Tales of the 2SLGBTQ+

As a young kid, Chris L'Amarca suffered from a body pain that she thought all kids experienced. It was only later in life that she realized that her body pain is a rare one. This consistent pain has caused this queer teacher to leave the classroom and focus her entire life on her health. 

We are lucky to have this conversation because earlier this year Chris was saying ‘goodbye’ to loved ones. Somehow, she is with us today and sharing her story on Tales of the 2SLGBTQ+.

This episode is part storytelling but is also full of instruction.  There must be the latter when there is a bunch of rare diseases involved.  These diseases include Addison’s Disease, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Raynaud’s, and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.

And yes . . . you will likely spend time after WebMDing what you have learned.  

Chris shares her story with calm and remarkable poise.  Or should I say instead, L’Amarcable Poise. All of this plus discussion around being a queer instructor and what it means when intersectionality is at play.

Christopher Rice is the recipient of the Lambda Literary Award and is the Amazon charts and New York Times bestselling author of a number of books including A Density of Souls, Bone Music, Blood Echo, and Blood Victory, which is part of the Burning Girl series. 

He published four bestselling New York Times thrillers by the age of 30, and he was declared one of People Magazine's Sexiest Men Alive one year. His work spans multiple genres, including suspense, crime, supernatural thriller, and erotic romance. He has been a Bram Stoker Award finalist two times for his novels - The Heavens Rise and The Vines. 

Christopher and his best friend and producing partner, Eric Shaw Quinn produce the podcast and video network TDPS, which can be found at www.thedinnerpartyshow.com. As mentioned, he writes novels under his name, but he also writes tales of romance between men under the pseudonym C. Travis Rice. Christopher and Douglas are coming together in this episode to talk about Christopher's brand-new book titled Sapphire Storm, which was released in March 2023, 

This episode kickstarts Season 3 of this little podcast that could. This, and every other episode, can be found on all audio podcast sites as well. This episode begins with a tribute to Pam Hofmann who was part of my chosen family and a previous guest on two episodes of Tales of the 2SLGBTQ+. Know that Pam is there as the North Star and will help you get home or where you need to be. 

More information on Christopher can be found at www.christopherricebooks.com

This episode is all about power couple Randall MacDonald and Darcy Kaser, who have recently celebrated their 30th anniversary.

We, of course, touch base on the love story they have written with each other, including their courtship of each other.
 
If you are from Edmonton or Vancouver, you may know Darcy and Randall from the very successful "Call the Kettle Black" franchise they built. For two decades, the store was an institution for everyone who craved the newest and best kitchenware. Darcy took the lead on this, and the blood and sweat led to its success. 

At an early age, Randall was called to be on the stage, and he has continually pursued it. If his name and picture look familiar to you, then you are one to attend shows on stage (musicals, drama, and opera), on the TV screen, and on the silver screen. 

This conversation runs the spectrum of learning more about the fabulous duo and how they have made their relationship work, to the opposite end of learning how Randall grew up in a very religious home and the effects of that upbringing. 

When the podcast episode is titled "Call the Kettle . . . Fabulous", how can you not tune in?!?!

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In addition, 
Darcy is at TierOne Travel working with the Queer community.

Randall can be found at his social media handle @randall_fabulista and his YouTube @therandallchannel

Kathryn Schulz is a staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error. She won a National Magazine Award and a Pulitzer Prize in 2015 for “The Really Big One,” an article about seismic risk in the Pacific Northwest.

Her new memoir, Lost & Found grew out of “Losing Streak,” which was originally published in The New Yorker and later anthologized in The Best American Essays. Her other essays and reporting have appeared in The Best American Science and Nature Writing, The Best American Travel Writing, and The Best American Food Writing. A native of Ohio, she lives with her family on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

In this episode, Kathryn and I discuss her new memoir, memories of her father, and all things that are lost . . . and found.  

2022 has been a year of big change for Devin Grayson.  

