Happy Pride Month
In support of Pride this year, we’re sharing a few of our favourite things!
Your VP of Community Development, Julia Bertola, has put together a list of artists to highlight and celebrate the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. See who made the list this year, and share your favourites too.
Artists We Love To Listen To…
Create Stories With Sound
DijahSb
DijahSB is a rapper based in Toronto, Ontario. Inspirational without being preachy, their music is a raw look into the mind of a Black non-binary artist rapping their way through hope, heartbreak, and breakthroughs.
Orville Peck
Orville Peck is a South African, country musician based in Canada. An openly gay man, Peck uses country music as a form of storytelling. He has never shown his face publicly, and shields his face with fringed masks.
Ria Mae
Ria Mae, is a Canadian singer and songwriter from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Mae identifies as part of the 2SLGBTQ+ and has used her music to portray positive lesbian relationships in media.
Books We Love to Dive Into…
Bring Main Character Energy
Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi
Francesca Ekwuyasi's debut novel, Butter Honey Pig Bread is a story of choices and their consequences, of motherhood, of the malleable line between the spirit and the mind, of finding new homes and mending old ones, of voracious appetites, of queer love, of friendship, faith, and above all, family. Ekwuyasi notes that a big part of her work is reconciling with her queerness, "Human relations are muddy. I love my mother AND we don't talk often. I am extremely lonely in Halifax AND I have a loving community.”
The Darkness Outside Us Eliot Schrefer
Ambrose wakes up on the Coordinated Endeavor, with no memory of a launch. There’s more that doesn’t add up: Evidence indicates strangers have been on board, the ship’s operating system is voiced by his mother, and his handsome, brooding shipmate has barricaded himself away. But nothing will stop Ambrose from making his mission succeed—not when he’s rescuing his own sister.
The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag
Fifteen-year-old Morgan has a secret: She can't wait to escape the perfect little island where she lives. She's desperate to finish high school and escape her sad divorced mom, her volatile little brother, and worst of all, her great group of friends...who don't understand Morgan at all. Because really, Morgan's biggest secret is that she has a lot of secrets, including the one about wanting to kiss another girl.
Still Stace: My Gay Christian Coming of Age Story Stacey Chomiak
Is it possible to be gay and Christian? Stacey loves being a Christian, and her favorite place on earth is Bible camp every summer. One summer, she meets a girl who turns everything upside down. Is this feeling she has for her more than just friendship? Could it be a crush? Filled with dread, Stacey embarks on a journey to discover what it means to be gay, whether it is possible to change, and how to reconcile her identity with her faith.
Did you know? Stacey Chomiak is a writer, artist, an LGBTQ speaker, and a Sheridan animation alumni! Stacey will share her experience of her teenage and young-adult years of heartbreak, family conflict, trying to become ex-gay and finding love. Hear Stacey’s story and how she was able to overcome all of these obstacles and learned to love her full self and become the best of everything on Jun. 16, 2022.
Looking for more pride stories? Check out this list of Books That Made Us Proud and stop by the Sheridan Library website for a list of fiction and nonfiction books awarded with Stonewall and LAMBDA Literary Awards.
Movies We Love…
Paved the Path for Future Films
Saving Face (2004)
Wil is at a crossroads between her extremely conservative Chinese family and her identity as a gay woman, and between her life as a surgeon and her blooming love for a free-spirited dancer. Throughout this struggle, her widowed mother is now pregnant, and all of Flushing (Queens, NY) is scandalized by who the father may be. It’s a beautiful and well-paced multigenerational story about the intersections of love and cultural traditions, featuring a happy ending and supportive mothers!
The Watermelon Woman (1996)
A young black lesbian filmmaker probes into the life of The Watermelon Woman, a 1930s black actress who played 'mammy' archetypes. According to writer/director Cheryl Dunye, much about the character she plays in the film is autobiographical, but the historical references to the Watermelon Woman are fictional: "The Watermelon Woman came from the real lack of any information about the lesbian and film history of African-American women. Since it wasn't happening, I invented it.”
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)
A gender-queer punk-rock singer from East Berlin tours the U.S. with her band as she tells her life story and follows the former lover/band-mate who stole her songs. “Filmed in and around suburban Toronto, Hedwig was the low-budget indie rock musical that should have taken the world by storm…except it was released on September 12, 2001. Barely making back half of its tiny $6 million dollar budget, it could have been forgotten – except, like Hedwig herself, it rose like a phoenix from the ashes of defeat to become one of the great icons of queer cinema and a punk-rock star of stage and screen!” - Anthony Oliveira, National Magazine and GLAAD award-winning author.
D.E.B.S (2004)
When four girls ace an SAT test that secretly measures a teen's potential for espionage, they're recruited for the elite paramilitary group D.E.B.S. Despite being top of her class in spy school, Amy falls hard for the elusive villain, Lucy - who happens to also be a teen girl. A true enemies- to-lovers, and also has lesbian icon Holland Taylor. It’s not a good movie, but it’s entertaining, lighthearted, and definitely a fanfic come to life.
Tv Shows We Love
Value Representation On (and Off Screen)
Special (2019)
Actor-writer Ryan O'Connell stars in this semi-autobiographical series based on his memoir. Special **is "a distinctive and uplifting new series about a gay man, Ryan, with mild cerebral palsy who decides to rewrite his identity and finally go after the life he wants.
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
In this reboot of the 1980s original, a magic sword transforms a girl into warrior She-Ra, who unites a rebellion to fight against evil. She-Ra has received critical acclaim, with particular praise for its diverse cast, complex relationships, and queer representation. The sincerity and emotion of the show wouldn’t be possible without the queer representation behind the camera, such as showrunner ND Stevenson who identifies as transmasculine and bigender.
Atypical (2017)
This heartfelt comedy follows Sam, a teenager on the autism spectrum, who has decided he is ready for romance. At a glance, Atypical may not have the obvious queerness, but the show prominently features two out actors, among them Lundy-Paine and Nik Dodani, while also showing lead characters freely explore and express their sexuality.
Owl House (2020)
Accidentally sent to the world of the Boiling Isles before a trip to summer camp, a teenage human named Luz longs to become a witch, with the rebellious Eda and pint-sized demon King at her aid. The show’s creator, Dana Terrace, was very keen on having a variety of queer characters in the show, but was originally discouraged by Disney executives. “I’m bi! I want to write a bi character, dammit!” Terrace tweeted regarding the issue. “Luckily my stubbornness paid off and now I am very supported by current Disney leadership.” Thanks to Terrace, the show features openly queer characters, alongside a riveting plot that is sure to entertain all ages.
Positive Spaces We Love
Welcome & Support All 2SLGBTQIA+ Folks
Moyo Health & Community Services
Based in Brampton, Moyo provides education and support services for people living with, affected by, and and at systemic risk of HIV. Visit them @moyohcs.ca
The 519
The 519 supports the LGBTQ+ community with counselling and programs for youth to seniors, for newcomers, etc; located in Toronto at 519 Church St (at Wellesley). For more info: @the519.org
Positive Space Network
The Positive Space Network builds community and creates safer spaces for 2SLGBTQ+ youth ages 6-24 in Halton Region. Learn more at their website @positivespacenetwork.ca
Sheridan Student Union is excited to celebrate Pride 2022 in-person and honour our commitment to building positive spaces at Sheridan.
Sign up for Sheridan Pride events, tune in to live sessions, and take a look at more Sheridan resources.
Pride crosswalk installation: The crosswalk will be installed at the front entrance of the Davis Campus. Stay tuned for details about the crosswalk.