Sarah
Sarah is an artist in Toronto. Having grown up in a very homophobic home she talks about coming out in her forties. She found support at the 519 Community Centre and eventually started a women’s coming out group there. You can find more about Sarah’s artwork here.
Sarah’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.
Steen
Steen, a writer and performance artist, talks about marrying young, being a mother and how feminism brought her into her queer identity.
Steen’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.
Tracey
Tracey, a long time queer activist, tells us why she likes the word queer. After a number of years in the Anarchist scene, and a handful of other careers, Tracey is now the proud founder and certified natural health practitioner at Anarres Natural Health.
Tracey’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.
Anne
July 1, 2016 – In light of the recent racist and homophobic attack in Orlando and as we celebrate Pride Festivities across most of North America, I felt Anne’s message was so important for all of us. It is this type of education and eye on the big picture that will eventually educate the world.
Anne is the president of the Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) chapter in Toronto, Ontario. She shares her experience as a parent of a lesbian and becoming a good ally and an activist for the LGBTQ people in her life and family.
Anne’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.
Christine
Christine talks about how her tryst – carried on in plan sight – went entirely unnoticed. She carries this idea through to it’s use in her own historical fiction work “Beltane”, available at amazon.ca. Find out more about Christine and her book Here
Christine’s story is one in a series of videos 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.
Rupert
Rupert is an incredibly accomplished trans activist, author and psychotherapist who has been blazing Trans and LGB trails for over four decades. His prolific body of work and accomplishments speak to his dedication to the communities. Rupert has received a number of awards for his work and is recognized in the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives’ portrait collection: Here.
Rupert’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.
Sandy
Sandy talks about growing up and coming out in South Western Ontario. She began volunteering with People Living With AIDS at the beginning of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. Sandy shares her continuing insights from working in this field, about the meaning of family, and reaching her fifties.
Sandy’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.
Andrée
Andrée talks about coming out in a small town in Quebéc and eventually finding the lesbian community in Montréal. Andrée has worked for most of her life on LGBT political causes including being on the board of the Canadian AIDS Society and is still involved with LGBT issues in her current position at CSN – the Confédération Des Syndicats Nationaux (Confederation of National Trade Unions). Andrée tells her story in both French and English.
Andrée’s story is one in a series recorded at World Pride in Toronto, Ontario in 2014. Heart felt thanks goes to the sponsors of this series: MediaNet in Victoria, BC and Trinity Square Video in Toronto and The Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies, Lynch History Grant. Special thanks goes 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.