People often joke to me about how I navigate through the world as a triple threat: bi-racial, a woman and a lesbian. I never really thought of these things until I got older and realized the community I grew up in lacked resources and spaces that felt comfortable.
Attending Catholic schools all of my life, I knew I was always part of the minority – especially within sports. There was a clear lack of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ representation in my city’s sport leagues, and not many people were out. I never felt safe enough to engage in the conversations everyone else had about dating and who they found to be “hot”, which meant missing out on chances to connect to my teammates when we travelled together.
Eventually I lost my passion for basketball after playing for many years and I feeling I was never going to get anywhere with it as a woman. So I slowly disconnected myself from the sport I have always loved and began playing rugby.
Starting rugby, I was a bit worried about how I would be treated; I loved the chance it gave me to feel strong and empowered, but I was worried about how people would see me. I have heard people joke before in my small group of 2SLGBTQ+ friends that rugby is a “gay persons dream”. Though it was a joke, I was very worried my teammates would get the wrong idea if they knew I was a lesbian. I was already fearful of being labelled as the aggressive black girl. These fears meant I never felt comfortable or good enough, and I eventually disconnected from rugby as I had with basketball and stopped playing altogether.
Fast forward to 2021 when I found a rugby league in my city. Though it was coed and non-contact, I thought it could be a great way to build connections. However, I struggled with not knowing anyone. It was dominated by mainly men who were vocal about not wanting to play with women. Being one of three BIPOC there made me feel even more out of place. I attended a few sessions and eventually quit. I spent the rest of the summer looking into Leagues elsewhere that had a space that I could be myself.
Recently I have signed up for the JAM sport league for co-ed basketball. Typically, co-ed leagues require two women to be on the field at all times. However, in this league there are no minimum gender requirements when playing, which means people who aren’t men are put in the vulnerable position of potentially being benched.
Luckily, places such as Toronto offer great resources and spaces for BIPOC and the LGBTQ+ community. With the help of my amazing partner, I found an inclusive rugby club called The Rainbow Griffins. (More information can be found on Pride Toronto’s Instagram page.) And I am still
I am still hopeful for more small or medium sized cities to create the spaces bigger cities already have.
For Pride month, SPECTRUM is excited to work with many great community partners to present a series of events and activities that both celebrate members of our 2SLGBTQ+ communities and promote equal rights and visibility. Remember, Pride is not just a party, it’s aprotest.
We’re especially excited about our first ever fundraising gala, taking place on June 16th. Scroll down for all the details or visit the .
Wednesday June 1, 2022 at 7pm. Our Pride Month Classic 2SLGBTQ+ Movie Series kicks off with Moonlight at the Apollo. Get your tickets here.
Wednesday June 8, 2022 at 7pm. Our Pride Month Classic 2SLGBTQ+ Movie Series continues with Hedwig and the Angry Inch at the Apollo. Get your tickets here.
Thursday June 9, 2022 7-8:30pm – Living Library: Rainbow Elders Edition hosted by Miss Drew. In partnership with Waterloo Public Library and held at the Main library – 35 Albert Street.
Attend our Living Library: Rainbow Elders Edition! It’s like speed dating but you get to “borrow” a 2SLGBTQ+ elder for a few minutes to ask them questions about their experiences in the rainbow community and to hear their stories. This fun event will help to foster intergenerational connections and strengthen the community. Register here.
Thursday June 9, 2022 6:30-7:30pm – Crafty Kings & Queens with Idea Exchange. For ages 13-18. Inspired by the legendary design challenges on Rupaul’s Drag Race, participants will be given an array of materials (and a glue gun!) to “drag up” a doll as we discuss drag culture and make our own mini-Drag Queens & Kings! Register here.
Friday June 10, 2022 7-8pm – Pride Trivia with WPL
Join us and our friends from WPL for an evening of virtual Pride trivia. Test your knowledge of queer pop culture and 2SLGBTQ+ history! Register here.
Saturday June 11, 2022 10am-4pm – Pride Day at Queen’s Square. Come and celebrate with us the freedom to be you with colourful crafts, games, and activities to explore how we fit together in this crazy beautiful world of ours. Details here.
Sunday June 12, 2022 1:30-2:30pm – Pride-themed Family Crafternoon with the Cambridge Art Galleries team.
Bring the whole family and get crafty with us on Zoom! Find the list of materials needed and register to attend here.
