Queer in Alberta: Recent Episodes
Kelsey
This project started after one little video about feelings of queer scarcity in Alberta was seen by nearly 30,000 Albertans on TikTok who felt the same way. Follow Kels, a queer Filipina-Canadian and anthropologist in training, as she interviews fellow 2SLGBTQIA+ Albertans to share their stories of being Queer in Alberta.
GRAB LIFE BY BOTH HORNS AND RIDE IT LIKE THE STAMPEDE BUCKING BRONCO 🐎🌈🔥
Two years ago, Kels (she/her) received a message in her inbox from Michelle (she/they,) an individual from Calgary who wanted to tell her story. Neither of them knew what to expect, or that the conversation they had would lay the ground for everything Queer in Alberta is today.
Kels invites Michelle back onto the show to catch up and the two have a conversation about the overlap in neurodivergent, queer experiences, and the power of authenticity.
TICKETS: QUEER IN ALBERTA S2 SCREENING IN YYC WITH KELS, LAVENDER CLUB, AND LIVE PERFORMANCE FROM FRANCHESKA DYNAMITES
https://www.showpass.com/lavenderclubxqueerinalberta/
FOLLOW MICHELLE
https://trimalkin.blogspot.com/
FOLLOW KELS/QUEER IN ALBERTA
https://www.instagram.com/kels.valendela/
https://www.tiktok.com/@kels.valendela
MY TRUCK KNOCKED MY WIG INTO THE PRAIRIES 🛻🌈✨
Poppy Puffter (she/her) always knew she would leave the 200 population town of Enchant, Alberta. What she didn't know was leaving would take her on a journey of embracing her queerness and discovering a love for the art of drag. Poppy reflects on her journey in the Lethbridge studio with Kels and together, they share in the challenges and joys of small town and queer existence.
FOLLOW POPPY
https://www.instagram.com/poppypuffter?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
FOLLOW BABES & BREWS
https://www.instagram.com/babesnbrewsyql?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
FOLLOW KELS/QUEER IN ALBERTA
https://www.instagram.com/kels.valendela/
Get ready for Lethbridge’s Prairie Queen 🇵🇭🌈 Meet Francheska Dynamites (she/her), a Filipino drag queen and advocate based in Sikoohkotoki (Lethbridge). Francheska teaches Kels Beki Language (Filipino gay slang) and shares her journey of becoming Southern Alberta's Prairie Queen.SEE YOU IN TWO WEEKS with POPPY PUFFTER (YQL)FOLLOW FRANCHESKA:https://www.instagram.com/francheskadynamites?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== FOLLOW KELS/QUEER IN ALBERTA:https://www.instagram.com/kels.valendela/https://www.tiktok.com/@kels.valendelaProduced with the support of Telus Storyhive. 💜
What's it like to be Desi and queer? Meet Subiksha Subramani (she/her), a bisexual Desi content creator and advocate based in Mohkinstsis (Calgary). Subiksha introduces Kels to Desi culture and opens up about queerness, acceptance, and some of the ways we can support queer loved ones undergoing challenging relationships with family. Subiksha also talks about Rang de Pride, where she hosts South Asian Queer events in Calgary.
SEE YOU IN TWO WEEKS with FRANCHESKA DYNAMITES 🇵🇭 ✨(YQL)
FOLLOW SUBIKSHA/RANG DE PRIDE:
https://www.instagram.com/queerlysubiksha/
https://www.instagram.com/rangdepride/
https://www.tiktok.com/@queerlysubiksha
FOLLOW KELS/QUEER IN ALBERTA:
https://www.instagram.com/kels.valendela/
https://www.tiktok.com/@kels.valendela
Produced with the support of Telus Storyhive. 💜
Ever wanted to go to a queer art market? Or what about a sapphic film screening featuring a live Q&A with a panel of lesbian elders? These are just a handful of the accessible, sober and sapphic focused events hosted by Lavender Club in Calgary, Alberta. Kels sits down in the Lethbridge studio with founders Amanda, Bellamy, and Jasmine to talk about their work highlighting the creativity and joy of Calgary's Sapphic/Queer community, and how everything is a little better when it's a little more gay.
Produced with the support of Telus Storyhive. <3
FOLLOW KELS/QUEER IN ALBERTA:
IG: @kels.valendela
TikTok: @kels.valendela
FOLLOW LAVENDER CLUB:
IG: @lavenderclubyyc
TikTok: @lavenderclubyyc
This episode of Queer in Alberta was sponsored by Lunchbox Theatre and Chromatic Theatre in YYC. Massive massive thank you to both of these beautifully creative orgs in Calgary, I can't wait for you to hear all about their latest co-production, Kisapmata!
