the Project: represent
Through the creation and dissemination of video capsules focusing on current vocabulary and the issues, realities, and joys of young QTBIPOC and 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, and the organization of a workshop-style conference by and for QTBIPOC youth workers and/or those at the intersection of other marginalized identities, we aim to increase accessibility to information and sharing for the most vulnerable youth we serve. The video capsules will be in multiple languages spoken by the diverse population of Quebec, particularly in French and Indigenous languages.
represent video series
A 30-video series talking about the different types of 2LGBTQIA + QTBIPOC Representation in Quebec.
Chosen family
The Chosen Family is often talked about in the 2SLGBTQIA community, and in this 9 video serie,s we explored that by talking to :
Traditional Queer Family: How queer people are creating families (making babies, co-parenting, etc.)
Ballroom Family: Why it’s a chosen family system, how it supports and uplifts.
Chosen Families: 2SGLBTQIA+ folks who say their friends are their chosen family
Chosen family
Lucy
Meet Lucy, a full time mother of 2 who also creates portals into healing through bodywork. Lucy is a neurodivergent virgo sun, leo moon and libra cusp (with mars and venus placements also in libra) who accompanies and supports her children in fully be(com)ing themselves.
“I love being a parent, it’s demanding but, for me, it’s easy.”
Lucy spent 15 years working with(in) and for communities during which she supported youth and adults alike while moving through the various mechanisms of organizational structures. Lucy took part in the development of autonomie alimentaire, worked with and for vulnerable and marginalized parents, and supported teenagers in becoming active, critical, and responsible adults. She has always been involved in the mutual fostering of autonomy and this is reflected in her mothering.
Today, Lucy invests her time in 1-on-1 work. As a neurodivergent person, Lucy finds this 1-on-1 approach more energetically sustainable and appreciates how it allows her to engage in deep(er) healing work with each person she cares for.
“One person at a time is also ok, in the context of healing.”
Video premieres on December 29th
Chosen family
Mavendra\Noor
Meet Manvendra/Noor, a 27 year old artist, writer, and documentary filmmaker who continuously creates chosen-family by seeking and offering spaces of care as they move through the world. They arrived in Montreal, from Delhi, 8 months ago to begin their PhD in comparative literature. Within their master's thesis, they explored queer perceptions of home through the lens of performance and everyday life.
“When there’s diversity, there’s people who are always willing to welcome you”
In 2024, Manvendra/Noor co-directed a documentary, B25, about their chosen family in Delhi, which premiered in Bhubaneswar before touring the Indian and Turkish festival circuits. At the heart of the film is the room they inhabited with their chosen kin – the ephemeral nature of the space and the meaning that queer and trans presence infused it with.
“It’s important for us queer, trans, and visibly gendered folks to know we can be together in times of crisis”
Manvendra/Noor describes chosen family as a space that, through proximity, involves conflict/friction yet still creates portals into utopia – a space in which agency can be both recognized and supported, where people can (begin to) live. They have various interests and are always trying new things, letting their mind wander in all places at all times. They like to explore different mediums in their art practice with performance being their major interest as a space to explore the idea and meaning(s) of home.
“Giving recognition to alternative kinds of belonging, that's the way forward, for sure.”
Chosen family
Barbara
Barbara is a queer Mexican immigrant living in Montreal, navigating a world where she doesn't fit all the traditional boxes. She is an herbalist, abortion doula, performer, and a single mother whose first language is Spanish and third language is French. As a "late bloomer, she has been working to understand herself in relation to heteropatriarchy and internalized homophobia, facing these issues both internally and socially as a femme-presenting lesbian. Working as an abortion doula has highlighted for her the importance of education about abortion and comprehensive care before and after the procedure, recognizing how difficult that decision can be and emphasizing the significance of bodily autonomy. Follow-up support and judgment-free conversations are crucial.
Since her first language is Spanish and French is her third, she often struggles to find time to learn more French or access services. Taking a French course isn't a priority or easily accessible when raising a child. She and her daughter are like a tree with many branches of support, including her sister, friends, and partner. She is raising her daughter with lots of love, and all types of queer people are surrounding her with a community and family.
“You can kiss a girl in public, not only in the bathroom. Being affectionate is safe. “
Chosen family
Lanzz
From Martinique, Lanzz is a Black, gender non-conforming sneakerhead and parent who works at Coalition des familles LGBT+. For Lanzz, family isn’t limited to two people — it can be chosen, it can be four people, or even a small village.
Through their work at the Coalition, Lanzz sees firsthand that while 2SLGBTQIA+ families have the right to equal access, they still face many barriers. Something as simple as a form can be a reminder of exclusion — like having to cross out “father” because you’re two moms, or a mom and someone who’s non-binary.
Lanzz is deeply committed to connecting with BIPOC families and acknowledges the complexity of navigating between community and culture. For many Caribbean people, cultural expectations and 2SLGBTQIA+ community life can feel worlds apart — sometimes you have to choose one over the other.
La Coalition des familles LGBT+ est un organisme communautaire de défense des droits qui vise la reconnaissance sociale et légale des familles issues de la diversité sexuelle et de la pluralité des genres.