Recently married, they have begun the process to be their authentic self. Devin is transgender and it is important for them that other individuals who identify as transgender will have access to resources that leads to success in the workforce.

This desire has brought forth, even more, change as Devin recently left his career in the financial world to create 'Trans Rally'. 

Trans Rally is an organization that unites transgender professionals and allies in order to provide mutual aid. They offer job training and mock interviews for those seeking work and will also provide services like referrals when needed. The members will have access not only towards each other’s talents but will be able to find opportunities through member-only job boards. This will all be done without having any concerns about discrimination because their partner institutions are properly vetted.
More information can be found at www.transrally.org

In this interview, Devin and I discuss 'Trans Rally'.  Its origin and where it will go in the future.  We also get to know Devin as a person and learn about their journey of recognizing they are transgender.  

Another person to become smitten with? A definite 'yes'!

Corine Demas joins 'Tales of the 2SLGBTQ+'   

In this interview, Corine talks about her upcoming Fringe festival play titled, "The Bender." A play that weaves personal poetry throughout as the main character moves beyond the "fuckboys" in their past. Specifically, it is about a complicated relationship between Deloris, a 40-something queer woman, and Jordan, a young trans man who is a poet. 

We also go beyond just the play and have a very real discussion on a variety of topics, including her (lack of) inclusion in the queer community, and navigating the world with a disability. In addition, Corine shares a couple of poems from her recent book"10 20 30 40".  

Corine recently won the 2022 Mowat Diversity Award Winner and share with the audience her plans for the future. 

For more information on the play and Corine, listen to this episode (of course) then check out www.thebender.ca.

Dr. Lulu is a Life Coach in San Antonio, Texas. Her mission is to help parents accept their LGBTQ+ kids without shame or blame.

Dr. Lulu came onto my radar about a year ago via Facebook. Colour me intrigued by this woman creating a safe space for parents of LGBTQIA youths.  In doing some exploration into this woman, I discovered so much more than my initial thought of a mother wanting their child to grow up being happy.  So . . . so much more.  

Dr. Umeh, aka Dr. Lulu “The Momatrician,” is a Nigerian-born International Keynote Speaker on Bullying and Youth Suicide. 

She is an Indie Author and Indie Publisher. Her first book “How to Raise Well-Rounded Children,” debuted at number one on Amazon’s Hot New Releases in the Parenting genre, and is available on her website www.teenalive.com, and on Amazon, in paperback and e-version, and in the Texas Indie library. It received a 5 Star Rating from the Readers Favorites independent review.
Her latest addition in this series is a timely instructional handbook: How to Teach Your Children About Racism" which is a blog that literally went viral and debuted at number 1 in 3 separate categories on Amazon! 

In addition, she also has a book titled “The Warrior Women Project” which I know we will find time to discuss specifically in today’s podcast episode.  
She is also a freelance writer and frequent contributor to online as well as paper publications, including The Black Parenting magazine, The San Antonio Medicine, Parents magazine, The Washington Post to name a few. Her personal blog is www.wordsbyblackbutterfly.com.

Dr. Lulu is on most social media platforms: Facebook and IG as “ask doctor lulu,” as well as Instagram and LinkedIn.

She is a mother of three children. She lives in San Antonio Texas where she practices medicine seeing only at-risk youth.

Vince Spinnato, Cosmetic Chemist and 'Certified Nose', is back for a return engagement on the 'Tales of the 2SLGBTQ+' podcast.  This time to discuss how we was chosen by Lorna Luft, Liza Minnelli and The Judy Garland Heirs Trust to develop a fine fragrance in honor of the late legendary actress, recording artist, and entertainer Judy Garland.

The unisex fragrance, to be called 'Judy' – A Garland Fragrance by Vincenzo Spinnato, will be released on June 10th, 2022 which is Ms. Garland's 100th birthday.

Daughters Lorna Luft and Liza Minelli worked in conjunction with Spinnato to develop 'Judy', which will be reminiscent of their mother's favorite scents, aromas, and perfumes, with a modern twist.  

