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.
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
Mary Ann
Mary Ann started off working in the social service sector and was heavily involved in LGBTQ and women’s issues politically. She then became an executive chef in Montreal and recently has rekindled her activism through her political writing and within the labour union that she is now a part of Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN)
Mary Ann’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 and Trinity Square Video in Toronto and The Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies, Lynch History Grant. Special thanks to Milada Kovacova at Trinity.
Dick
Dick’s work with the older and aging LGBTQI communities through the 519 Centre and in conjunction with a number of other organizations and committees in Toronto has helped countless people age with dignity and pride. Dick tells the story of the development of the Senior Pride Network and the Opening the Closet on Aging Conference. He was a founding member of the SPN and in 2008 Dick was part of the group that authored the LGBT Toolkit with the City of Toronto’s Long Term Care Committee.
Dick’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 and Trinity Square Video in Toronto and The Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies, Lynch History Grant. Special thanks to Milada Kovacova at Trinity.
Francisco
Francisco, an artist and activist, talks about how his gravitation towards the arts made for a relatively easy coming out process. Francisco has been involved in many LGBTQI initiatives in Toronto, he was a founding member of the Inside/Out Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, is a founding member of Nuit Rose, is on the advisory committee for Nuit Blanche and is currently on the board of Toronto Pride, organizers of World Pride 2014.
Francisco’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 and Trinity Square Video in Toronto and The Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies, Lynch History Grant. Special thanks to Milada Kovacova at Trinity.