Community Conversations
Community Conversations shares local queer stories about what life, identity, and community looks like on the west coast.
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![Sully and John sitting on a couch. The title 'The Origin'.]()
| Ep. 1 The Origin | Coastal Queer Alliance
Taking us back to their first visit to ńačiqs (Tofino), Sully and John share the origin of Coastal Queer Alliance, a local non-profit organization committed to creating resources, increasing representation, and connecting queer folks in our community. They share what inspired them in 2020, what continues to encourage them to grow the organization, and what’s coming up next in the series.
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![Sam D. and Freya sitting on a couch. The title 'Queer Identity in Community'.]()
| Ep. 2 Queer Identity in Community |
Sam D and Freya explore what it takes to experience queer joy in the small coastal town of ńačiqs (Tofino). From community and connection to creating safe places to call home, they reflect on what queer joy and identity truly mean. What do queer joy and identity mean to you?
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![Francis, Nicki, Sandi, and Jayda sitting in a living room in front of a big window. The title 'Intergenerational Queerness'.]()
| Ep. 3 Intergenerational Queerness |
Every wondered what it was like to be queer in the 1960s vs the 2000s? In a small town vs a big city? Francis, Nicki, Sandi, and Jayda share personal stories of their childhood experiences across four generations, four places, four people.
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![Freya, Sam S, and Olivia sitting in a living room. The title 'Growing with Coastal Queers'.]()
| Ep. 4 Growing with Coastal Queers |
Freya, Sam S, and Olivia connect over shared experiences of healing and growth at Coastal Queer events, transforming into friendships, passion projects, and pure queer joy.
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![Naas & Nicki sitting on a couch. The title 'Two-Spirit Stories'.]()
| Ep. 5 Two-Spirit Stories |
Naas & Nicki discuss the interconnection between Indigeneity and queerness, the limits of binary thinking, and the breakthroughs that community creates for living authentically. Subscribe at the link in our bio to watch.
Printable Community Coversations Zine!
Editor’s Note:
These zines were created through collecting quotes that were shared during small group conversations about queer folks’ experiences living on the west coast of vancouver island. Many of these stories were inspiring, some of them were heart-wrenching, and all of them contribute to the dynamic reality of what queer life on the coast truly feels like. In sorting through hours of dialogue, I sought out quotes that spoke to themes of resilience, visibility, and connection, in an attempt to showcase both the challenges and beautiful joy of queer folks in our community. Thank you to each person who contributed to this project for your vulnerability, time, laughter, stories, and trust. xoxo - sully
This zine was inspired by Queer Quilters Tell All, a project by Zak Foster and Grace Rother.
Thank you to Island Queers and Allies Who Care for supporting the funding of this project.
Zines are free and printable - please share as you wish.
**Click each image to download the Zines**
