McMaster organizations and 2SLGBTQIA+ support groups offer services to process anti-trans hate group gatherings across the country
A nationwide rally was held in many major Canadian cities protesting the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity education in public schools and featuring other anti-2SLGBTQIA+ sentiments. Protesters gathered on Sept. 20, outside the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board headquarters.
The protests and school walkouts were organized by 1 Million March 4 Children — a hate group that aims to eliminate pronouns, gender ideology and mixed bathrooms from schools to protect their children.
Counter protests were organized in support of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and 1 Million March 4 Children protesters were met face to face with opposition.
The march may be over, however the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, including those at McMaster University, continue to face the repercussions of the country-wide event.
Kuhu Trivedi, research coordinator at the Queer and Trans Colour Club, explained that the repercussions of this protest have resulted in a more guarded and apprehensive environment within their service.
“We're a lot more cautious and we are definitely looking at that aspect of things more because we, I guess it was just an unwelcome reminder that people aren't as accepting as we would like to believe,” said Trivedi.
Statements were released by several McMaster University services and organizations, including the Pride Community Centre.
“Queer, trans and questioning students: you are worthy and loved. You deserve to be surrounded by individuals who celebrate and embrace you for exactly who you are,” stated an excerpt from the PCC’s Instagram statement from Sept. 19, 2023.
Queer, trans and questioning students: you are worthy and loved. You deserve to be surrounded by individuals who celebrate and embrace you for exactly who you are.
Pride Community Centre, McMaster Student Union
The PCC declined when asked for further comment for this article.
Trivedi explained that the protest group’s misleading branding around protecting children and maintaining patriotic values in schools is used as a mask for homophobia and transphobia.
“I think you have to look behind the words and you have to see what the implications of what they're saying really are and look at why they're saying the things that they are because education is the first step to acceptance and tolerance, and if they want to take that away, then I don't know what's left,” said Trivedi.
McMaster groups such as the QTCC and PCC recognize that members of the McMaster 2SLGBTQIA+ community that may be feeling scared or disheartened in light of the recent protests and encourage students to access their services for support.
Local Hamilton 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations such as speqtrum held a support group for trans and gender diverse individuals to process and recuperate from the rally.
Additionally, the Canadian Anti-Hate Network posted a guide for debriefing and practicing self-care post-protest.
Trivedi shared her thoughts and sentiments for the McMaster 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
“While it's really sad to be reminded that there's still people like that around and enough people like that around to organize such a widespread rally, but there's still a lot of people in your corner and there's still a lot of people who are fighting to keep things safe and accept people for who they are.” said Trivedi.
While it's really sad to be reminded that there's still people like that around and enough people like that around to organize such a widespread rally, but there's still a lot of people in your corner and there's still a lot of people who are fighting to keep things safe and accept people for who they are.
Kuhu Trivedi, Queer and Trans Colour Club research coordinator
For information on support services for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community at McMaster, visit the PCC and QTCC.
C/O Yoohyun Park
PCC’s book club provides opportunity for dialogue about 2SLGBTQIA+ literature
On Oct. 29, McMaster Student Union’s Pride Community Centre held their first Pride Book Club meeting of the year. The introductory meeting allowed members to meet each other and discuss possible queer and trans book options for the book club, as well as the importance of representation in media to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
Although the first book club meeting was held on a Friday, the PCC will be announcing a different meeting date and time after determining what schedule works best for all book club members.
According to club facilitators Shruthi Krishna and Matt Aksamit, the Pride Book Club is a space for students to access and discuss 2SLGBTQIA+ literature. Both Aksamit and Krishna noted the significance of having a space for 2SLGBTQIA+ literature available to students.
Aksamit highlighted the importance of having a safe space when discussing 2SLGBTQIA+ experiences and Krishna emphasized that shared experiences among 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals make the book club experience even more unique.
“It's always really nice to have a space where everyone who is talking about the books relates on some level,” said Krishna.
“It's always really nice to have a space where everyone who is talking about the books relates on some level.”
Shruthi Krishna, PCC Social and Political advocacy Coordinator
Outside of a sense of comfort and shared experiences, Krishna and Aksamit also highlighted the role of the Pride Book Club in 2SLGBTQIA+ education.
“It provides a sense of learning more about the community, which is something that we're always striving to do and it’s a continuous process. I think books always allow you to empathize deeply and to learn more about other people and other struggles, which I think is really interesting,” said Aksamit.
“It provides a sense of learning more about the community, which is something that we're always striving to do and it’s a continuous process. I think books always allow you to empathize deeply and to learn more about other people and other struggles, which I think is really interesting.”
Matt Aksamit, PCC Assistant director
Aksamit noted that this can help members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to understand their common and differing experiences.
Krishna added that 2SLGBTQIA+ literature can also provide insight into how intersectional identities impact experiences within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
Aksamit also discussed the role of escapism in fiction, specifically noting that this sense of escapism is often especially important to members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
“I think that we live in a world that can be very exhausting to exist in just being queer and trans inherently. So I think that [the project] allows people to escape their reality for a second and just join in on a space where they can have fun engaging [in] discussion with other queer and trans folks,” said Aksamit.