Sunday June 12, 2022 10am-3pm – Pride at THEMUSEUM
SPECTRUM will have a table at this all-day family-friendly event that includes storytime, comedy and drag performances, and crafts!
Tuesday June 14, 2022 7-8pm – Danny Ramadan author event with WPL.
Danny Ramadan is a Syrian-Canadian author and LGBTQ-refugees advocate. His debut novel, The Clothesline Swing, won multiple awards. His children’s Book Salma the Syrian Chef, continues to receive accolades. Both books were translated to multiple languages. Through his fundraising efforts, Ramadan raised over $200,000 for Syrian LGBTQ+ identifying refugees. He currently serves as the Writer-in-Residence at the Haig-Brown House in Campbell River, BC.
Danny will be reading from his forthcoming novel, The Foghorn Echoes, which will be coming out August 2022, and joining us for a discussion with host, Nic Brewer. Register here.
Wednesday June 15, 2022 from 7-8pm – The Importance of Queer Literature with Idea Exchange.
Join Aashay Dalvi and SJ Sindu as they discuss the importance of queer literature, representation and identity. This program is offered in partnership with Rad Riot Books and Idea Exchange. Register here.
Thursday June 16, 2022 8-10pm – Join us for an evening of hilarity and entertainment in support of SPECTRUM, presented by The Co-operators! Our first annual fundraising gala will feature headliner Elvira Kurt, and MC Kyne from Canada’s Drag Race, along with Izad Etemadi and Kez Vicario-Robinson.
Enjoy a dessert bar in the Walper’s Crystal Ballroom and bid on great items in a silent auction — all in support of programs and services for 2SLGBTQ+ people in Waterloo Region!
Doors open at 7:30 and the show begins at 8pm.
Also sponsored by Toyota Motor Manufacturing Company and Stantec.
Join us for a cycling event in Kitchener to help bring visibility to members of 2SLGBTQ+ communities for Pride Month, and attention to cycling in Kitchener for Bike Month. We’ll meet in the KW Counselling Services parking lot (480 Charles Street East) and head out on Charles Street for a 7km fun casual ride.
Saturday June 18 1pm-2pm – Drag Queen Storytime with Fay and Fluffy.
Drag Queens extraordinaire, Fay and Fluffy will be the first big show at WPL’s new Eastside Branch! They say reading is FUN-damental and we couldn’t agree more. Register here.
Wednesday June 22, 2022 at 7pm. Our Pride Month Classic 2SLGBTQ+ Movie Series concludes with The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert at the Apollo. Get your tickets here.
Thursday June 23, 2022 7-8:30pm – Beyond Visibility: Queer Art and Activism with Adam Barbu, in partnership with Cambridge Art Galleries.
We will consider the relationship between art and social change through the lens of queer history. Offering an expanded consideration of queer art and activism, the talk will explore resistance across a wide range of contexts. How can we begin to think beyond linear narratives of “progress” and re-situate politics at the heart of queer artistic practice? Drawing upon historical and contemporary figures, Barbu will illustrate how artists imagine alternative futures by interrogating the relationship between visibility and assimilation. Register here.
June 29, 2022 7-9pm – Queer Craft Circle with Cambridge Art Galleries.
Join artist Alisa McRonald for this fun, casual program on zoom. Together we will make braided no-sew coasters out of repurposed t-shirts. Learn how to make your own t-shirt yarn and then start braiding! We will talk about colour and efficient joining techniques.
A free supply kit is included with program registration and will be ready for pick-up at Idea Exchange, Queens Square (1 North Square, Cambridge) from June 22-28. The only items you will need from home are a pair of sharp scissors and some tape. Registration is limited to 2SLGBTQ+ -identified people in Waterloo Region. Register here.
That’s how I order my vodka and, coincidentally, how I used to describe my sexuality until very recently. While I stand by my drink order, it turns out that I was very wrong about the second part.
Who would have thought that at 50 years old I would realize that I was a lesbian? Certainly not the man I had been married to for 22 years or my children! Luckily, by the time I experienced my epiphany I was divorced and my kids were old enough to process it at their own paces.
