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.
Anna
Anna talks about coming out in the 80s, Feminism, baseball, non-monogamy, butch/femme, and her lifetime of being an activist and an educator, all inherent in being a butch dyke.
Anna’s story is the 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.bc.ca in Victoria, BC and www.trinitysquarevideo.com in Toronto and The Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies, Lynch History Grant. Special thanks to Milada Kovacova at Trinity.
Martine
Martine is a union activist and a trans activist. Martine has been on the National Pink Triangle Committee at CUPE for the last ten years. Her human rights case brought back public funding for Gender Reassignment Surgery in Ontario. The group she helped form; The Trans Health Lobby Group successfully lobbied for trans people’s right to change the gender on official identification documents without surgery. CUPE supported Martine in a number of ways throughout her human rights case (7 years). Martine and the Trans Lobby Group are now lobbying for Bill C279 for gender identity to be included in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Rock on Martine.
Martine’s story is one of a series of stories collected at the Moving Trans* History Forward Conference, put on by the Transgender Archives at the University of Victoria in March of 2014. The MTHF conference provided onmyplanet.ca with a space to record stories on site during the conferences of 2014, 2016 and 2018.
Joyce
Joyce talks about her experience living on women’s land in southern Manitoba and reflects on women’s community.
Joyce’s story is one of a series from the Victoria Lesbian Senior Care Society (VLSCS) Coffee Talk group, shot with the generous sponsorship of VLSCS and an anonymous donor. The purpose of the VLSCS is to support lesbian health and social needs as we age by providing safe, accessible, welcoming spaces to build community through public education and social action. www.VLSCS.ca
Krin
Krin reveals her life long career in feminist lesbian work – as a counselor in education and later in social services, she has pioneered a number of milestones for the LGBTQI movements. Krin along with her partner of 35 years, was among the first wave of lesbian mothers in the 80s. She was also one of the first to begin to educate police officers in the Toronto area on LGBTQI issues. Thank you Krin for all your contributions and advancements.
This video is the first in a series recorded at World Pride in Toronto in 2014. Heart felt thanks go to the sponsors of this series: Media Net in Victoria and Trinity Square Video in Toronto and The Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies, Lynch History Grant. Special thanks to Milada Kovacova at Trinity.
Jude
Jude is a pioneer. He talks about transitioning in the early 70s, the community at the time and the growth of trans activism. Jude has been an educator, advocate, activist and researcher for years and works as a therapist and a psychiatric physician assistant within the LGBTQI communities with a specialty in Trans issues.
Please take a moment to watch Jude’s story.
Jude’s story is one of a series of stories collected at the Moving Trans* History Forward Conference, put on by the Transgender Archives at the University of Victoria in March of 2014. The MTHF conference provided onmyplanet.ca with a space to record stories on site during the conferences of 2014, 2016 and 2018.
Joy
Joy talks about the tradition of lesbian American exiles and her experience as an American citizen, trying to find a better fit for herself on the planet.Joy’s expatriation was made easier by; The Lesbian Connection and The BOLD Festival
Joy’s story is one of a series from the Victoria Lesbian Senior Care Society (VLSCS) Coffee Talk group, shot with the generous sponsorship of VLSCS and an anonymous donor. The purpose of the VLSCS is to support lesbian health and social needs as we age by providing safe, accessible, welcoming spaces to build community through public education and social action. www.VLSCS.ca