“I think that we live in a world that can be very exhausting to exist in just being queer and trans inherently. So I think that [the project] allows people to escape their reality for a second and just join in on a space where they can have fun engaging [in] discussion with other queer and trans folks.”
Matt Aksamit, PCC Assistant director
Krishna and Aksamit have many titles lined up for the coming weeks. Krishna specifically noted that they would likely read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Detransition, Baby. Aksamit also expressed excitement about another upcoming title, The House on the Cerulean Sea.
“[The House on the Cerulean Sea] really is escapism to the max. It's a queer story, but it's so heartwarming. And it's really nice to have a nice, warm and heartwarming story. It's really good,” said Aksamit.
Students are not required to have their own copy of the books that they will be reading. The PCC will be providing students with digital copies of the chosen books. After compiling a list of possible books, books are chosen based on votes from members of the book club.
Queer and trans representation is often lacking in media. The PCC is a service that provides McMaster University students with a safe space to engage in dialogue regarding 2SLGBTQIA+ issues. With the Pride Book Club, students have the opportunity to find representation in queer and trans books while sharing their thoughts with a supportive community.
Check out these eight Canadian leaders, educators and groups for sex, gender and health advice
From providing advice on your sex life to facilitating safe and honest conversations around sexuality and gender, these eight Canadian leaders, educators and groups are here to inform, entertain and guide you through your journey.
Mela Swayze
An educator, consultant, facilitator, coach and speaker, Mela Swayze does it all. Swayze provides training and workshops on 2SLGBTQIA+ workplace equity and building trauma-informed, trans-affirming spaces. They also provide coaching on sex, gender and relationships.
They are an influential and highly respected leader in promoting queer and trans inclusion practice. Keep up to date with new programming and services from Swayze on their Instagram.
Yaz the Human
Yaz Harris, also known as Yaz the Human, is a yoga teacher and writer. They teach many different styles of yoga including Yin, Vinyasa and Hatha as well as meditation. Harris also writes about their honest experiences with sex, self-intimacy and kinks. Their feed is full of their raw self, with posts discussing body image, self-pleasures and fun dildo reviews.
Jenna Tenn-Yuk
Queer, Christian and Chinese Jamaican writer Jenna Tenn-Yuk did not have any role models growing up who shared her intersectional experiences. Today, through her various roles as a writer, facilitator, performer and speaker, she hopes to share unique stories and empower individuals to embrace their identities. She speaks on various topics such as 2SLGBTQIA+ issues, Christianity, diversity, equity and inclusion.
Dev
Dev is a queer, transmasculine, nonbinary coach in trauma-informed guided meditation and a pleasure advocate. They offer guided meditation and intuitive readings (such as tarot card and astrology chart readings) for healing and energy cleansing. The services are held and booked through their website, Retrogradient space.
If you check out their Instagram page, you will find posts carrying messages of self-advocacy, reflection and community that serve as a reminder to always practice self-love.
Kama La Mackerel
Kama La Mackerel is a multi-disciplinary artist, educator, writer and literary translator. They have worked in many different curational and community-based projects such as Gender B(l)ender, The Self-Love Cabaret and Our Bodies, Our Stories. They run an Instagram account that provides insight into their captivating, multi-faceted work.
Rae McDaniel
Rae McDaniel is a licensed clinical professional counsellor, certified sex therapist, coach, educator and public speaker. They are the founder of Practical Audacity, a gender and sex therapy practice run by queer-identified or allied, trauma-informed therapists.
McDaniel also runs GenderFck, an online coaching community aimed at helping trans, non-binary or questioning folks with transition and their experiences with gender, sexual identity and/or relationships.
Check out their Instagram page for more about their upcoming workshops and services, and get inspired by their educational and motivational posts on gender journey, mental health and transitioning.
Eva Bloom
Eva Bloom is a McMaster alumna, online sex educator and YouTuber. On Bloom’s channel, What’s My Body Doing, she discusses anti-oppressive, sex-positive and evidence-based videos. Some of her most viewed videos are on improving your sex life, masturbation and handling a pregnancy scare.
She is available to answer all of your, questions on sex and queerness and makes it easy to open up conversations on topics such as queer virginity, self-intimacy and sexting.
Speqtrum Hamilton
Based in Hamilton, Speqtrum is a youth-founded and youth-focused community for 2SLGBTQIA+ folks aged 17-29 in Hamilton. The group offers a variety of programs, one-on-one supports and community-building opportunities to promote the growth and development of queer and trans youth.
It also offers special services for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth who are new to Canada to help them develop a network and community. You can get updates about upcoming events, peer support services and opportunities through their Instagram.
Artist: Edwin Thomas, @edwinthomas__
Title: his last valentine
Medium: single-line digital drawing with watercolour
Description: A first glance, the drawing appears to portray a man giving his girlfriend flowers. However, the details show both individuals with tears leaving their eyes, trying to keep themselves composed in front of each other. It depicts a failed attempt at saving a relationship by making an effort for Valentine's Day. While the flowers appear to be a nice gesture, both individuals know that their relationship is not going to last for much longer. In a way, the flowers are an apology to his girlfriend for his lack of effort in the relationship.