"The Tagalog word “kisapmata” means “blink of an eye.” It’s also the title of a punk banger by Filipino band, Rivermaya. Inspired by this song, this new Canadian play tells the love story of two Filipino women—one living here in Canada and the other, born and raised in the Philippines. Through intimate vignettes, we see the longing, the diving in, and eventually, the letting go."
Get ready for this conversation with Bianca Miranda (she/they), the playwright behind Kisapmata. We talk all about the play and the numerous intersections that come with our experiences of being pinoy and queer in Alberta. PLUS IT'S REALLY FUNNY, I HOPE YOU LOVE <3
GET TICKETS:
https://tickets.lunchboxtheatre.com/TheatreManager/1/login?event=0
FOLLOW BIANCA/LUNCHBOX/CHROMATIC:
INSTA:@thebiancanator
@lunchboxyyc
@chromatictheatreFOLLOW KELS/QUEER IN ALBERTA:TIKTOK:@_kelsifer INSTA:@kels.valendela
juliany taveras (they/them/elle) is a storyteller from Ayití Bohio (Dominican Republic) by way of Lenapehoking (New York City). Kels asks them about their new play, Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress running with the Children's Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The pair talk crafting diverse stories, about the life pathways that influence us, and emphasize why it's so important to uplift queer and trans youth onstage today.
https://childrenstheatre.org/
https://childrenstheatre.org/whats-on/morris-micklewhite/ FOLLOW JULIANY:julianytaveras.com Instagram: @lomanichiku FOLLOW KELS: Tiktok: _kelsifer Instagram: __kelsifer
Ending season one with a bang! Kels chats with Shaneen and Paveena to talk about Stonewall Recovery Centre, Canada's first 2SLGBTQIA+ addictions treatment centre that started with a dream in Calgary, Alberta. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------TELUS STORYHIVE supports compelling, original stories told by creators from British Columbia and Alberta through production funding, training and distribution to new audiences. Find out more: https://www.storyhive.com---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Connect with us:STORYHIVE Twitter - / storyhive STORYHIVE Facebook - / storyhive STORYHIVE Instagram - / storyhive STORYHIVE TikTok - / storyhive
Meet Haley (she/they/he), a two-spirit, Cree Filipino who grew up in Calgary, Alberta. Kels hears about Haley's experience growing up disconnected from their cultural identity and the journey of reconnecting while discovering your queerness.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------TELUS STORYHIVE supports compelling, original stories told by creators from British Columbia and Alberta through production funding, training and distribution to new audiences. Find out more: https://www.storyhive.com---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Connect with us:STORYHIVE Twitter - https://twitter.com/storyhiveSTORYHIVE Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/storyhiveSTORYHIVE Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/storyhive/STORYHIVE TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@storyhive
Oki! Kels sits down with Ryan Crosschild (he/they) from the Kainai Nation. Ryan tells Kels about the importance of understanding queerness from a cultural lens for a powerful conversation about diversifying queer spaces today.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------TELUS STORYHIVE supports compelling, original stories told by creators from British Columbia and Alberta through production funding, training and distribution to new audiences. Find out more: https://www.storyhive.com---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Connect with us:STORYHIVE Twitter - https://twitter.com/storyhiveSTORYHIVE Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/storyhiveSTORYHIVE Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/storyhive/STORYHIVE TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@storyhive
Meet Alexis (she/her) the creator of Stump Kitchen in Edmonton, Alberta. Using her "stump" in the kitchen, Alexis creates powerful representation about limb differences and tells Kels about living authentically, queer, and disabled in Edmonton. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------TELUS STORYHIVE supports compelling, original stories told by creators from British Columbia and Alberta through production funding, training and distribution to new audiences. Find out more: https://www.storyhive.com---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Connect with us:STORYHIVE Twitter - https://twitter.com/storyhiveSTORYHIVE Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/storyhiveSTORYHIVE Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/storyhive/STORYHIVE TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@storyhive
Meet Paxton (they/she/he), a quadruple trans eight year old superstar living in Lethbridge, Alberta. Paxton and mum, Heather (she/her) tell Kels all about growing up genderfluid in Southern Alberta and demonstrate the power of a loving family.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------TELUS STORYHIVE supports compelling, original stories told by creators from British Columbia and Alberta through production funding, training and distribution to new audiences. Find out more: https://www.storyhive.com---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Connect with us:STORYHIVE Twitter - https://twitter.com/storyhiveSTORYHIVE Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/storyhiveSTORYHIVE Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/storyhive/STORYHIVE TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@storyhive