"It will be a unisex fragrance that captures the essence of Judy Garland and evokes memories of our mother," says Luft.

"It's wonderful to be able to celebrate my mother's legacy in this special way. She would have been thrilled!" says Minnelli. 

In this episode, Vince discusses everything to do with Judy and the work that was done in such a short time to create this product!

Martin Boyce is a Stonewall Riot (Uprising) activist, sharing the story of one of the most pivotal queer/trans action in history. Martin was 19 years old at Stonewall and was part of the uprising.

The Stonewall Riots (also known as the Stonewall Uprising or the Stonewall Rebellion) were a series of spontaneous demonstrations by members of the gay community in response to a police raid that began in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village neighbourhood of New York City. Patrons of the Stonewall, other Village 2SLGBTQIA+ bars, and neighbourhood street people fought back when the police became violent. The riots are widely considered a watershed event that transformed the gay liberation movement and the twentieth-century fight for LGBT rights in Canada and the United States.

Though the uprising didn’t start the gay rights movement, it was a night that inspired many to take up political activism and led to the creation of many gay rights organizations – including the Gay Liberation Front, Human Rights Campaign, and GLAAD.

Haley Dunwoodie is a special education teacher. She works with teenagers with autism and has a degree in sociology education and a master's in leadership. She is currently doing diversity research and focusing on the lived experience of LGBTQ+ youth and what they need for educational leaders to feel safe.

In her current research, she is taking an artography approach where she can make her own lived experience into art. So, this is where she can take a reflexive approach to how her experiences relate to other rainbow people in the world. In her research, she takes a queer lens, which focuses on the power imbalance in society, sexual oppression, and straight privilege. She does an in-depth look into the long-term effects that straight privilege and oppression have on LGBTQ plus youth and the harassment they undergo in school. 

My other guest is Martha Gumprich. They are currently at Simon Fraser university and the faculty of health sciences working towards their masters.

Their research focuses on LGBTQ + and gender minority people and their experience in sport. They aim to help make organized sport, a more inclusive space for LGBTQ plus people and gender minorities. IN April, they received the prestigious graduate scholarship masters award for their research on the experiences of non-binary youth who are participating in organized team sports.  They have begun a national survey that seeks to understand how and where young people in Canada learn about issues related to gender and sexuality to create policy that ensures youth feel safe and affirmed wherever they are.

You can see why I'm excited to bring these two stores together, to talk about this topic.

Fred Dicker was nearing middle age when he came out of the closet.  When he did ... he more than made up for the lost time!

Fred attended a meeting for an Edmonton-based LFBT community group. It was to be the last meeting for that organization however, there was something about Fred that caused that team to turn the reigns over to him that evening. That organization evolved over the years and is now known as the Pride Centre of Edmonton.

Along with serving on the board for many Pride parades and various events, Fred is also recognized as the organizer of the Buck Naked Boys of Edmonton group, a group that celebrated nudism and has been around for over 25 years. In 1998, The ISCWR (Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose) awarded Fred the John DeSmit Memorial Citizen of the Year award.  He got to that point by chance.  

In this conversation, Fred talks about his story. His realization he was gay, the work he has done with others and for the community plus so much more.

Monique Wilson and Scott Bryen join the "Tales of the 2SLGBTQ+" podcast to reflect on their life in the Leather & Kink community.

During this conversation, I jokingly mentioned that briefly, you would say Monique looks like an elementary school teacher and Scott would work on an engine of a car.  This of course is nothing close to reality for either of them.  But it does go to show that there is no distinguished day-to-day markers as to who is in the Leather & Kink scene.

Monique and Scott share why they joined the Leather community and what they have gained as part of this family. Wise words are also expressed when the discussion of consent. Northern Chaps gets a mention as well as Monique discussing the space, she has created for herself as part of a world that is usually categorized by the images of older gay men ala Tom of Finland. This plus so much more is in this ‘Reflections’ episode.   