Artist: Jenna Iacobucci, @jennaiacobucci
Title: Pose me (1-5)
Medium: Ink illustration
Description: As with many, growing up with a conservative mindset brings a lot to overcome. But why should we be so scared to appease others? Each person offers a different experience, different backstory, different perspective, different strengths and different struggles — and it's wonderful. If only everyone could appreciate the beautiful composition of shapes they are.
Artist: Jenna Iacobucci, @jennaiacobucci
Title: Comfort (1-2)
Medium: Photography
Description: Do what you need to do to make yourself feel confident. From personal experience — turtle necks, baggy sweaters, long pants and censorship has only brought me delayed anxiety and stress in relations. I truly push for everyone to understand themselves. Don't hide.
Artist: Steffi Arkilander, @peachlily.png
Title: love is domesticity
Medium: Digital
Description: 2SLGBTQIA+ love is often fetishized and over-sexualized. However, 2SLGBTQIA+ love is so much more than how it’s stereotyped — it can be soft, gentle, kind. In this piece, I wanted to highlight the importance of soft, domestic 2SLGBTQIA+ love. I took inspiration from watching and reading about 2SLGTBQIA+ in media and also from my own life experiences to come up with this piece. “love is domesticity” highlights a queer couple watching television together and cuddling during a night in.
Artist: Emelia Da Silva, @emeliainbloom
Medium: Photography
To commemorate what would have been the Pride festival this weekend, the Silhouette has put together our very first Pride special issue. We have a lot of really great pieces about a variety of different topics touching the 2SLGBTQIA+ community such as being comfortable with in your own skin, supporting Black Lives Matter, navigating the virtual realm of Pride and interviews with Hamilton’s own Kamilla Flores Kameleon and “Canada’s Drag Race” contestant, Priyanka!
This issue came together rather quickly on a tight schedule, so thank you to everyone who lent a helping hand. Although we don’t typically publish special issues during the summer due to the time constraint of only having one full-time staff member — throwing a pandemic on top of that — I’m really proud of the work we were able to accomplish with such short notice. You can view our special issue on our website: https://www.thesil.ca/category/pride2020
It was really important to me to get this out before, what would have been, Pride weekend. I believe the take away from this digital special issue is that the Queer community doesn’t just need Pride month to celebrate or to advocate — that can and should be done year round as there is always more work to be done.
Take this weekend to reflect on what Pride means to you and hopefully next year, we can all celebrate it together.
Happy Pride,
Andrew Mrozowski
Managing Editor
The Silhouette, Volume 91
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Articles:
Sil Sit Down with Priyanka, by Andrew Mrozowski, Managing Editor
Bringing Pride back to its roots, by Lauren O’Donnell, Contributor
Independent review looks into Pride 2019 events, by Trisha Gregorio, Contributor
The fantabulous world of drag, by Nadia Business
McMaster alumna dazzles Digital Pride with drag show, by Adrian Salopek, Contributor
The trials and tribulations of virtual Pride, by Andrew Mrozowski, Managing Editor
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
Pride month is coming to an end, but its impacts can be seen throughout the year with the increase of queer culture coming into the mainstream. One such example is the popularization of “RuPaul’s Drag Race”, a show that puts drag queens through competition-style challenges, competing to become America’s next drag superstar. The show has recently expanded to Thailand, Chile, the United Kingdom and on July 2, “Canada’s Drag Race” premieres on Crave.
12 drag queens from across the country will showcase their various drag styles. One contestant, Priyanka, hails from Toronto. Not only has she been crowned Miss Crews and Tangos (2018-2019) and NOW’s 2019 Readers’ Choice winner for Best Drag Performer, but you may know her as a former host of YTV’s “The Zone”. Priyanka recently decided to do drag as a full-time profession due to its boundless limitations.
“Whenever you do something for so long and you have a creative frame, you tend to get bored because your brain is always [wondering], ‘what’s next?’ . . . At the end of my kids TV career . . . I kinda hit my ceiling and the natural progression was to enter drag and see what I can do there. [T]he cool thing about drag is there is no limit on what you can do. You can do everything, which I love,” said Priyanka.
July 5 marks the queen’s birthday, having been involved with the Toronto drag scene for three years. In that amount of time, Priyanka has carved out her own space within the queer community while representing people of colour, which is reflected on “Drag Race” as she is the first Guyanese contestant. Much of Priyanka’s drag is representative of pop stars such as Beyonce or Rihanna; however, she integrates her cultural heritage into each and every performance.
“[G]rowing up, you’re so scared to bring your chicken curry to school because you don’t want your white friends to smell it, and now everyone is like ‘Oh my god Priyanka is the first ever Guyanese drag queen on Drag Race’, said Priyanka. “At this time in my life, I am the proudest to be who I am because I’m representing people who need to be proud of who they are.”
