of 2014 in Saskatoon SK. at the Avenue Community Centre (Now OUT Saskatoon). It was with great sadness that I learned that Wes passed away on October 10th, 2015 in Edmonton, AB. Wes was a perpetually cheerful, glass half full (especially in a Star Trek outfit) kind of guy. He consistently produced his own writing (author of four books and a book of poetry), promoted fellow Saskatchewan Writers and literature through his Shaw Cable show ‘Lit Happens‘, and taught workshops on self-publishing and promotion. Wes will be sorely missed. Wes always found the good in people and situations, and never apologized for who he was or how flaming a creature he truly was. Rock on Wes.
Wes’s story is one in a series of videos that were recorded at OUT Saskatoon, in November of 2014. Heart felt thanks goes to the sponsors of this series: media-net.bc.ca in Victoria, BC and www.outsaskatoon.ca in Saskatoon, SK. Special thanks to Liz Senecal at OUT Saskatoon.
Bradley
Originally from Australia, Bradley’s been living like a true Canadian in Winnipeg for more than 20 years. Bradley went through the ringer trying to deny his sexual orientation at first and now he delivers some great advice for those who are just coming out.
Did you miss us? onmyplanet.ca is back after a 6 month hiatus with lots more stories and more issues of Lesbian News circa 1990s! Stay tuned, we have a number of stories coming up from World Pride in Toronto last year and a handful from Saskatoon SK.
Bradley’s story is one in a series recorded at World Pride in Toronto, Ontario in 2014. Heart felt thanks go to the sponsors of this series: www.medianetvictoria.org in Victoria, BC, www.trinitysquarevideo.com in Toronto and the Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies – Lynch History Grant. Special thanks to Milada Kovacova at Trinity.
Richard
Richard’s story is Story Number 100 in the Queer Story Archive.
Who would have thought onmyplanet.ca would see Story Number 100?
But here we are. I’m so proud.
Richard is a Cree, Metis with full status. Over his life Richard has struggled with a number of issues; bigotry, racism, and the lack of recognition of Two Spirit People within his culture just to name a few. Richard talks about his response to this discrimination, and his role in a cultural knowledge transfer process, focusing on the cultural history of Two Spirit People.
Richard’s story is one in a series recorded at World Pride in Toronto, Ontario in 2014. Heart felt thanks go to the sponsors of this series: www.medianetvictoria.org in Victoria, BC, www.trinitysquarevideo.com in Toronto and the Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies – Lynch History Grant. Special thanks to Milada Kovacova at Trinity.
We keep putting together the bits of Queer her/his/hirstory and all those bits keep teaching us all a little bit more about our communities.
On this auspicious occasion, I would like to take a moment to say thank you to all of you who have shared your story – to those who have told your stories and are still waiting for them to be posted, and to those who are waiting patiently to share your stories in the future – Onmyplanet.ca is nothing without you.
Thank you also to all of you for continuing to watch the stories and for continuing to support the site through your donations and by being members of onmyplanet.ca.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank The Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies at The University of Toronto for honouring The Queer Story Archive at onmyplanet.ca with The Lynch History Grant this year. We are forever grateful and with this grant we will continue to post the stories collected in Toronto over World Pride in June of 2014.
A big thank you also goes out to our unfaltering sponsor, MediaNet in Victoria, BC, for providing equipment and support in an ongoing way since onmyplanet.ca began in 2011.
Special Thanks goes out to all the sponsors and groups that have helped us in countless ways with donations, travel expenses, accommodations, a space to record in, snacks and refreshments for the video afternoons, helping us find storytellers, by inviting us to their conferences, and by supporting and promoting the project to their local communities:
Victoria Lesbian Senior Care Society, UVic Pride, The Transgender Archive at University of Victoria, in Victoria BC, Yukon Queer Film Alliance, in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Qmunity, Vancouver, BC Trinity Square Video, in Toronto, Ontario, Paved Arts, and The Avenue Community Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Here’s to the next 100 stories!!
xo
Lulu