This is a regular column for Q Atlantic Canadian news items that we can't do full articles about. If you hear of any Q happenings that deserve a little or a lot of light shone on them, email us!
Wayves News
Because of the current instability with social media, we're encouraging people to get on our mailing list - add your email here.
World
France got its youngest and first openly gay prime minister! 34-year-old Gabriel Attal replaces Élisabeth Borne in a cabinet shuffle that President Emmanuel Macron hopes can reinvigorate a term marked by drift and division. Wikipedia page here; BBC article about it here; paywalled New York Times here.
Canada
Multiple Edmonton Oilers, led by captain Connor McDavid, wear Pride Tape during warmups against Devils . Article in the Oilers newsletter here.
Here's an article about the Montreal Canadien's Pride logo on nhl.com.
The Community Based Research Center has launched a new website focused on raising awareness and understanding of the federal criminal law on ‘conversion therapy’ practices. To learn more, visit stopconversionpractices.ca.
Atlantic Canada
Business directory Exploring Queer East Coast launched on January first. Website here.
Season 5, Episode 101 of the Q Creative Network's Canadian & Atlantic Q Music podcast, Out Loud, is available here.
Atlantic Canadian Prides: Wayves' big schedule of 2024 Atlantic Canadian Pride Celebrations is up and running; so far we have dates for Halifax & St John's NL. The full list of Prides is here - bookmark it!
Mieke Van Vulpen has submitted an application to Canada Post to honour World War I and II drag performer Ross Hamilton (1889 - 1965.) Hamilton's Halifax Rainbow Encyclopedia page is here. You can help make this happen by writing a support letter to: Chairperson of the Stamp Advisory Committee // Canada Post Corporation // 2701 Riverside Drive, Suite N0875 // Ottawa, ON // K1A 0B1.
Newfoundland & Labrador
The YWCA of St John's is hosting an Online Peer Support Group for LGBTQIA+ Newcomers. This monthly online group is open to LGBTQIA+ newcomers province-wide, over the age of 18. To read more about YWCA’s services for LGBTQIA+ newcomers, you can visit the website.
Central: Queer Crafting Club, every Thursday, at the Status of Women, Grand Falls Windsor. "Each week we will supply a DIY project that we can work on in a group setting but you are also free to come work on a project you are working on at home." This week: Rainbow Macramé Wall Hanging. Further details available on Pride GFW Facebook Page, by email.
Pride GFW has a newly renovated website thanks to the College of North Atlantic, Women in Resource Development Corporation: pridegfw.ca.
The N & L Queer Research Initiative has been been hosting Solidari-tea events: "Make friends, learn history, and help record queer stories for future generations!" It's a project of The Gender and Politics Laboratory - Memorial University; their FB page is here.
Have you ever heard about the lesbian journalists who travelled across Newfoundland and Labrador in the 1920s? Edith S. Watson (1861-1943) was an American freelance photographer who travelled throughout Canada as well as Newfoundland and Labrador in the early 20th century. She travelled and collaborated primarily with her partner Victoria “Queenie” Hayward (1876-1956), a journalist born in Bermuda. The couple met in Bermuda in 1911, and later moved to Connecticut, where Watson was born. They remained lifelong professional collaborators and romantic partners until Watson’s death in 1943. Their work often focused on rural working-class life and minority groups across Eastern North America. They were frequently published in both American and Canadian newspapers, and they published a selection of travel journalism and photographs, Romantic Canada, in 1922. It's all in the Newfoundland & Labrador Queer Archive: view that collection here.
PEI
The 2SLGBTQ+ Charlottetown Adult Drop-in will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, January 17 at the PEERS Alliance Headquarters at 250B Queen st from 4-8pm. The activity will be a screen printing workshop with guests Hannah Gehrels and Indra! Next one: January 26th in the Key Room at the Summerside Rotary Library.
Thursday, January 25th: PEERS Alliance host the Adult Trans group, BUDS at 250B Queen St.
The Queerdos and Adventurers Roleplaying Games Program is kicking off on February 1st! This is a free program, where we run roleplaying games for 7 weeks. The games include Dungeons and Dragons, and others that are even more fun! There are still a few spots available for sign-ups! There are two options: 1) Play at the Charlottetown Library for 7 weeks, or 2) play Dungeons and Dragons online with a Dungeon Master based in Summerside. Either way, you are welcome! Sign up for either here.