Priyanka recalled her early beginnings as a drag queen, comparing her looks to driving down a long road and seeing roadkill, but then blossoming into a gorgeous gay goddess. She attributes much of what she knows about drag to her drag mother, Xtacy Love, who has been with Priyanka since the beginning of her career.
“There was one time where I was painting my face and my drag mother, Xtacy Love, sat across from me, [watching] me paint and questioned everything I was doing. I wanted to be put up for adoption because it was the worst experience of my life. It was awful, but the thing is because she was questioning me, I was learning so much about makeup and why you’re putting things in the places you’re putting [them] . . . for my kind of drag, you’re sculpting your face to really sell into this illusion,” said Priyanka.
Typically Pride month is a busy time of year for drag entertainers. With festivals across the province moving to an online platform, performers have been finding different ways to still participate. Priyanka has been hosting Zoom parties, posting on YouTube, livestreaming on Instagram and performed as a part of Pride Hamilton’s Digital Pride.
Priyanka believes that a virtual Pride has its own merits as it allows people to reevaluate the importance of why we have a month dedicated to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and to focus on how to create inclusivity amongst one another. While it might not be fun staying indoors during a time usually spent celebrating, it’s important to remember Pride’s roots and why we are all here.
Advocacy and drag have always been intertwined within the Queer community. For Priyanka, it’s important to use the platform she has acquired to share information with those who follow her.
“Here’s the tea. Drag entertainers are the mascots of the [2SLGBTQIA+] community. People listen to us, people will hear us and they will jump on things . . . drag queens have always been political. We kind of fell into a pocket where it was all lipsync for your lives, sparkly costumes, big wigs and glittery eyeshadow, but as I said before, it’s so good that we’re all at home because drag queens have to use their platforms to help share the information to what’s politically correct,” said Priyanka.
“Here’s the tea. Drag entertainers are the mascots of the [2SLGBTQIA+] community. People listen to us, people will hear us and they will jump on things . . . drag queens have always been political. We kind of fell into a pocket where it was all lipsync for your lives, sparkly costumes, big wigs and glittery eyeshadow, but as I said before, it’s so good that we’re all at home because drag queens have to use their platforms to help share the information to what’s politically correct,” said Priyanka.
“We are like the approachable popstars, like you can’t talk to Beyonce, you can’t talk to Lady Gaga, but trust and believe when you message the Queen Priyanka, she will hit you back with [a] message because I’m desperate for love”, she joked.
As we approach the end of June and the end of Pride month, “Canada’s Drag Race” serves as a reminder that there is always time to be loud and proud about who you are regardless of the time of year. For many Canadian queens in particular, the show also offers an opportunity for worldwide exposure and a chance to showcase their talents on a platform that is tried and true.
“Here’s what I’ll say. Canadian TV shows have a reputation of whenever they do a spin off, it looks a little janky . . . the cool thing about Canada’s Drag Race . . . is the quality of the show is beyond,” said Priyanka. “So now, [“Canada’s Drag Race” has] opened up this whole new ball game for drag entertainers to really work on their style, get better and thrive to do something, because there was a time where being a local girl in Toronto, you could only do so much but now you can do all of it”.
For the Queen Priyanka, getting onto Drag Race felt like the next step in her drag career, both personally and professionally as it was the culmination of a dream. She feels like this is a sentiment that students could apply to their academic lives as well.
“I think that being in school is weird. Being in high school, being in med school, being in university and college is also very weird because you’re like, ‘oh, once I graduate, I have to go find a real job’. But I think that it’s just important to whatever program that you’re in and [whatever] you’re doing, just keep focused, keep your eye on the prize and if your heart isn’t in it, get out while you can because you have to love it to do it for the rest of your life.”
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
By Lauren O’Donnell, Contributor
In the early hours of June 28, 1969, there was a police raid on the Stonewall Inn in New York’s Greenwich Village. The Stonewall Inn was one of the only places where 2SLGBTQIA+ people were able to gather as it was one of few places that accepted drag queens as well as trans men and women. On June 28, the police raided the bar, assaulted patrons and arrested 13 people. The riots that followed were not about fighting for marriage equality, they were a response to police brutality against the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Stonewall is frequently hailed as a catalyst for 2SLGBTQIA+ rights in North America, and it began with riots.
Many of the pioneers of the 2SLGBTQIA+ rights movement were Black trans women and trans Women of Colour, like Marsha P. Johnson, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy and Sylvia Rivera. These women paved the way for Pride as we know it today. Griffin-Gracy is still alive, and continues to be a pillar of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. You can support her retirement fund here. Within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, People of Colour — and particularly trans Women of Colour — are still routinely attacked. While the mainstream 2SLGBTQIA+ movement may be slowly gaining acceptance, the people who made it possible are still in constant danger.
Many of the pioneers of the 2SLGBTQIA+ rights movement were Black trans women and trans Women of Colour, like Marsha P. Johnson, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy and Sylvia Rivera. These women paved the way for Pride as we know it today. Griffin-Gracy is still alive, and continues to be a pillar of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. You can support her retirement fund here. Within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, People of Colour — and particularly trans Women of Colour — are still routinely attacked. While the mainstream 2SLGBTQIA+ movement may be slowly gaining acceptance, the people who made it possible are still in constant danger.