Truth be told, until I was in my early 30s I considered myself 100% straight. That changed when during my marriage I developed a strong and surprising attraction for a female friend. The friendship became intimate. Our relationship was brief yet impactful. Despite a curiosity to explore what I was feeling, I didn’t believe it was the right time. Instead, I convinced myself that it was “just a phase” and stuck with that theory for fifteen more years. Even after my marriage ended, I still wasn’t ready to fully acknowledge who I was and continued to (unsuccessfully) date men.
“Maybe I’m just lousy at love”, I’d wonder every time I ended a potential relationship. “Or terrified of commitment.”
Last year as I was turning 50, I finally understood that neither was true. My inability to sustain a relationship didn’t mean I was incapable of love, just that I was looking for it in the wrong direction. I had reached a point in my life when I couldn’t fight my feelings any longer and more importantly, I didn’t want to. My decision was made: I was going to come out as a lesbian.
Coming out at 50 years old is tough; add a worldwide pandemic into the mix and it can feel virtually impossible! Meeting people in person wasn’t an option. I was basically starting my gay life in the privacy of my own apartment!
All I had was social media, so I used it. “Outing” myself felt important. I suppose I felt like I needed to make up for lost time. I joined LGBTQ+ social media groups and posted a noticeable amount of gay content. A lesbian friend agreed to be my “Sappho sensei” and has supported me along the way.
I am so grateful to be in this place of self -acceptance but did have some concerns that I know are common for women in this situation:
1.Will women I meet judge me for my experiences with men?
Some will, but those aren’t your people. You’ll find your community.
2. Is it too late?
Absolutely not. There is no expiry date on living your truth and finding happiness.
3. Will I know what do when it comes to physical intimacy?
Don’t worry, when the connection is real, nature takes over in the most enjoyable of ways.
Regardless of how long it took to get here, you’re here now, so enjoy every second!
National Volunteer Week takes place April 24-30, 2022. This year’s theme: Volunteering is Empathy in Action.
We couldn’t agree more with that sentiment! SPECTRUM currently has 19 volunteers, including our Board of Directors, who live this theme every day. SPECTRUM provides more than 30 different groups and activities each month, and most of these are facilitated by volunteers who donate their time and talent to help build community for 2SLGBTQ+ people here in Waterloo Region.
Human connection is at the heart of what our volunteers do. Whether they are facilitating peer support groups, drop-in social sessions, or planning community events, our volunteers are putting empathy into action. They are helping to build a community where people feel a stronger sense of belonging and wellness. In the first quarter of 2022, 649 people have participated in our programs and our volunteers have provided more than 256 hours to make that possible!
We’re extremely grateful to our SPECTRUM family for their gift of volunteerism. Thank you for helping us work towards our vision of an inclusive community where all 2SLGBTQ+ individuals are welcomed, celebrated, and supported as their authentic selves.
This month’s guest post was written by Julia Cowderoy.
When I was 19 I posted a status on Facebook that said “when people ask me about my sexuality, I’m just going to start saying my thirst knows no bounds’. While that’s obviously hilarious I understand now that I was using humour as a faux shield against any kind of scrutiny (real or imagined). During this time I felt I had to “prove” my bisexuality in order for it to be valid. The irony of writing an essay to prove that I don’t have to prove anything is not lost on me, but just bear with me.
I’ve realized that not feeling “queer enough” is a common theme within the bisexual community. Why is that? I’ve noticed that bisexual men are assumed to be gay, whereas bisexual women are painted with a broad brush as straight girls who drunkenly make-out with their friends for the enjoyment of their googly-eyed yokel boyfriends. In both instances, the attraction of men is the underlying motivation for expressions of sexuality.
While I can’t wholly speak to the experiences of bisexual men, I will say that I’ve had straight men view my sexuality as a performance for their pleasure. (“Performance” is a useful word because it implies we are actors and bisexuality needs to look a certain way in order for it to be valid.) While trying to come to terms with my own sexuality I was influenced more by external sources than I understood at the time.
I’ve had people in my life question my sexuality because I’ve never dated a woman, and recently my best friend even told me I was “90% into men”. She didn’t mean this maliciously; I’ve only dated men, so the judgement was based more on how I’ve presented than how I feel. The reality is that my attraction to people is more fluid rather than a rigid percentage. This interaction sent me into an anxiety spiral wondering if I was just cosplaying as a bisexual person this entire time.
