A new national study shows that Canada’s transgender youth face significant challenges, but are helped by strong family, school and community connections
First-person Bakersfield story explores racial prejudices using comedy
August 20th, 2014 | Posted by in uncategorized - (Comments Off on First-person Bakersfield story explores racial prejudices using comedy)Les Kurkendaal takes Nanaimo Fringe audiences to Bakersfield, California, where his lover’s family lives in all-white isolation
What happens when a man brings his male lover home to his family in Bakersfield, California, for the holidays? Oh, but this isn’t really the crux of the problem: the family has recently and grudgingly accepted their son Mike’s sexual orientation. The real problem begins as Les steps across the threshold of the family’s pricey, gated suburban home. Mike “forgot” to tell his family that his lover is an African American. [source: Cincinnati CityBeat] [image: Les at Nanaimo Museum for Nanaimo Fringe 2014]
Christmas in Bakersfield is being performed at the 2014 Nanaimo Fringe Festival, at the Nanaimo Museum venue.
AIDS Vancouver Island shares its stories to break stigma
November 26th, 2013 | Posted by in uncategorized - (Comments Off on AIDS Vancouver Island shares its stories to break stigma)HIV and AIDS have been with us for thirty years but stigma and its effects continue to create harm
VICTORIA, BC—While this year’s UNAIDS World AIDS Day theme, ‘Getting to Zero’, aims to achieve zero new HIV infections and zero AIDS deaths, it is the goal of getting to zero stigma that is often hardest to attain. Advancements in treatment and broader access to testing have made the first two ‘zero’ goals within reach on Vancouver Island. However, for a coalition of storytellers who are living with HIV in the capital region, stigma remains a harmful and dominant force. (more…)