Oppressive systems are able to continue because they pit oppressed groups against one another, fearing that if we work together none of us will have rights. It’s an either/or mentality that drives a wedge between oppressed groups. As a result, we push away the very people that we should seek to work with. A case study of this can be seen at the 2016 Toronto Pride parade, where the parade was paused by activists from Black Lives Matter until Pride Toronto signed a list of demands. The media response to this event was varied, but there is a common theme— let’s take a moment to unpack it.
Many of the responses suggested that Black Lives Matter sought to undermine Pride. In 2016, The Globe and Mail published a particularly vitriolic opinion piece by columnist Margaret Wente. In the piece, Wente suggested that Black Lives Matter was usurping Pride Toronto.
“You'd think, just weeks after the slaughter [at PULSE Nightclub] in Orlando, that they might have chosen to cede the spotlight to the dead and wounded, who really were under attack. But no. The Black Lives Matter activists are firmly convinced that they are at the very top of the pyramid of oppression. Only after the parade's executives meekly agreed to all of their demands (basically, more money for their projects) did they allow the show to go on,” said Wente in her article.
The pyramid of oppression — or the oppression olympics — is one illustration of putting oppressed groups in opposition. Being at the top of the so-called pyramid supposedly brings along with it more media coverage and public support. Wente uses this term to undermine Black Lives Matter’s protest, framing it as an attempt to dismiss the suffering of others.
In particular, Wente points to Black Lives Matter’s demand that the police be removed from Pride as being “wrong, and sad and bad,” and that their claims of being oppressed by police are over-exaggerated. Defending the police’s right to be at Pride is not uncommon, but the urge to defend the police should be examined. The first Pride was a riot against police brutality.
“Defenders of Black Lives Matter insist that the gay rights movement was birthed in protest against police harassment at Stonewall, and in Canada, amid riots triggered by raids on a gay bathhouse. Gay people, thus, should indulge BLM in its anti-police agitation. But invoking Stonewall and similar episodes of historic police abuse only shows how far our two countries have come. In so many places around the world — Russia, and, most recently, Turkey — the police attack pride parades and arrest gay rights activists. In North America, police protect them,” reads one article from the Los Angeles Times.
To be blunt, the fact of the matter is that North American police don’t always protect Pride. Our countries have made progress, certainly, but not for everyone. Progress isn’t the same as completion. Sometimes direct action is necessary in order to draw attention to the insidious ways that systemic oppression functions.
Thus far we’ve looked at how non-Black people covered the event. However, the Black 2SLGBTQIA+ community is not monolithic, and not everyone in the community supported the actions of Black Lives Matter, instead suggesting that they were detracting from Pride for their own agenda, or ignoring systemic problems within their own communities.
“Black Lives Matter could use their political and social power to actually raise awareness about this issue, but it is apparently easier for them to target the white gay community than it is to tackle black homophobia. And Pride Toronto yields to their requests, as if the black community is a monolithic entity represented by a single group,” said Orville Lloyd Douglas in an opinion piece for CBC.
Critiques from within the Black 2SLGBTQIA+ community are infinitely more important than those from outside the community. It’s nigh on impossible for a reporter from L.A. to see problems in Toronto, so in order to fully understand all sides of the issue, it’s important to seek out the voices within affected communities.
Speaking of listening to voices from within the community, what was the intention of Black Lives Matter in stopping the event? Let’s turn to the motivation behind the protest, from an article interviewing Alexandra Williams, the co-founder of Black Lives Matter Toronto.
“We are not taking any space away from any folks. When we talk about homophobia, transphobia, we go through that too . . . It should be a cohesive unit, not one against the other. Anti-blackness needs to be addressed and they can be addressed at the same time, in the same spaces,” she said.
The execution of the protest may not have been flawless, but the intent matters. As Williams points out, these issues are interconnected. Highlighting Black Lives Matter doesn’t usurp Pride, it returns it to its roots. Pride was spearheaded by Black trans women and trans Women of Colour as a protest against police brutality. How can we turn our back on the people who helped us the most?
So where do we go from here? White folks in particular need to use our privilege to support the movement however we can. We need to call out public officials, sign petitions and continue supporting Black Lives Matter long after the hashtags fall off the trending page. There are a number of ways in Hamilton that you can practice active allyship, including supporting local grassroots organizations, buying from local Black-owned businesses and being proactive in seeking out additional resources and education. Redefine Twenty is a local organization and an excellent place to start. Allyship is not an identity, it’s a constant action.
Ultimately, however, it isn’t up to us to lead this movement; we need to amplify melanated voices through direct action. This is not about us. This is about us showing up for the people who always showed up for us, from the very beginning. This isn’t about retribution, it’s about restitution.
As you celebrate Pride this year, know that any time you side with the police, or dismiss the actions of protesters, you are telling your Black 2SLGBTQIA+ friends that they cannot trust you. You are telling them that you value your own safety and comfort above their lives. Just because we can’t see systemic oppression doesn’t mean it’s not there.