It is easy to see/hear the love they have for each other and the good hearty relationship
they have.  A friendship that began in the 90s at a munch at the site of the Garage Burger continues today in 2022.   

If you think Lorne Stelmach's story starts and ends with his dramatic weight loss then you aren't fully getting to know the man affectionately known as "Big Daddy".

At his heaviest, Lorne was facing numerous health issues and the thoughts of death were in his mind.  But with certain help and a lot of hard work, Lorne is now half the weight he was before. Yes, we talk about his weight loss journey and the challenges.  

But there is far more.  Due to the death of his mother and father, Lorne was raised by a grandmother who at the age of 60 herself began raising her grandchildren.  The teachings of this woman led to Lorne's career in healthcare and was the start where Lorne has been able to display his greatest strength: his heart.  

In this episode of "Tales of the 2SLGBTQ+', Lorne and I cover many topics. His childhood, his blood, and his chosen family, the International Court System, the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wildrose,  dating in the gay community, and helping a young man return to PEI.  That and so much more.

Another week and another wonderful conversation with someone you should meet.

Michael Bach is nationally and internationally recognized as a thought leader and subject matter expert in the fields of IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility), bringing a vast knowledge of leading practices in a live setting to his work. He is the founder of the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI). 

In his first book, Birds of All Feathers: Doing Diversity and Inclusion Right, Michael argues that creating diverse, inclusive workplaces is not just the right thing to do—it is the smart thing to do. Birds of All Feathers is a Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, and Amazon best-seller, and the recipient of the silver 2020 Nautilus Book Award in the category of Rising to the Moment. 

Now, he’s back with his second book, Alphabet Soup: The Essential Guide to LGBTQ2+ Inclusion at Work. This book is dedicated to every 9-year old lesbian, gay, bisexual, Trans*, queer, and two-spirit kids out there, struggling to figure out who they are, in the hopes that it will help create a world where you can be your fabulous self and not feel any shame. 

Michael’s goal in writing this book is to work toward a world where homophobia, transphobia, and biphobia are things of the past. Where everyone can be themselves. Covering chapters such as Breaking Down the Alphabet and The Importance of Safe Space, Michael shows the importance of allyship in the workplace and engages with employees, as well as interactions with volunteers, students, parishioners, or just everyday people on the street. 

Alphabet Soup was released  on March 29, 2022.

In January 2022, Greg Howard and I discussed his new YA book, "The Visitors". A fantastic book that is led by a young gay character named Will Perkins.  In this novel, homosexuality, homophobia, slavery, love for a grandparent are all featured with elements of mystery and suspense.

The old English teacher in me wanted to hear about the book through the words of someone in the age group this book is intended for. Enter Kade Pich who may not know it, but will be a future leader in our Rainbow community.  They are learning more about themself everyday and in this discussion, astutely connected 'The Visitors' to their own life.  

We are joined in the conversation by the author of 'The Visitors' who continued the discussion with us and sharing information that had not been shared in his solo episode (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keTB9jIqsbs).

In addition to discussing the book, we also talked about the 'Dont Say Gay' that is taking place in Florida and banned books.

There is no doubt that I cherish my time getting to know and learn from Liz Massiah.  She has been there and her influence has paved the way for a lot of what our community has achieved.

In this conversation, we discuss GALA's early roots and what came to be with the organization.  This led to a discussion regarding Delwin Vriend and the Supreme Court case that made it so people within our rainbow community could not be fired based on their sexuality.  

Liz discusses a traumatic day in her life when she was removed from Womonspace and the lasting effect it has had on her.  But from that low point, Liz describes creating space as well as 'popcorn' and what can happen with that kernel.  Wisdom and truth.  That is Liz Massiah.

 With 20 years in the squared circle, 'Ravenous' Randy Myers has seen it all.  The ups and downs. The armlocks and the Irish Whips. He has taken a beating for his craft, yet here is today craving more.