Kels sits down with HotWheelz (she/they/he), an up and coming disabled filipina drag superstar from Edmonton. The two talk about the intricacies of disability, accessible spaces for all performers, and about their shared mixed identity.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------TELUS STORYHIVE supports compelling, original stories told by creators from British Columbia and Alberta through production funding, training and distribution to new audiences. Find out more: https://www.storyhive.com---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Connect with us:STORYHIVE Twitter - https://twitter.com/storyhiveSTORYHIVE Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/storyhiveSTORYHIVE Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/storyhive/STORYHIVE TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@storyhive
Lethbridge local Kels Delamarter sits down with Alissa Takahashi from Edmonton. Alissa asks Kels about what it was like growing up in rural Alberta, coming out, and the pair share in their experience of being mixed and queer on the Canadian prairies.------------------------------------------------------------------------TELUS STORYHIVE supports compelling, original stories told by creators from British Columbia and Alberta through production funding, training and distribution to new audiences. Find out more: https://www.storyhive.com------------------------------------------------------------------------Connect with us:STORYHIVE Twitter - https://twitter.com/storyhiveSTORYHIVE Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/storyhiveSTORYHIVE Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/storyhive/STORYHIVE TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@storyhive
To have a conversation with me and to protect his identity, this week's guest will remain unnamed. In this episode, we speak with a dear friend of mine who is trans and stealth in Edmonton, Alberta. We talk about the factors that motivated his decision to keep his transition private, how he still feels proud despite not being out, and we establish ground rules on what to avoid asking your trans friends. FOLLOW KELS/QUEER IN ALBERTA:TIKTOK:@_kelsifer INSTA:@__kelsifer
Lex (they/them) is a non-binary screenwriter working in downtown Calgary, Alberta. When they first reached out to me, they wanted to talk about the close knit queer community that they found in the city. But by the time we filmed together, the rise in anti-trans/anti-drag hate in the United States had begun to make it's way into Calgary. We talk about the ways Lex has seen the community band together in a manner that is very grassroots and definitely very queer to maintain that hate is not welcome in Calgary.
FOLLOW LEX: INSTA: @lex_schmidt_
TIKTOK: @phrosey.ca
FOLLOW KELS/QUEER IN ALBERTA: TIKTOK: @_kelsifer INSTA: @__kelsifer
Meet Makaylah Rogers (they/them), a business owner who serves up community, mental health, and queer representation over donuts at Frankie D's in Canmore, Alberta. Makaylah is an advocate in their community for reducing the stigma around talking about mental health, queerness, and gender diversity. Together, we also reflect on the aftermath of the Valbella incident that sent waves through the queer community not just in Alberta, but nationally across Canada. NOTE: The interview was recorded in fall 2022 and it is important to recognize that this is the time frame that Makaylah is speaking from.
FOLLOW MAKAYLAH: INSTA: @frankiedsdonuts @inthemesswithmak
FOLLOW KELS/QUEER IN ALBERTA: TIKTOK: @_kelsifer INSTA: @__kelsifer
Back with a BANG! I am so happy to introduce Cassie (she/her) based in Calgary, Alberta. Future theatre design technician and artist, Cassie reached out to me back in the fall on behalf of the University of Calgary's Graduate Student Association's Gender and Sexuality Subcollective (GSA^2). We've linked up again to share her experiences of moving from BC to Alberta, and to talk about Newbie Night, a night where UCalgary students will have the chance to get into drag for the first time and to perform in front of a live audience and we want YOU to come! FOLLOW CASSIE:INSTA:@cassiopeia_holmes FOLLOW KELS/QUEER IN ALBERTA:TIKTOK:@_kelsifer INSTA:@__kelsifer COME TO NEWBIE NIGHT:https://gsa.ucalgary.ca/product/drag-...
Business owner, queer advocate, and trans model?? Chinese-Canadian Cece Chow (she/her) from Calgary truly does it all. At the age of 42, Cece came out to her family and friends as trans. Listen as she shares her story of what it was like to grow up in Alberta in the 70's while not understanding what she was feeling, and the journey of embracing her identity as a trans woman. An inspiration to all, Cece continues to break boundaries in our province today. FOLLOW CECE: TIKTOK/INSTAGRAM: @thetransplanter FOLLOW KELS/QUEER IN ALBERTA: TIKTOK: @_kelsifer
Meet José (they/he,) a student from St. Albert, Alberta. José and Kels talk about immigrant experiences of queerness and the power of diverse representation within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Coming from an incredible family, José shares how their parents views have evolved and changed over time, and how the power of their love and support has enabled them to be the confident young person they are today.