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
By Adrian Salopek, Contributor
In light of COVID-19 prompting social gathering limitations, Pride Hamilton’s festival weekend was one such event that had been affected. Although not an ideal way to honour Pride and its roots, new ways of celebrating the 2SLGBTQIA+ community have emerged, bringing Hamiltonians together during these recent difficult and lonely times.
One of the most anticipated Pride events in Hamilton was “Pride in the Park”, originally planned for June 19. This was replaced by Digital Pride, which occurred on June 14, consisting of livestreamed Facebook and Youtube shows and featuring drag performers from the Hamilton drag scene. Heart, crown and even dollar bill emojis flooded the chats under the live performances along with the odd “yass” or “slay”.
Among the featured talents, McMaster alumna Kamilla Flores Kameleon, who also goes by the Spice of Hamilton, dazzled audiences with her virtual drag performance. Through a comically tragic love story and aggressive salsa dance, Kamilla starred in a mini telenovela reminiscent of the ones she watched growing up in Lima, Peru, and showed the world what it really means to be a Latina diva.
“I thought it would be a fun way to live out what I had always watched as a child [and] show a campier side of my drag,” said Kamilla Kameleon.
Behind the comedy, campiness and five pounds of makeup, Kamilla celebrates her background and culture with those who attend her shows. Many of the queen’s influences are of Latin descent, such as pop stars Shakira and Jennifer Lopez.
“My drag has always been about representing my culture and a way I have done that is by paying homage to the legendary Latina pop stars that came before me,” explained Kamilla. “I have always felt Shakira embodied what it meant to be empowered and an entertainer and that’s what drew me to her.”
“My drag has always been about representing my culture and a way I have done that is by paying homage to the legendary Latina pop stars that came before me,” explained Kamilla. “I have always felt Shakira embodied what it meant to be empowered and an entertainer and that’s what drew me to her.”
In the current political climate, this celebration of diversity and the artistic contributions of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour is needed now more than ever. Digital Pride not only celebrated the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, but also provided an opportunity for discussions surrounding racism and policing within Hamilton, and facilitated a platform for Black community leaders to speak. Moreover, the event showed that drag can offer artists an opportunity to advocate for issues they are passionate about.
For Kamilla, the art of drag plays an important role — especially in the current climate — in disseminating love and advocating for movements fighting for justice.
“Drag can play a huge role in the spread of information about these issues such as the Black Lives Matter movement and protests,” explained Kamilla, “I have experienced racism as a person of colour, and it is important, now more than ever, to not be silent when issues continue to persist.”
Behind the wigs and makeup, drag is a crucial part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community’s culture and history and plays a major role in catalyzing social change from within. Besides the laughter and enjoyment one usually finds when attending a drag show, attendees will surely find themselves learning something new and being inspired when watching the performances of drag queens like Kamilla.
In the queen’s own words, “Don’t stop fighting for what’s right and always wear your heart on your wig. Te amo McMaster!”
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
Note: This article has been edited to clarify that Marc Lemire has been working for the city of Hamilton since 2005.
cw: homophobia, physical violence, white supremacy, religious extremism
The annual Hamilton Pride event held on June 24, 2006 was interrupted midway by a group of homophobic soccer fans. The soccer fans allegedly swore and spat on those marching in the parade, but the Hamilton police were quick to respond, forming a barrier between the fans and the parade participants.
At the time, Lyla Miklos, a Hamilton-based activist, creative and journalist, was a board member of the Hamilton Pride committee. She was also one of many who marched in the pride parade—an experience she detailed thirteen years later in a deputation to the Hamilton police services board on July 18, 2019.
The deputation came a month after a hate group violently interrupted the 2019 Hamilton Pride event. A video from the scene shows a snippet of the commotion, which occurred in the middle of Gage Park and away from Pride festivities.
Anti-pride demonstrators gathered at the event, shouting homophobic and white nationalist rhetoric. The video appears to show a religious group holding signs with phrases from the Bible and accusing Pride participants of perpetuating “sin”.
Hamilton Pride 2019 event at Gage Park being disrupted. Photo C/O CBC News
Another group is shown attempting to protect Pride-goers from the anti-pride demonstrators, trying to erect a black curtain to cover the anti-pride group and their signs.
Eventually, the confrontations escalated to punching, grabbing and choking, with one of the disruptors hitting pride-goers in the face with a motorcycle helmet.
In the aftermath, the Pride Hamilton board of directors published a statement saying that the situation would not have escalated to such a violent degree had the police responded sooner.
The statement also discusses Pride Hamilton’s multiple attempts to explain to the police that a similar protest happened during Pride 2018 and that they expected the number of protestors to escalate for 2019.
Nevertheless, Miklos’ deputation from July 18, 2019 points out the differences in police responsiveness between the 2006 and 2019 Pride events.
“. . . I am puzzled as to why the [Hamilton] police were unable to mobilize themselves in the same way [they did in the 2006 Pride parade] at Gage Park for Hamilton Pride in 2019, especially since they knew in advance that there was a threat,” she said.