When I volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters as a peer mentor, I encouraged conversations about gender and sexuality. I marvelled at how accepting much of this younger generation is of sexuality and how they realize it isn’t static and doesn’t need to appear a certain way to be real. When I was that age I thought sexuality was something predetermined and permanent, and as such I had a lot of confusion surrounding my attraction to women since I considered myself straight.
I’ve come a long way in understanding my sexuality, but there is still work to be done. I hope as a society we can come to a place of understanding that sexuality and gender are more complex than scientific definitions. And, like any sexuality, bisexuality isn’t some hypothesis that needs to be tested, experimented, cross-examined and held to rigorous scientific standards — it simply exists.
Monday, March 14 is the 11th Anniversary of the founding of the Grand River Rainbow Historical Project. Here is some background about this online resource.
Since 1971, Jim Parrott (a professional librarian) has been collecting documents like newsletters, posters, event programmes, etc. that were produced by local rainbow organizations or community members for the rainbow communities in Waterloo-Wellington. After repeated requests from community leaders to create a public online archive of these documents, Jim set up the Grand River Rainbow Historical Project on March 14, 2011. Because there were many gaps in his personal collection of documents, Jim obtained copyright permissions to digitize and publicize the collections of several Waterloo-Wellington organizations, including GLOW, Guelph Queer Equality, Rainbow Chorus of Waterloo-Wellington, tri-Pride Community Association, Rainbow Reels Film Festival – and similarly for some publications produced by individuals; examples include Pink Triangle Community Calendar (PTCC) [1989-1996], Outlook Magazine [1995-1998], and The Voice [1998-2003] (not yet digitized).
The central feature is the digital Library which you can find here. The Project includes other useful resources as well, like the Chronology of Events near the bottom of the top page of the Project.
Jim had to put most work on the Historical Project on hold after he took on the role of SPECTRUM’s Executive Director in 2014. Now that he has stepped back from that position for a full year, he is keen to see further work proceed in documenting the history of our community. We expect 2022 to be a year of significant development. Part of that work will be done in conjunction with a student who is joining SPECTRUM for a placement of a couple of months, We are also working to find additional support for this work over the summer. Look for announcements about further developments.
Dianne Roedding, a founding member of SPECTRUM’s Aging With Pride committee, recently stepped down from the committee after nine years of service. A retired public health nurse who lives in Kitchener, Dianne was integral in Aging With Pride’s success in helping to educate facilities who treat and house seniors on issues particular to our community.
Aging With Pride was established in 2013 to address the needs of aging members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. In 2017, Aging With Pride received a $25,000 New Horizons for Seniors grant from the government of Canada which enabled the committee to create and implement various programs with facilities in Waterloo Region. As part of this, Dianne visited and met with many senior centres and retirement communities and helped to deliver many of these programs. Some of these programs included educational presentations, hosting dinners, and even helping to host drag shows performed at local retirement homes.
Recently, Dianne represented SPECTRUM as a member of the RNAO Best Practice Guidelines Expert Panel to develop the RNAO Best Practice Guidelines for Promoting 2SLGBTQI+ Helath Equity. You can read that report here.
SPECTRUM would like to thank Dianne for her tireless service to her community. Not only as a member of SPECTRUM and Aging With Pride, but also in her career in public health nursing.
SPECTRUM Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space is grateful to receive bequests under a will. When the time comes to update your will – something that should be done every five years or when family connections change – it is time to consider what you would like to leave to the purposes that have the greatest significance to you.
Your will gives you a chance to set down gifts that survive you. These can be quite large: your assets might include a house, cottage, RRSPs, RIFs and similar non-sheltered investments, life insurance… the accumulation of an entire lifetime.
Bequests result in large gifts and that results in large tax receipts. A tax receipt from SPECTRUM will shield a great deal of your other assets from tax and result in greater gifts to your family.
Please feel free to get in touch with SPECTRUM to talk over your intentions. If your intention is to gift a portion of your estate to SPECTRUM, it may also be useful to leave an addendum with your will stating your intention. This can help guide your family during this difficult time.
Below, you will find suggested wording examples for your will to help clarify your gift intentions to SPECTRUM.
Suggested Wording for Effecting a Bequest in your Will
I give, devise and bequeath to SPECTRUM Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space (dollar amount or gift of property or portion or percent of the residue) to be used in such manner as the organization may direct.
I give, devise and bequeath to SPECTRUM Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space (dollar amount or gift of property or portion or percent of the residue) for the Chrysalis Fund for Mental Health, for disbursement in such manner as the organization may direct.