In this episode of 'Tales of the 2SLGBTQ+', Randy and I discuss many subjects including how he fits within this rainbow community we call home.  Of course, the topics begin with his training with a revived Stampede Wrestling . . . to wrestling in Alberta . . . to being signed by the WWE . . . to moving to the West Coast . . . to becoming the DEFY champion . . . to mental health . . . to standup comedy . . . to returning to Alberta for the Love Wrestling promotion . . . to the space filled between.

Come meet one of the nicest guys in professional wrestling and become smitten.  It is easy to cheer on the Weirdo Hero Ravenous Randy Myers as he pins yet another opponent 

In 2014, Zaylore Stout took a drive across the country. State line after state line, he found himself detouring to landmarks of the LGBT+ heroes and history in each new place. And so, like a travel guide through the LGBT+ past and present, Our Gay History in Fifty States was born.   Yes it’s a book … but really … its an encyclopedia of facts and figures.  

Encompassing all fifty states as well as Washington, DC, and island territories, Our Gay History in Fifty States documents the highs and lows of American LGBT+ history. In its pages, you'll learn about LGBT+ presidents and Two-Spirit warriors, the inclusive progression of the gay rights movement, iconic orange juice boycotts, and the true origin of vogue dancing. From the childhood homes of historical figures to the safe spaces of grassroots organizations, this book is filled with destinations for those on their own local or cross-country tours of the past.

Zaylore serves as a fierce advocate on LGBT issues. 
Through his law firm, Zaylore Stout & Associates, LLC he’s represented HIV+ and transgender employees who were discriminated against at work. He volunteers through the LGBT Law Clinic and serves on the board for RECLAIM, an LGBTQIA+ nonprofit. He also ran for City Council in St. Louis Park where he championed the call for the passage of a Gender Inclusion Policy to protect transgender and gender non-conforming youth in schools. 
In November 2017, he gave an impassioned speech at the Quorum’s National Coming Out Day Luncheon alongside Judy Shepard. His law firm was recently selected by the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal for their Business of Pride award, and he was also won a contest putting him on the cover of Lavender Magazine.

Zaylore Stout & Associates - http://www.stoutslaw.com/
Our Gay History in 50 States - https://www.gay50states.com/
Project Implicit - https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html

Janis Irwin was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta as the representative for Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood on April 16, 2019. Janis serves as the Official Opposition Deputy Whip and the Critic for Status of Women and LGBTQ2S+ Issues.

Prior to being elected, Janis was a high school teacher and vice principal in rural Alberta. Edmonton soon became home when she began working for Alberta Education as the Senior Manager, Social Studies, and then as the Executive Director for High School Curriculum. 

Janis holds a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Alberta and a master’s degree in education from the University of Calgary. She has served as a board member and volunteer with many community organizations. Janis loves getting outside, biking, running, and exploring Edmonton’s beautiful river valley.

Today on ‘Tales of the 2SLGBTQ+’, we talk to Janis Irwin about her background, politics and everything in between.

Dakshima Haputhanthri is a (former) Attorney from Sri Lanka and now a Registered social worker. She is passionate about creating safe spaces in the community, Diversity and Inclusion, Equality and LGBTQ2S+ support, mental health, community capacity building, and programming for youth.

As a queer woman of colour, she has said she struggled immensely to find her way in Calgary, and now completing five years here, she would say it’s a home away from home for her.

Advocacy and Volunteering are her ways of giving back to the community. She volunteers with many organizations either as a board member or as an advisor, City of Calgary, Calgary Police Services, University of Calgary - Faculty of Social Work are some of the places she volunteers.

She is the founder of Dilipani and a Rainbow Light Woman where she provides support and guidance to those who are struggling to come out and help bridge the relationships between them and their families. She herself has gone through tumultuous struggles and trauma in coming out and she wants to be that safe space and guiding light to someone who needs her.