FOLLOW José :
TikTok: @king__platypus
FOLLOW KELS/QUEER IN ALBERTA:
TikTok: @_kelsifer
Meet Nic (he/him) a twenty-one year old student from Edmonton who started his transition just two weeks before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nic tells Kels about the challenges of growing up in a deeply religious home while also experiencing gender dysphoria and questioning his identity. Fiercely protective, Nic shares his story in the hopes that others will not have to experience what he has, and his education based philosophy is a testimony to the power that can come from embracing who you are.
FOLLOW NIC:
TikTok: @kingnicolas.s.r
FOLLOW KELS/QUEER IN ALBERTA:
TikTok: @_kelsifer
Have you ever felt alone or like you were the only person from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community living out on the Canadian prairies? Trick question. We've all felt this way at one point or another and my hope is to show you how simply untrue that stereotype is. Through this series, you'll hear me talk to everyday Albertans who are living their lives proudly and vibrantly, whether they're from Calgary or Edmonton or the smaller towns that lay between. This series is about building community and sharing the stories of those of us who just so happen to be Queer in Alberta.
Meet Grace (she/they) a nineteen year old student from Calgary and lifelong athlete. Grace tells Kels about coming into their queer identity, fears of acceptance amongst fellow teammates, and the power of support from others when facing ignorance. FOLLOW GRACE: TikTok: @grracehill FOLLOW KELS/QUEER IN ALBERTA: TikTok: @_kelsifer
Today's episode is very special. Meet Michelle (she/her), the first person that Kels every interviewed for the Queer in Alberta interview series. After only having come out two weeks prior to connecting, Michelle was a light of bravery and strength. Working in Calgary's K-12 school system, Michelle carries a passion for learning, language, and for encouraging others to find the bravery to be your authentic self. FOLLOW MICHELLE: TikTok: @trimalkin FOLLOW KELS/QUEER IN ALBERTA: TikTok: @_kelsifer
Kels sits down with Alix (she/her), a bisexual elementary school teacher from Stettler, Alberta. Alix introduces Kels to the work that she does with her own podcast, Small Town Not Small Minds. Alix dismantles stereotypes about queerness and small town life, as well as creates invaluable representation and safe learning spaces for her students.
FOLLOW ALIX/SMALL TOWN NOT SMALL MINDS
TikTok: @smalltownnotsmallminds
Insta: @smalltownnotsmallminds
PODCAST AVAILABLE ON:
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anchor
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spotify
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apple podcast
FOLLOW KELS/QUEER IN ALBERTA:
TikTok: @_kelsifer
Youtube: @queerinalberta
Kels sits down with Kaine (he/they), a non binary/trans piercer in Banff. Kaine introduces Kels to the work he does to make his clients feel safe and respected as their authentic selves. He also talks about the importance of establishing queer friendly business spaces, the trust that should always exist between you and your piercer, and shares his unique perspective on the queer community in Alberta as someone who moved here from Ontario and only began physically transitioning here as an adult.
FOLLOW KAINE:
TikTok: @kaine.carrion
Insta: @pierced.by.kaine (piercing account)
@kal.varrium (drag account)
FOLLOW KELS/QUEER IN ALBERTA:
TikTok: @_kelsifer
Kels sits down with Alissa, a non-binary teacher in Edmonton, Alberta. Together, they talk about the overlap in experiences of growing up mixed and queer on the prairies, about the lasting effects of the #buryyourgays trope, and Alissa opens up about the happiness found in being your authentic self.
FOLLOW ALISSA
Insta: @alissataki
FOLLOW KELS/QUEER IN ALBERTA
TikTok: @_kelsifer
Meet Madi, an MA Anthropology candidate from Edmonton, Alberta. Madi and Kels talk about bisexual representation, the impact of positive reinforcement and support when coming out, and queering up anthropology, one crop top at a time.
FOLLOW MADI
TikTok: @madisonbadger
FOLLOW KELS/QUEER IN ALBERTA
TikTok: @_kelsifer
Kels sits down with Paisley, a nurse living in Edmonton, Alberta. Together they talk about the experience of being a minority within a minority, finding representation, and being BIPOC individuals in Alberta.
Follow Paisley
TikTok: @pais
Follow Kelsey/Queer in Alberta
TikTok: @_kelsifer
Happy Pride and National Indigenous History Month! Today, we are celebrating pride and our first episode with Sabryn, a sapphic poet from Edmonton/St. Albert. Kels and Sabryn talk about queer history in Alberta, queer guilt and religious upbringings, the power of art, and Sabryn takes one big step on her own personal journey.
Correction to the queer history in Alberta that we discuss, this incident did not take place at the U of A! This happened to Delwin Vriend at The King's College (now The King's University).
Follow Sabryn
Instagram: @sabrynjonespoetry
TikTok: @baby.idiot
Follow Kels/Queer in Alberta
TikTok: @_kelsifer