Pride Hamilton’s statement also touches upon the relationship between the Hamilton Police Services and the local queer community.
“There have been long-standing issues between the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and Hamilton Police Services that remain unresolved. We feel that this was an opportunity for police to demonstrate that they were there to protect and act in solidarity with the community,” said Pride Hamilton’s statement.
Hamilton Pride 2019 event at Gage Park being disrupted. Photo C/O CBC News
However, not all members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community believe that increasing police responsiveness is the answer. A June 2019 study from McMaster’s department of labour studies surveyed 900 members of Hamilton’s queer community. Approximately one third of respondents stated that they had been treated unjustly by police, and transgender respondents were more likely to report unfair treatment.
Some recount the events of Hamilton Pride as an example of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community coming together to defend themselves.
Indeed, the protest at the Pride event is only one part of the fraught history between the city of Hamilton and the members of its local queer community.
Since 2005, Marc Lemire has been working as IT network analyst for the city of Hamilton. From 1995 to 2005, Lemire ran Heritage Front, a now defunct neo-Nazi white supremacist organization. He was also the webmaster of the Freedom Site, which hosted the websites of several Canadian anti-Semitic organizations.
In an email to CBC News, however, Lemire denied being either a white supremacist or a neo-Nazi. Despite Lemire’s claims, when Lemire’s appointment and history became public knowledge in May 2019, the Hamilton LGBTQ advisory group responded by stating in a motion that with the city allowing Lemire to work for and with them, it had failed to show solidarity with the marginalized communities in Hamilton. According to the LGBTQ advisory group, Lemire’s employment threatens the safety of city staff and volunteers that belong to these communities.
The advisory group is also protesting a police services board appointment from April 2019, which it believes was a missed opportunity to appoint someone who was part of a marginalized community instead of another of the white, straight men that comprise a majority of the current board.
Another criticism from the advisory group is that the city didn’t implement a transgender and gender non-conforming protocol as quickly as they should have. The protocol was established three years after an incident in 2014 that sparked an Ontario Human Rights tribunal settlement. The advisory group also alleged that the committee behind the protocol was chosen by the city arbitrarily, without careful regard of who would best serve the intentions of the protocol.
In consideration of all this, the advisory group declared that since the city has failed to demonstrate solidarity with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Hamilton, it didn’t want the city to fly flags in honour of Hamilton Pride 2019. However, on May 30, 2019, rather than adhering to the advisory group’s request, city officials still chose to fly flags symbolic of Pride and the transgender community — only without hosting a flag-raising ceremony, in an attempt to reach a compromise between the city’s plans and the advisory group’s request.
On May 30, 2019, rather than adhering to the Hamilton LGBTQ advisory group’s request, city officials still chose to fly flags symbolic of Pride and the transgender community. Photo C/O CBC News.
In a CBC article from the time, Mayor Fred Eisenberger insisted on flying the flag, citing that one advisory group does not represent the entirety of the LGBTQ community.
“There’s a much broader audience out there, including our own staff,” he said.
Cameron Kroetsch, chair of the LGBTQ advisory committee, acknowledges that some 2SLGBTQIA+ residents might have wanted a ceremony and that people would have felt differently about the flag-raising.
“It’s a powerful symbol, and you can’t perfectly represent everybody,” he said.
Less than a month after this, on June 15, 2019, the 2019 Hamilton Pride event was interrupted by a hateful protest, and tensions between the city of Hamilton and the local queer community came to a boil.
Mayor Fred Eisenberger tweeted his reaction to the Pride incident, “I am disappointed with the events that transpired at yesterday’s Hamilton’s PRIDE celebration at Gage Park. Hate speech and acts of violence have no place in the City of Hamilton. We are committed to being a Hamilton For All where everyone feels safe and welcome.”
However, the mayor’s intentions did not bring any positive impact for the remainder of the year.
On June 18, 2019, a community conversation regarding Hamilton’s 2SLGBTQIA+ residents ended in a heated discussion about the lack of effort from Hamilton police in keeping Pride participants safe.
On June 22, 2019, in an outcry against the arrest of Cedar Hopperton, an anarchist activist charged with alleged parole violations following the Pride incident, protesters marched from the Hamilton police headquarters in Barton Jail, where Hopperton was detained. Hopperton, a prominent member of the Hamilton queer community, was the first arrest made following the Pride protest. This drew questions and criticism, as videos of the June 15 incident also showed at least two alt-right protesters committing violence against participants of Hamilton Pride. Hopperton’s supporters also argued that Hopperton was acting in defense of the community while the Hamilton Police failed to arrive at the scene in a timely manner.
https://www.facebook.com/TrentCWTP/photos/a.1835158899853468/2268043049898382/?type=3&theater
On July 12, 2019, around two dozen members of Hamilton’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community, alongside allies, set up an encampment at Hamilton city hall in protest of the Hamilton police’s alleged failure to stand in support and in assistance to the city’s marginalized communities.
On Aug. 27, 2019, the Hamilton police expressed the desire to improve their relationship with the city’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Jackie Penman, the spokesperson for the Hamilton police, claimed that the police’s goal was to identify what should be done to reestablish communication between the Hamilton queer community and the police.
