Queer Culture
QBIPOC Visibility & Culture

Rodney Diverlus

Diverlus is a Haitian-Canadian transdisciplinary artivist (artist/activist), dancer and choreographer whose work "incorporates contemporary and Afrikanic movement and dance practices, physical theatre and public arts-based interventions" and has been presented at the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Canadian Opera Company and the Stratford Festival.

He is one of the co-founders of Black Lives Matter – Canada/Toronto, as well as co-author of the bestselling book Until We Are Free: Reflections on Black Lives Matter in Canada. He’s currently the co-creator at the Wildseed Centre for Art & Activism, "a vessel that seeks to nurture Black radical creation in…

Trey Anthony

Trey Anthony, who was raised in Canada and is of Jamaican heritage, identifies as an out and queer Black womyn. She is a playwright, actor, and producer, best known for her award-winning play and television series Da Kink in My Hair. She is the first Black Canadian woman to write and produce a television show on a major prime time Canadian network.

She has also created her own lifestyle brand, which includes workshops, retreats and a planner for professional Black women, and is the author of Black Girl in Love (With Herself): A Guide to Self-Love, Healing, and Creating the Life You Truly Deserve.

Dr. OmiSoore Dryden

Dr. OmiSoore Dryden, PhD is the fourth James R. Johnston Chair in Black Canadian Studies and the first queer person to hold the Chair. Dr. Dryden is a fierce advocate and has pioneered research that seeks to identify the barriers Black gay, bisexual, and trans men encounter with donating blood and the blood system in Canada; #GotBlood2Give.

She is an interdisciplinary scholar whose scholarship and research is situated in Black Canadian Thought, specifically Black queer diasporic analytics. She is a Researcher-In-Residence and a member of the African, Caribbean, and Black Program Science Scholars Lab, at the Ontario HIV Treatment Network. Dryden is also…

Kiley May

Kiley May is Hotinonhshón:ni, Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) and Turtle Clan from Six Nations of the Grand River territory, and is now rooted in Aterón:to (Toronto). She is a two-spirit Indigenous transgender multidisciplinary artist and storyteller, a writer and author, an actor, an emerging screenwriter and a filmmaker. Kiley is also an activist and educator, committed to equality, representation, diversity and inclusion.

 I want to shift the narrative of transgender representation from what historically has been tragic and victimizing to one that’s thriving and about love and happiness.- Kiley May (…

Richard Fung

Richard Fung is a Trinidad born, Asian-Canadian gay filmaker, activist, teacher and community organizer.

Inspired by a community of Gay Asians, marching proudly with a banner proclaiming "We're Asian, Gay and Proud" at the 1979 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, Richard Fung returned to Toronto and formed the Gay Asians of Toronto (GAT) in 1980. This organization would be the first organization in Canada to advocate for LGBT2Q+ people of colour. Richard Fung would continue on to be a tireless outspoken activist for inclusion and ending racism in the Queer community. 

Amongst his…

Sze-Yang Ade-Lam

Sze-Yang Ade-Lam is a queer asian non-binary storyteller & community developer via dance, kung fu, words, drawings, film, and photo. They are a co-founder of Bricks and Glitter, a grassroots, community arts festival and one of the co-founders of the ILL NANA/DiverseCity Dance Company, a queer positive multiracial dance company that embraces difference as strength. Since 2011 Sze-Yang has created more accessible affirming dance education and performance opportunities for QTBIPOC’s and their adjacent communities, as well as advocated for change in the arts.

There is an illusion of safety when people think of Canada in…

Ashanti Mutinta

Backxwash is the stage name adopted by Ashanti Mutinta who is the first transgender female artist to win the Polaris Music Prize, which is known to celebrate diversity and to support up-and-coming Canadian artists. Her winning album God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It uses many references from metal bands and horror films, such as distorted samples of Black Sabbath’s singer Ozzy Osbourne, Led Zeppelin and David Lynch’s film Eraserhead.

“As an angry trans woman, I don’t know any other way I can rap.” - Backxwash

Growing up in a religious family in Zambia, she started making hip hop beats as a teenager…

Aiyanna Maracle

Aiyanna Maracle (1950 - 2016),was a Haudenosaunee, trans, multi-disciplinary artist, scholar, educator, story-crafter and storyteller. Maracle was actively involved in the merging of Ogwehoweh art and culture into the Euro-centric world and consciousness. For 20+ years she sought that same inclusion for herself and other gender-variant folks by offering an alternate framework to the prevalent Euro-centric view of gender.

“There is no mirror for who I am. From necessity I became the mirror for all the younger ones.”