Finally, PEERS Alliance is Once again partnering with Tatamagouche Centre to run the Winter Gaming Retreat in Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia. This is a queer & trans inclusive, neurodivergent-friendly retreat in Nova Scotia that is totally beginner friendly, March 1-3. Pay what you can; meals and lodging are included. There are plenty of people carpooling from PEI, so if this sounds like it's up your ally, check it out! Register here.
NB
No news! But Wayves should have an article about the new organization, AlterAcadie NB: l'organisme Franco-Queer du Nouveau-Brunswick, soon.
Halifax
Lake City Works is offering Queer Careers, a 6-week, immersive, real-live emploaybility program specifically designed for 2SLGBTQIA+youth, ages 18-29. It offers paid, on-the-job experience in one of their social enterprises as well as structured, inclusinve employable skills training, startiing February 20. For more information email queercareers@lakecityworks.ca or call 902-465-5000x126.
Co-op, unionized, queer coffee shop says "Help Save Glitter Bean!" via a gofund me - link here.
The Coverdale Justice Society, which works with women, youth and gender diverse folks in the justice system, is hiring a 2SLGBTQ+ Community Project Coordinator. Send resumes to employment@coverdale.ca.
Proud out, black Haligonian Walter Borden will be on the Neptune stage next month as Poloniusin the 1966 play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.
Queer Boxing is back January 20; also on that day: Queer Run Club Halifax, Herbs for Trans Health Workshop, Trivia Night!, In The Dead of Winter Drag and Burlesque Show. Check the Halifax Rainbow Encyclopedia Events page for details.
East Coast Queers & Freeman's Little New York in Fairview is once again hosting Queer Music Bingo on Tuesday evenings at 7:00pm.
Halifax musician extraordinaire Garry Williams is offering another extremely fun music theory course entitled Even The Muse Requires Consent, for Q folk and everyone. Contact him on Facebook or via Wayves if you're interested. Garry won Arts Nova Scotia's 2023 Established Artist Recognition Award; article here.
Congratulations to realtors extraordinaire, long long time community volunteers and supporters, and Wayves advertisers:
- Edie Hancock on "Top Ten Broker 2023" of Sutton Group Professional Realty; and
- Rosie Porter on being in the Royal LePage top 5% nationally and winning their 2023 Ruby Award.
Rest of Nova Scotia
March 1-3 in Tatamagouche: queer & trans inclusive, neurodivergent-friendly Winter Gaming Retreat. See the PEI section for details & registration.
New Glasgow's Q-owned tea shop, Sense and SensibiliTea, has won a TD Bank Diversity Atlantic "Consumptive Retail Category" Award which celebrates excellence in diversity and inclusion in small to medium-sized businesses. Details here (as "Teapothecary.")
Eastern Shore Pride is holding:
- A dance party at Steeple Green, 26 E Petpeswick Road, on January 19, and
- a social entitled Welcome To The Gaybourhood on February 10th at the Salmon River Country Inn at 6pm. Further info is available via their FB page.
The HB Studios Sports Centre in Bridgewater says: "To better serve our 2SLGBTQIA+ Community we have created the Rainbow Social, designed to provide a safe, welcoming, inclusive space where people can be themselves and be comfortable. Details are available via their FB page.
Health Study
Remember Dr Jaquie Gahagan’s advice: we cannot refuse to do these studies: "The research train has left the station and [we Q folk] can either be driving the train from the pink engine... or be towed along in the lavender caboose."
This week's study: Queer Perspectives on Health Care: Dreaming a New Way Forward
My name is Ash and I am a queer person conducting research relating to queer experiences in healthcare. This study seeks to understand how LGBT folk conceptualize good care.
You'll do a 60-90 minute virtual or in person interview with the researcher, providing insight based on your lived experience, of what you want your experiences accessing care to look like as a queer person.
The researcher is a queer and gender-expansive Master of Social Work student at Dalhousie University. This research is being conducted as part of their thesis.
To participate or learn more, email: queerperspectivesoncare@gmail.com. This research has been approved by the research ethics board at Dalhousie University.
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You can always see the last 9 days of Wayves articles via the digest page.
