[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:01.35,0:00:10.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[MUSIC: Armabd Van Helden, "U Don't Know Me", high energy house music...]
Dialogue: 0,0:00:25.03,0:00:26.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[ELEVATOR DING]
Dialogue: 0,0:00:27.49,0:00:32.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[MUSIC CONTINUES...]
Dialogue: 0,0:01:06.31,0:01:08.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[MUSIC FADES OUT...]
Dialogue: 0,0:01:09.05,0:01:10.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[LaLi Mohamed, Event Organizer]
Dialogue: 0,0:01:10.56,0:01:12.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,One of the psychologically crippling things growing up,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:12.42,0:01:15.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,sort of the wound that never healed,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:15.14,0:01:17.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was that I always read and heard stories
Dialogue: 0,0:01:17.83,0:01:20.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about people who didn't look like me.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:20.69,0:01:24.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,People who lived in other bodies.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:24.08,0:01:25.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I thought to myself,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:25.98,0:01:28.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"well if I'm not a wriiten about people,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:28.96,0:01:31.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,if I'm not a story people,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:31.46,0:01:33.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,am I a people?"
Dialogue: 0,0:01:33.77,0:01:36.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so I searched and I searched and I searched
Dialogue: 0,0:01:36.18,0:01:40.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I realized that there is such a rich and dynamic history
Dialogue: 0,0:01:40.12,0:01:44.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of queer and trans people in Canada, in Africa, in the Caribbean,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:44.52,0:01:46.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I thought this isn't being shared enough.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:47.23,0:01:48.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,My name is Rodney Diverlus
Dialogue: 0,0:01:48.99,0:01:51.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'm the vice president equity for the Ryerson Student's Union,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:51.08,0:01:54.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,uh, which is a central student's union here at Ryerson University.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:54.52,0:01:58.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Um, I was approached by Lali in the fall
Dialogue: 0,0:01:58.10,0:02:00.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with a concept and an idea to do this event
Dialogue: 0,0:02:00.42,0:02:02.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I gladly joined on board.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:02.56,0:02:06.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Uh, we at the Student's Union, uh, we represent all 24,000 students here at Ryerson,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:06.08,0:02:10.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,many of which are, uh, black, racialized students,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:10.08,0:02:11.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and many of which are queer students,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:11.50,0:02:17.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,uh and we really strive to create spaces to talk about struggles and, uh, the way that, yknow,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:17.27,0:02:21.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,uh, racism, sexism, uh, queerphobia, and different forms of oppression
Dialogue: 0,0:02:21.32,0:02:23.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,uh, affect students, but affect community members.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:24.01,0:02:26.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Founded by 3 Jamaicans and a Grenadian.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:26.36,0:02:28.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,3 lesbians and a gay man.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:28.54,0:02:31.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Around a kitchen table, West End, Toronto.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:31.65,0:02:32.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'm calling names:
Dialogue: 0,0:02:32.83,0:02:34.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Makeda Silvera, writer.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:34.55,0:02:37.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Stephanie Martin, artist
Dialogue: 0,0:02:37.06,0:02:38.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Went on to found Sister Vision Press,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:38.86,0:02:41.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Canada's first black women and women of colour press.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:41.33,0:02:42.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Calling names:
Dialogue: 0,0:02:42.59,0:02:44.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Debbie Douglas, E.D. of OCASI [Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants]
Dialogue: 0,0:02:44.88,0:02:48.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And Douglas Stewart, human rights and equity consultant.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:48.04,0:02:51.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Created what they needed, a space for connection and support.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:51.80,0:02:54.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A space for black and West Indian,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:54.40,0:02:59.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we were old school then, clearly not yet Caribbean, fully.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:59.98,0:03:01.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Lesbian and gays.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:01.28,0:03:02.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A space for strategizing,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:02.67,0:03:04.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to challenge homophobia and heterosexism