Chosen family
Jodie -Ann and Rachel
Meet Jodie-Ann, a Libra, and Rachel, an Aquarius, who found each other in love and are now embarking on the transformative journey of parenthood alongside each other. The couple met nine years ago on OkCupid and have been married for five years. Today, they are proud parents of their 15-month-old baby, Zora, a Gemini, completing their fully air sign family! Not to mention their two cats, whom the couple playfully describe as Zora’s siblings.
Rachel and Jodie-Ann are vocal about their experiences as Black, Queer parents navigating Quebec’s healthcare, bureaucracy, and parenting communities.
“I feel like sometimes people on the outside might not understand that we are both parents…We’ve definitely had it happen where either one of us was called the ‘auntie.’”
Jodie-Ann (They / Them) is a Registered Social Worker, special care counselor, and yoga facilitator. Their practice focuses on providing affirming and trauma informed care and counselling to BIPOC, Queer, and Trans individuals, organizations, and communities. Rachel (She / Her) is a certified homebody, self proclaimed former “corporate bitch”, and currently a stay at home mama for little Zora.
Both feel empowered and proud of the family they have created but also struggle to see themselves and their family represented within Quebec’s institutions and the mainstream culture.
The couple are also not shy about sharing the joys and trials of pursuing medically assisted reproduction in Montreal. An experience that can be both life-changing and challenging at the same time.
“If you wanna go through the route of medically assisted reproduction, it can be expensive, it can be really invasive, it’s not very romantic…so for some people, it doesn’t feel super accessible and especially if you’re racialized you might not really want to like deal with all of that.”
While grateful for the resources they were able to access as queer parents, both Jodie-Ann and Rachel lament that there is still much work left to do in the recognition and support of non-heteronormative families in Montreal.
“In Quebec…structurally, there is no structure really for Queer families within the bureaucracy.”
Chosen family
Old Navy
Meet Rise and Silver, members of the House of Old Navy! They openly express what life is like in the ballroom community, the responsibilities that come with being part of a chosen family, and the pivotal role this culture has played in uplifting marginalized communities.
“Ballroom is, in itself, a protest. It’s helping [by] having a support system and representation for Black and People of Colour.”
Rise is the House Princess, and Silver is the House Godfather of Old Navy’s Montreal chapter. The two have an intimate understanding of what these familial roles mean in ballroom culture and how people embody them for their community:
“It’s more about the roles and the presence than it is about authority and having a hierarchical structure.”
In the culture, Rise specializes in ‘Women’s Performance’ while Silver is a ‘Pop, Dip, & Spin’ extraordinaire.
However, outside of ballroom, Rise is a Taurus, a kinesiologist, dancer, and multidisciplinary artist from Montreal. Silver is a Libra, journalist, editor, and media specialist originally from Drummondsville but now based in Montreal. Both are also community organizers who run the Ballroom 4 community collective, an organization that aims to foster connections by organizing ballroom events, parties, awards shows, and other cultural activities that center on Queer arts.
“It’s a space for people to push and embrace their version of themselves and also to push their artistry, their creativity, and for them to be as Queer as they want to be, and as free and as liberated.”
Rise and Silver proudly flaunt their House and give flowers to their Legendary House Father, Ali. The pair emphasize the role ballroom plays in enriching their own lives and the lives of many other Queer folks who lack the support they need from their biological families, Quebec governments, and mainstream culture as a whole.
“At the core, we’re here for each other. So there’s a space for you too, if you want.”
Chosen family
Seriz
Meet Seriz! Seriz is a nb / proud asexual radical accessibility advocate, community organizer, and member of the Rainbow Spice Collective / Collectif Mille Couleurs. Seriz also dabbles in cultural work, including navigating ballroom spaces for a time, and helping set in motion the Montreal ‘Cherry Punk’ scene.”
Seriz describes themselves as an ‘international Haitian’ who has travelled to many countries and called many places home, until finally arriving in Montreal in 2021. As someone who understands what it’s like to live at the intersections of marginalizations such as race, disability, and neurodivergence, Seriz is outspoken about ensuring the realities of differently abled people are brought to the forefront.
Much like Seriz, Rainbow Spice Collective specializes in bringing a little radical spice to as many spaces as possible. Seriz echoes their values by emphasizing the importance of building bonds between marginalized communities through joy, art, and mutual aid. Rainbow Spice Collective often hosts film clubs, crafting circles, open mics, and other events meant to foster community for Queer disabled and neurodivergent people across the board.
However, Seriz expresses that many communities still have a long way to go when it comes to, not just providing radical accessibility but acknowledging the need for it in the first place. They believe it’s our collective responsibility to encourage BIPOC, immigrants, and newcomers to stop downplaying disability and begin showing up as their vibrant, authentic selves.
“Being able to show that ‘yes’ we do have disabled and neurodivergent people of color and show that, not only we can be a chosen family, but we could create - whether [it’s] activities or opportunities or trade skills or find ways to thrive as a community - we’re not just some sort of intersectional theory that’s spoken about.”