Describing herself in her article “A Journey in Gender” as a “transformed woman who loves…

Ravyn Wngz

Ravyn Wngz identifies as a Queer, 2 Spirit, Transcendent Mohawk Tanzanian, Bermudian. The racism she continually experienced while being an artist in predominantly white spaces prompted her to create safe spaces for black people, including the Ill Nana DiverseCity Dance Company y- a queer and trans multiracial dance company that aims to change the landscape of dance and provide accessible affirming dance education to the 2SLGBTQ+ community which she co-founded.

Currently, Ravyn Wngz is the artistic director of the OVA (Outrageous Victorious Africans) collective, which presents the voices of 2SLGBTQ+ individuals of African descent through dance and theater…

Ren Navarro

In 2016, Ren Navarro was the only queer black woman working in the craft beer industry in Ontario. Since then, she has gone on to become the founder of Beer.Diversity., a business she started in 2018 with an aim to bring more diversity and inclusion to the craft beer business. With nearly a decade of experience in the alcohol industry, Ren uses education to address the lack of diversity in the Canadian beer industry and works to make the industry more inclusive for all. She also co-founded the Toronto-based Society of Beer-Drinking Ladies which is now the largest women-focused beer group in North America.

Original Photo…

Makeda Silvera

A writer, community organizer and activist, Makeda Silvera has been part of the cornerstones of Queer Black community in Toronto. In 1983, along with her partner Stephanie Martin, she established the 101 Dewson Street collective house. Many activist organizations can trace their history back to beginning from conversations around the kitchen table at this house, including Zami, Lesbians of Colour, Blockorama and the Black Women's Collective.

In 1985, she co-founded Sister Vision Press, a pioneering Canadian indie press devoted to publishing writing by women of colour, and has authored, published and edited a number of books including Piece of My Heart: A…

Angela James

Angela James was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010, becoming the first openly gay player, one of the first women, and only the second black athlete to ever be inducted.

Also known as "the Wayne Gretzky of women's hockey", she amongst many other achievements led the Canadian women's hockey team to four world championships (1990, 1992, 1994, and 1997).

James has been a dominant force in promoting and inspiring women and young girls in sports, each year the CWHL awards the highest scoring player the Angela James Bowl. In 2009 the city of Toronto renamed her hometown hockey arena the Angela James Arena to honour her contributions and work…

Myra Laramee

Dr. Myra Laramee is a member of the Fisher River Cree Nation. She brought the Two-Spirit name to a sharing circle at the 3rd Annual Gathering of Native American Gays and Lesbians. It was received through ceremony and adopted by the community afterwards.

Myra spent over 35 years in education as a teacher, counselor and administrator. Her research is in Indigenous Knowledge and Practices as they relate to teacher education. Her thesis explored the acquisition, utilization, research and writing of Indigenous Knowledge and was titled, Teaching and Learning as an Act of Love: An…

Tuma Young

Tuma T. W. Young was born into the Atu’tuej clan for the Apli’kmuj clan and is a member of the Eskasoni First Nation. He is one of the co-founders of the Wabanaki Two Spirit Alliance (W2SA) in 2011 alongside John Sylliboy. He is the first Mi’kmaq speaking lawyer in Nova Scotia and also teaches at Cape Breton University as well as running his own private legal practice. He is also on the Executive of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society (NSBS).

Tuma has been working to make our L’nuk communities welcoming and to celebrate 2-Spirited people in our communities for many years.

John Sylliboy

John R. Sylliboy is L’nu (Mi’kmaq) from Millbrook First Nations in Nova Scotia and is one of the co-founders of the Wabanaki Two Spirit Alliance (W2SA) in 2011 alongside Tuma Young. The W2SA helps to build support and awareness of Two-Spirits in Mi’kma’ki and Canada.

He is also a consultant, researcher and policy analyst, for his own company, JRSylliboy Consulting and works in social and cultural development, health and education policy, and research for Atlantic Indigenous communities, especially for Two-Spirits and Indigenous LGBTQ.

Diane Rowe

Diane Rowe is an Anishinaabe two-spirit Judge and is a member of the Micmacs of Gesgapegiag Band, in Gespe’ge’wagi, the seventh district of Mi’kma’ki.

On June 9, 2020, Diane Rowe  was sworn in on the Nova Scotia Supreme Court. Before joining the Nova Scotia Department of Justice in 2002, Rowe practiced general civil litigation and acted on behalf of Indian Residential School claimants in several provinces. Rowe also helped to form the Wabanaki Two-Spirit Alliance.