I give, devise and bequeath to SPECTRUM Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space (dollar amount or gift of property or portion or percent of the residue) to be invested as SPECTRUM Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space sees fit for the purpose of funding an endowment, for meeting annual operating expenditure, or…
After examples 2 or 3 above, the following wording should be included:
Recognizing that at some time in the future it may be found that the income from the fund cannot be usefully applied for the expressed purpose, then the income and capital may be used for any other related purpose approved by SPECTRUM Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space which is within the general aims and objectives of SPECTRUM, keeping in mind the original wishes of the donor.
The receipt of the person who professes to be the proper agent of SPECTRUM Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space to receive this bequest shall be sufficient discharge therefore, and my Trustee shall be under no obligation to see that the trusts thereof are carried out.
Any matching grants obtainable as a result of this bequest shall be used at the discretion of SPECTRUM Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space to ensure or enhance the continuance of the fund for the purposes intended.
Memorandum of Understanding
If you reach out to SPECTRUM to let us know that you are planning to make a bequest, you may wish for us to sign a memorandum of understanding with you about the purposes of your gift or your reasons for giving. Such a memo is not legally binding and can be changed at any time by the donor.
Here is a format for recording our mutual understanding:
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
Between
Donor’s Name:
And SPECTRUM Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space
SPECTRUM Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space is pleased to be designated as a beneficiary of the Estate of (Donor’s Name).
This Memorandum of Understanding is intended to document the intended purpose of this charitable bequest at the time it is received to the mutual consent of the donor(s) and SPECTRUM.
Recognizing that at some time in the future it may be found that the income from the fund cannot be usefully applied for the expressed purpose, then the income and capital may be used for any other related purpose approved by SPECTRUM Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space which is within the general aims and objectives of SPECTRUM, keeping in mind the original wishes of the donor.
The Donor(s): This paragraph should specify thatthe charitable bequest is being made through the Estate of (Name)
Designation of the Gift: This paragraph should outline the intents of the gift; ie. The donor(s) have an expressed interest in supporting the following purposes:
-Transgender services
-Youth services
-etc.
Form of the Gift: This paragraph should provide any specific details regarding the nature of the gift. For example, if it is a gift intended to establish a new fund, specify the form and name of the fund, as well as referring to any relevant policies already in place at SPECTRUM Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space (eg. an investment policy).
Specifications:This paragraph will outline specific intentions as identified by the donor, for example, any eligibility criteria, number of awards, and so on. This may also identify the donor’s secondary wishes should SPECTRUM be unable to fulfill their initial intention.
Independent Advice: It is the strong preference of SPECTRUM that all donors seek independent, qualified advice before making a charitable bequest. SPECTRUM is not privy to all of the donor’s circumstances and is not in a position to provide informed advice on the structure, timing or amount of the gift. SPECTRUM will endeavor to work with the donor’s advisors and executors to make the gift a successful one.
We agree to the Memorandum of Understanding as outlined above:
<signatures>
It is SPECTRUM’s honour to publicly recognize the donations we receive. If you would prefer your bequest to remain anonymous please stipulate that. If you would like to write a brief statement about why you are supporting SPECTRUM we would be very pleased to share this publicly as well.
The day started off frantically, waking up on what would normally have been an idyllic Sunday morning sipping coffee and grabbing brunch with friends. Instead, it was a mad rush to be up at 7am, showered and presentable by 8 am, to dare the journey East toward the glistening lights, endless traffic and colossal glass buildings of Downtown Toronto.
I once read a greeting card that said, “I love you enough to get on the 401 at 5pm for you”. Truer words of affection have never been written, and anyone who has had to endure that test of driving patience, will understand me when I say, that I was grateful that this was a Sunday and not Monday morning.
As we drove towards my Toronto destination, I felt excitement and uncertainty. I had been asked to teach a group of women and non-binary people from an LGBTQ2A+ meetup group a dance routine for fun during their 2-hour weekly picnic in the park. It would be my first time teaching people who weren’t trained dancers, . I had no idea how the day would turn out, especially since I had only learned the steps the night before. But I live my life as an adventure and so regardless of the outcome, I was up for the challenge.