Dialogue: 0,0:03:04.81,0:03:07.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we found within black communities.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:07.15,0:03:10.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The racism we experienced within mainstream (read "white") gay community,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:10.39,0:03:13.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the isms that played out between us.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:13.83,0:03:15.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It was 1983/84
Dialogue: 0,0:03:16.49,0:03:22.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,My name is Courtnay McFarlane, and today on Queering Black History
Dialogue: 0,0:03:22.11,0:03:26.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I, um, I talked a little bit about my history of activism
Dialogue: 0,0:03:26.45,0:03:30.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and community involvement in black queer organizing in Toronto.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:30.91,0:03:33.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,My name is Syrus Marcus Ware [Program Coordinator, AGO]
Dialogue: 0,0:03:33.60,0:03:37.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I was presenting today about black trans history in Toronto,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:37.52,0:03:39.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,black trans organizing in a broader sense.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:40.17,0:03:44.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I was talking about, a little bit about the history of black trans people in
Dialogue: 0,0:03:44.39,0:03:47.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,starting the gay liberation movement,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:47.42,0:03:51.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because it was black trans people, black trans women in specific, specifically,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:51.26,0:03:55.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who started the Compton's cafeteria riot in 1966,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:55.27,0:03:57.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the Stonewall riot in 1969
Dialogue: 0,0:03:57.66,0:04:02.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,upon which, yknow, the Pride festival is held on that weekend and anniversary.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:02.27,0:04:06.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,One of the first, uh, people to ever get sex reassignment surgery in North America
Dialogue: 0,0:04:06.29,0:04:10.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was a black trans woman named Delisa Newton in 1966.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:10.71,0:04:15.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And then, um, yeah, just thinking about what it means to, uh, develop an actual archive
Dialogue: 0,0:04:15.57,0:04:20.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of black trans history within Toronto, within trans organizing, black queer organizing.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:20.83,0:04:24.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Thinking about some of the great stuff that's happened here in Toronto
Dialogue: 0,0:04:24.03,0:04:27.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,related to, yknow, trans people involved in Blockorama,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:27.52,0:04:31.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,trans people starting the first trans parenting course in North America,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:31.67,0:04:35.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,developing the first sexual health resource for trans men who have sex with men,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:35.58,0:04:36.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in the world.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:36.84,0:04:39.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That happened by black trans people right here out of Toronto.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:40.11,0:04:41.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Rinaldo Walcott, Associate Professor and Chair, OISE]
Dialogue: 0,0:04:41.35,0:04:43.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So some years ago in an extremely exuberant mood,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:43.96,0:04:46.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I wrote that Toronto was one of the best places
Dialogue: 0,0:04:46.32,0:04:51.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to witness black queer diaspora in all its forcefulness.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:51.36,0:04:56.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,My claim was buttressed by the now-defunct GLAD, Gays and Lesbians of African Descent
Dialogue: 0,0:04:56.53,0:04:58.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,marching in the Pride parade.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:58.47,0:05:04.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,{\u1}{\u1}{\u0}{\u1}{\u0}{\u0}?{\u1}{\u1}{\u0}{\u1}{\u0}{\u0}, and Blackness Yes! Blockoparty.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:04.99,0:05:10.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Those three events or happenings signal a particular kind of black political outness,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:10.88,0:05:14.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and a taking up of space by black queers in Toronto,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:14.61,0:05:19.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and thus Canada, that marked a new time for black queer life in this city and country.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:20.46,0:05:21.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Patrice Anderson, AIDS Committee of Durham Region]
Dialogue: 0,0:05:21.62,0:05:24.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,My name is Patrice Anderson, I represent the AIDS Committee of Durham Region.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:24.50,0:05:30.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's really important that as black people we know about our history first of all,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:30.44,0:05:33.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in the LGBTQ community and
Dialogue: 0,0:05:33.03,0:05:38.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like the panelists have said, there aren't any archives that are available,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:38.94,0:05:42.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and it helps me in my work as well to find out, you know,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:42.04,0:05:43.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where do we come from?
Dialogue: 0,0:05:43.49,0:05:44.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Where are we going?
Dialogue: 0,0:05:44.38,0:05:46.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And where are we gonna end up?