Nevertheless, a month after this, on Sept. 10, 2019, Chief Eric Girt of the Hamilton police makes homophobic and transphobic comments on the Bill Kelly show. One month later on Oct. 10, 2019, the police board denied a request from Kroetsch from the city’s LGBTQ advisory committee to provide a deputation to the board, claiming that Kroetsch wanted to speak about city issues and not police ones.
When asked about where the police should start with repairing its fractured relationship with the Hamilton queer community, Kroetsch points out that the work behind this has already been done by many kinds of groups long before 2019.
“The chief quite clearly stated that he knew what the issues were. So I think the start has to be … getting a plan from the City of Hamilton, getting a plan from city police to talk about what they’re planning to do now … What can you do, what are you able to do, how are you able to participate in this conversation marginalised communities have been asking you for decades?” said Kroetsch.
He also spotlights the frustration felt by many members of marginalised communities, who have already done a lot of talking and who have to relive traumatic experiences in sharing their accounts with others. Kroetsch says that he does not see a plan coming forward from any civic leaders that truly take into account what marginalised individuals are telling them.
In a similar vein, Miklos criticizes the constant defensiveness from the mayor and the chief of police. She calls for more compassion and urges the mayor to do something more helpful than simply showing up at cultural events.
Regarding the future of the city’s relationship with the local 2SLGBTQIA+ community, Kroestch said that it is up to the city, including the police, to listen and engaged with the right folks.
“There’s a lot of awkwardness there and uncomfortability, and they have to find a way to work through that for themselves, and work through what it means to engage with marginalised communities … And that’s really the start of the work and I think it’s a long road for that. But the sooner they get down that road, the better,” said Kroetsch.
This article is part of our Sex and the Steel City, our annual sex-positive issue. Click here to read more content from the special issue.
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
By A. A., Contributor
I was on a study date with a couple of my close friends at a Starbucks we used to go to almost every single day. A couple guys we had met there came and sat with us to study. Skim forward a little bit, my friend, who knew I was gay, made a joke and exposed my sexuality to one of the guys.
All of a sudden, everything changed in the way he spoke, as if he was trying to alienate me. I froze.
I advocate for being proud of who you are and I do embrace my sexuality, but in that moment — I hated everything about it.
He insisted that he could “fix” me if he spent 24 hours with me. He even told my friend, who was a girl, to have sex with me. I tried a couple times explaining that being gay is not something he would ever be able to understand, it is something he needs to accept. But my words were quickly dismissed. I had no words, I did not know whether I should say anything at all. I was catching glares from a boy sitting across from us at the large table we were sitting at. It felt like a beaming hot spotlight was shining over me; like everyone was looking at me with pity, disappointment or disgust.
I felt a rush of tears come to my throat, that feeling where you are about to cry and if you say any word at all you will. After so many years of owning my sexuality, I felt isolated, alone and the odd one out all over again. I was taken back to being 12 years old, when my parents told me that I could be sent somewhere to be fixed.
I needed to leave, so I walked out and called an Uber. While waiting for my Uber I could not stop myself from breaking down.
Am I really proud of who I am? Or just around people that accept me?
I cannot stop thinking about how he won. I was not able to stand up for myself. I was not able to show him that I am me no matter what he thinks is right and wrong. Insidead, I felt so small and alienated. I am usually loud; I say what I want, when I want. I stand up for everyone’s story, but that day, I learned that I cannot stand up for my own. My own truth and who I am is fragile right now. I know they say—even I say—that being gay is just a part of me, but when that is the biggest struggle in your life, it becomes you. I am gay.
Why does it have to be so hard?
I think I have established for myself that life is not fair, but this has not been an easy lesson for me to learn—in fact, it has been the hardest. I am a 18-year-old Middle Eastern man, born and raised in a outspokenly homophobic household where religious ideals formed the foundation of my family member’s lives. But I am also gay, and discovering my own identity in such an environment was not fair.
It is not fair to grow up in an environment that shames parts of who you are before you even recognize those parts of you. It is not fair to only be able to be true to who you are around three of your friends. It is not fair to feel like your family is not going to be there forever. It is not fair to feel as though your family’s love is conditional over something you cannot control—who you are.
There is no explanation. I have no explanation for being gay so how do I explain it to someone that does not understand? Should I even try? Should I let them be ignorant? Why is it easy to stand up for someone else, but so much harder to stand up for myself? I feel like I’m proud of myself and my accomplishments but am I really proud of me—am I really proud of being gay?
I want to learn to be loud and proud but that comes with a price.
Not everyone will be supportive, not everyone will accept me as I am. I have to learn to be who I am regardless of how many times I’m discriminated against for something that is nobody’s business but my own. Before I can be loud and proud, I have to pay the emotional price of working to turn every doubt and harsh thing someone says into a reason why I will not back down from who I am.
I am who I am and that should be okay. This will be the next thing I learn.
This article is part of our Sex and the Steel City, our annual sex-positive issue. Click here to read more content from the special issue.