The song the meetup organizer chose was the viral Jerusalema song; back in 2020 you would be hard pressed to open any social media platform and not see or hear a version of the song played at least once. I mean the song was everywhere, and for good reason. The Afro beats, the voice of the singer, the meaning behind the words – it was a masterpiece. To me, the Jerusalama song feels like I am tapping into my ancestral DNA, with the beats, rhythm, and melody touching the deepest part of longing in my soul. Jerusalema was also a movement, unifying the world and offering light during months of silence as we waited through the first waves of our world pandemic.
It was a perfect choice. If a song could have colour, this one would be a brilliant rainbow projecting many colours in one beautiful representation, much like the people who attended the picnic that day = who were of different nationalities, economic backgrounds, different genders, brought together by their need for connection and their desire to try something new.
And dance we did. Within 10 minutes we learned our routine and the true Magic of our day began. As the Jerusalema song played from our speaker on repeat, we laughed and moved, and danced, raising our collective energies until it felt like a ball of light was growing, moving over the park, filling it, and then reaching higher than a tower. I have never experienced anything like it.
Maybe it was the day, which was bright, sunny, and unusually warm for September. Maybe it was because we were all craving human connection. Maybe because it just felt so good to be outside, among our community. Or maybe it was all these things. But every moment was magical. Even now as I recall the day I feel a sense of euphoria and an understanding that this is what it feels like when we let go of all worry, fear, and differences and see each other for why we really are: beautiful souls who just want to dance, laugh, and feel love and connection.
It was a feeling that none of us wanted to let go of, so we continued the day by eating together at a nearby pub, having random photoshoots among the muralled side streets of the Toronto neighbourhood, and sharing more tales. And laughing, oh so much laughter, until we finally though reluctantly (covid be damned) hugged and said goodbye.
By the time I made the journey back to Waterloo my face was stretched wide from laughing, my heart overflowing with joy, and my camera filled with memories of the day. Later I compiled in a video from this footage to remind me and all who were there of this incredible experience. Our homemade Jerusalema video is a priceless treasure that I hold dear, because now whenever I need to feel connected to the Universe I play this video and know that Life will always surprise us with Magic if we allow ourselves the opportunity to be open to it.
SPECTRUM is grateful to have received a grant from the Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation Community Fund, and The Matthew & Rochelle Family Fund to help us develop a new program for the Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer People of Waterloo Region. You can read more about the Racial Equity Fund and other grantees here.
Our work will begin with two community engagement sessions. These will be held virtually on February 15, 2022 and February 22, 2022 from 7-9pm. The sessions will be facilitated by Laureen (Blu) Waters (they/them): Istchii Nikamoon: Earth Song, Wolf clan. Cree/Metis/Micmac, Blu is a member of the Metis Nation of Ontario; and by Musko Giizhigo Ikwe (Red Sky Woman) (she/her) whose English name is Hollee George. Hollee is a Two-Spirit Anishinaabe Ikwe and a SPECTRUM board member.
If you are a Two-Spirit or Indigiqueer person in our community we hope you can join us to help us understand how SPECTRUM can better serve Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer people in what is colonially called Waterloo Region. SPECTRUM is committed to working towards reconciliation and ensuring that our programs, services, and practices are culturally relevant and accessible to Indigenous peoples in our community.
SPECTRUM acknowledges the truth that we are situated on the Haldimand Tract, which is the traditional land of Haudenosaunee and Mississauga Anishinaabe nations. We also recognise the Chinonton Peoples of what has come to be known as the Neutral Nations, a people entirely eliminated by the colonisation of this land.
The land on which we meet, live, love, and work is land that was originally shared with open arms by the Indigenous peoples who have always called this place home with the settlers of this region. We recognise that our presence here has disrupted thousands of years of culture and belonging. The very land upon which the SPECTRUM space exists is at the edge of a great wetland that served as a hunting ground and overwintering space, and is no more than a short distance from villages, feast and ceremony grounds, and settlements.
We also recognize that other Indigenous people from nations or countries beyond Turtle Island are here in Waterloo Region, sometimes because of the colonial legacy of homophobia and transphobia in their countries of origin, and we welcome them. These sessions will be led by Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island but are welcoming to all Indigiqueer people from all nations/countries.
Register here to participate in one of our virtual sessions:
The first 20 registrants for each session will receive either a $20 e-gift card, or a small medicine bundle. We will reach out to registrants to confirm which they would prefer.