Dialogue: 0,0:05:46.42,0:05:47.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Aemilius Ramirez, Community Member]
Dialogue: 0,0:05:47.71,0:05:49.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There's been a lot of people ahead of us
Dialogue: 0,0:05:49.34,0:05:54.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,paving the way for us to be able to stand here today, um, embracing our identities.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:54.62,0:05:59.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The least we could do at this point with all the access that we have
Dialogue: 0,0:05:59.93,0:06:06.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to, to archiving and documenting and making sure that our history is known...
Dialogue: 0,0:06:06.61,0:06:08.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Notisha Massaquoi, E.D., Women's Health in Women's Hands Health Centre]
Dialogue: 0,0:06:08.24,0:06:15.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Simon Nkoli, as I came to learn, was arrested for his anti-apartheid activism,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:15.07,0:06:16.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and spent 4 years in jail.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:16.88,0:06:19.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He was openly queer during that period.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:19.75,0:06:23.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He went on to ensure that in South Africa
Dialogue: 0,0:06:23.48,0:06:29.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the rights of the LGBT community were enshrined in the constitution,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:29.19,0:06:32.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and so we now have one country in Africa
Dialogue: 0,0:06:32.56,0:06:39.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that ensures that gays and lesbians, trans, queer, bi community members
Dialogue: 0,0:06:39.20,0:06:41.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,have human rights protection.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:41.54,0:06:43.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,My talk was really about
Dialogue: 0,0:06:43.75,0:06:48.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,how do we insert the story of continental Africans
Dialogue: 0,0:06:48.81,0:06:52.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who are here in Canada, and globally working together,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:52.71,0:06:56.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,into the story of black queer organizing?
Dialogue: 0,0:06:56.64,0:06:59.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I really felt that it often gets left out,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:59.52,0:07:02.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when it was very much an integral part of
Dialogue: 0,0:07:02.09,0:07:04.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a lot of the organizing that was happening here in the black community.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:05.35,0:07:06.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[OmiSoore Dryden, Community Member]
Dialogue: 0,0:07:06.96,0:07:14.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Having been at all of the Pride tomfoolery, fuckery, that's been going on, uh,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:14.65,0:07:21.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to be at Queering Black History Month has been refreshing and rejuvenating.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:21.25,0:07:28.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Um, it reminds me, uh, that I'm not crazy, quite frankly.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:28.48,0:07:34.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Where I get to speak with other people about the realities of racism in, uh, Toronto queer communities.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:34.32,0:07:36.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Gwen Bartleman, Community Member]
Dialogue: 0,0:07:36.30,0:07:37.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I came to Toronto in 1981,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:37.99,0:07:39.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so it was really important for me to remember,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:39.96,0:07:41.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to come back and remember, um,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:41.80,0:07:42.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,people that were in the room,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:42.70,0:07:44.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,people that weren't necessarily in the room.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:44.82,0:07:48.100,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But I think for me, um, as a white butch dyke activist,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:48.100,0:07:49.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,what's most important for me
Dialogue: 0,0:07:49.92,0:07:52.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is to be in these spaces to learn and to continue to learn
Dialogue: 0,0:07:52.25,0:07:54.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and to be reminded about how much more I have to learn,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:54.85,0:07:56.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because that's my personal celebration.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:56.64,0:08:00.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'll say, tonight was historical.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:00.42,0:08:04.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because it was the first time the university grappled
Dialogue: 0,0:08:04.35,0:08:12.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and talked bluntly and eloquently and honestly
Dialogue: 0,0:08:12.03,0:08:13.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about our lives.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:13.66,0:08:18.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Our lives that for so long had been considered problematic.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:18.06,0:08:22.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You know? We have been social problems for so long,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:22.18,0:08:25.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and amidst the racism and homophobia and transphobia
Dialogue: 0,0:08:27.42,0:08:33.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,there is, you know, a really bright and beautiful light shone
Dialogue: 0,0:08:33.48,0:08:35.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on our lives.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:35.78,0:08:40.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[MUSIC: Armabd Van Helden, "U Don't Know Me", high energy house music, fades out...]