Celebrating Pride
At Qi Creative we believe that every life is worth celebrating and that every person is awesome: Amazing, Surprising, Beautiful and Powerful. This month we are proud to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and our very own Coach B (Bronwen).
In this post, Coach B celebrates their experience as a transgender person and how his community has helped them to feel loved and accepted.
“June is Pride Month, and I want to celebrate!
I celebrate that it has been five months since I came out as transgender. I celebrate that I have been supported by my family and friends to be true to myself. I celebrate that I live in a country that provides health care for transgender people.
Pride month is not all about rainbows and unicorns though. At home and worldwide, there are so many challenges facing the LGBTQ+ community, most notably violence and threat of violence, particularly toward transgender women of colour.
In the documentary about his life and work, Won’t You Be My Neighbour, Mr. Rogers, the famous children’s TV writer and actor, quotes his mother, and what she said when there were challenges and catastrophes happening around them and around the world:
“Always look for the helpers. There will always be helpers.”
“I celebrate my Qi Teammates, who are helpers; those who embrace diversity, lift others up, collaborate to find a way, and no matter what I have been going through — on my best days and worst days — have always shown me the support that echoes more wonderful words of Mr. Rogers: “I love you just the way you are”.”
I also celebrate another incredible helper, Dr. James Makokis, who has been supporting me with my transition. He and his approach to transgender health care were featured on CBC News in December 2018. I also just found out he will be competing on a team with his husband on Amazing Race Canada this summer- AWESOME!
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1406146627839
I celebrate Pride month with gratitude and I look toward the continued and ongoing work required to support inclusion, respect, safety and love for those who are most marginalized in our communities.
Always look for the helpers. There will always be helpers.”
-Coach B