“I think most of us were just excited to be in a room with people who have experienced the same sorts of challenges in our home communities, challenges in the gay…

Douglas Stewart

Douglas Stewart is a gay rights activist and was the founding Executive Director of the Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention. He works mainly within Black communities to provide awareness and support to issues around gay rights.

Douglas has worked as an equity trainer, dispute resolution officer and as Chief Human Rights Advisor at Centennial College. He has a long history of commitment to youth development, regularly providing training and organizational development to many youth empowerment agencies such as SERVE! He has also worked with the Toronto District School Board on anti-discrimination initiatives and in alternative school programs…

Courtnay McFarlane

Visual artist, poet and manager of children, youth and adult services at Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood Community Health Centre

McFarlane was a founding member of a number of Black queer groups and organizations in the early ’80s and ’90s — such as Zami, Sepia, AYA Men — that provided voice and visibility for Black LGBTQ2 individuals and issues. This activism in many ways laid the foundation for events, organizations and movements addressing Black LGBTQ2 communities today. He has also been on the board of the Toronto Inside Out Film Festival

He is also currently curating an exhibit at Toronto’s BAND Gallery called Legacies in Motion: Black…

Syrus Marcus Ware

Syrus Marcus Ware is a visual artist, community activist, researcher, youth-advocate and educator. He is currently a facilitator/designer for the Cultural Leaders Lab (Toronto Arts Council & The Banff Centre).

As a visual artist, Syrus works within the mediums of painting, installation and performance to challenge systemic oppression. Syrus’ work explores the spaces between and around identities; acting as provocations to our understandings of gender, sexuality and race. Syrus is part of the Black Triangle Arts Collective (BTAC), a visual arts collective dedicated to exploring disability, racial and economic justice.

Syrus has co-edited a book…

Angela Robertson

Angela Robertson is an activist working with black, women’s and LGBTQ communities. She is widely respected and recognized for implementing life-transforming programs for women in Toronto. Angela is currently Executive Director of Queen West - Central Toronto Community Health Centre. She was previously Director of Equity & Community Development at Women’s College Hospital and Executive Director of Sistering – A Woman’s Place which is an organization that offers practical and emotional support to homeless, under-housed and low-income women in the city.

She was an editorial member of ‘Our Lives’, Canada’s first Black Women’s newspaper…

Monica Forrester

Monica Forrester is a Program and Outreach co-ordinator for Maggie's Toronto Sex Workers Action Project. Since 1999, she has worked in various agencies to educate and make services accessible for trans* folks. She actively works to promote awareness and visibility of trans women. From living and working on the streets to being  instrumental in creating a drop-in and an outreach program for transpeople at the 519 to her current work as a program coordinator for Maggie’s Toronto Sex Workers Action Project, Forrester has long advocated for transgender people in Toronto. She was also part of advocating for trans women to be allowed into women’s shelters and in…

Nik Redman

Nik Redman is an artist, activist and community worker who was born in Montreal, Canada. Nik grew up in both Barbados and Canada.

He is a member of the GBQ Trans Men’s’ Working Group, part of Ontario Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance; the MaBwana Community Advisory Committee, the Prisoners Justice Action Committee (PJAC) and the Trans Fathers 2B Parenting Course Project Team. Nik was one of the online facilitators for the province-wide HIV/AIDS-themed Stigma campaign. Nik currently works as a Grievance Officer with the University of Toronto’s Local 1998 United Steelworkers Union. In addition, he works doing Anti-Harassment and Human Rights Training for the…

Dionne Brand

Dionne Brand is one of Canada's most renowned, honoured, and bestselling poets, novelist and directors. She won the Governor General's Literary Award for poetry and the Trillium Book Award for her 1997 collection Land to Light On. Her collection thirsty won the 2003 Pat Lowther Award. Her novel What We All Long For won the City of Toronto Book Award in 2006. She won the 2011 Griffin Poetry Prize for Ossuaries.

She was Toronto's Poet Laureate from 2009 to 2012, and in 2017, she was named to the Order of Canada.

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Faith Nolan

Faith Nolan is a singer/songwriter with a deep history of queer, women’s and anti-poverty activism. Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, her parents and extended family were coal miners in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia of African, Miqmaq and Irish heritage. She later grew up in Toronto's working-class Cabbagetown. Her commitment to social justice comes from her life experiences and the people she grew up with, and she works through the cultural tool of music. Her music is her political work, a politics firmly rooted in her being working class, a woman, African Canadian and queer.

Faith is the founder and director of three different choirs in Toronto, Singing…