We want to centre the voices of survivors of Indian Residential Schools, Indian Day School Survivors, the Sixties Scoop, and the Millennium Scoop. We acknowledge that discussing lived experience of trauma can be re-traumatizing and we would like to invite people in need of holistic or spiritual support to follow up with Hollee at hollee@ourspectrum.com
A National Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former Residential School students. You can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling 24-Hour National Crisis Line: 1.866.925.4419
These two engagement sessions are just the beginning of what we plan to do and we recognize that they will not be comprehensive. We plan for ongoing community engagement in a variety of forms. If you prefer to meet in a one on one setting to provide feedback please email us at info@ourspectrum.com and we will do our best to schedule something with you.
If you would like to help provide feedback but are unable to attend one of the engagement sessions please register anyway! After the sessions, we will email a survey to all who register and we would greatly appreciate your feedback at that time.
Laureen (Blu) Waters
Blu’s family is from Big River Saskatchewan, Star Blanket Reserve and Bra’dor Lake, Eskasoni First Nations, Cape Breton Nova Scotia, and the Red River. Blu grew up with their grandmother and learned about traditional medicines, learning healing methods and care of the sick. Their grandmother also shared her knowledge of the great teachings.
Blu is currently working at Seneca College as an Elder on campus providing traditional teachings and one-to-one counselling. Blu spent 2.5 years working for the National Inquiry for Murdered and Missing Women as a Grandmother to Commissioner Brian Eyelfson and sits on the Grandmother Circle. Blu sits on the Thunder Women Healing Lodge as a Director of the Board.
Blu also sits as the Ontario representative for Metis people with 2 Spirits In Motion Board. Blu also provides ceremony, teaching, and counselling for 2 Spirit People of the First Nations, in Toronto.
Blu was also the national caucus representative for the Toronto Urban Aboriginal strategies for five years working with the community of Toronto and the government. They are also a graduate of DeVry Institute of Technology receiving their business software micro-computer architecture and A+ certification.
Blu’s gifts include: Traditional teachings, giving traditional spirit names, hand drumming, song writer, creative writings, and full moon conductor. Pipe ceremonies and sweat lodge ceremonies and Traditional counselling. Blu is a 2 spirit person, a mother of 3, a grandmother of 3, a sun dancer, and a pipe carrier.
Hollee George (she/her)
Musko Giizhigo Ikwe (Red Sky Woman) or Hollee George’s spirit name means new days or new beginnings and she belongs to the Sturgeon Clan which is a teaching clan. She is a registered section 6(1) status Indian and band member of the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation, located in Southwestern Ontario. She identifies as a Two-Spirit Anishinaabe Ikwe and lesbian. She is a mother, a daughter, a granddaughter, a sister, an auntie, a niece and a cousin. She is a knowledge keeper, carrier of ceremony, a Jingle dress dancer, and a political and social activist.
As a political and social activist, she has taken two systems of governance to the Federal and Provincial Human Rights Commissions. She recently settled a case of discrimination against Two-Spirit people in her home First Nation community and is now working toward holding London Health Sciences Centre accountable for their discrimination and harm caused.
Her post secondary education, employment background and passion is largely Criminal Justice but she has worked in other systems of law that affect Indigenous and queer people. From 2008 – 2019, she pioneered comprehensive Gladue casework as an independent Indigenous entrepreneur across the Province of Ontario. She has worked with two Indigenous dangerous offenders in Canada and her criminal Justice work has been held in high esteem and been presented, on request, to the Ontario Court of Appeal on two occasions.
She furthered her career in legal services by also pioneering Gladue casework in various community legal services clinics across the Province of Ontario; and that legacy remains alive today. She has been a Provincial Inmate Liaison Officer, Child Protection Family Services Worker and Indigenous Child Welfare Services Manager on reserve. She brings a wide perspective and passion for care of the community.
Today, she lives, works and plays on the Haldimand Tract and the City of Kitchener has been her place of residence for almost five years. She lives, works and plays in the queer rainbow community and gives her time to SPECTRUM as a Director and knowledge keeper, Breaking the Silence with Grand Valley Institute, The Social Development Centre Waterloo Region and The KW Multicultural Centre. She is also a student of Indigenous empowerment coaching and though she started her post secondary career in the 90s at Sault College, she is still a student at the University of Western Ontario today.
It is her honour and traditional role and responsibility to continue the work of helping and healing self, family and community.
