Lanark Speaks: Queer Speaker Series presented by the Perth & District Union Public Library and Queer Connection Lanark (QCL), starts on May 11 at the Perth & District Library.
Made possible through support from the Perth & District Community Foundation, this monthly speaker series features 2SLGBTQI+ community members and a range of topics. Everyone is invited to join in listening and learning from each speaker’s stories, experiences, talents, and shared wisdom.
“This queer speaker series was formed out of a desire to share stories. We’ve been fortunate to gather a diverse selection of speakers with interests in drag, gardening and horticulture, sports, entertainment, small businesses, and comedy! We can’t wait to share this series with our community”, said Abby Nowakowski, Queer Connection Lanark.
The full speaker series will run from May until September, and will be offered both in-person at the library at 30 Herriott St, and virtually.
Tyffanie Morgan will be the first speaker on Saturday May 11 from 2-3:30pm. A drag queen entertainer, gardener & horticulturalist, online personality, hostess, event manager, and community leader from Kingston, Ontario, Tyffanie can be found leading successful drag show events, sharing her popular gardening stories with the hashtag #TyffsGarden, and producing and co-hosting a live broadcast podcast called “What’s the Maple Tea?!”. Her talk will explore the lives and legacies of prominent LGBT gardeners of the past like Gertrude Jekyll, Vita Sackville-West, and Christopher Lloyd and uncover not only their horticultural prowess but also their role as advocates for inclusivity and innovation.
Mason Flatla from Ottawa Pride Hockey will be speaking on Saturday, June 8 from 1–3pm. Ottawa Pride Hockey is a 2SLGBTQ+ inclusive group in their third season of pick up hockey. They are led by gender diverse people and promote a safer space for everyone.
Tamara Lopez will be speaking at a date TBD. She has been with the federal public service since 2005. Since beginning her career, Tamara has been active in promoting diversity, inclusion and the importance of mental health both inside her workplace as well as within her community.
Ksenia Knyazeva, owner of Patriam Coffee in Kingston, Ontario, will be speaking Saturday, August 10 from 1–3pm. She is a fun, queer, hardworking business owner who moved to Canada from Ukraine all on her own.
The final speaker, Diane Skoll, will be presenting at a Special Late Night Edition of the series. This 14+ night will be held Saturday, September 7 from 6:30-8:30pm. Diane is a comedian and a transgender woman who transitioned later in life who especially enjoys comedy about LGBT and trans experiences. She performs standup and sketch comedy and her comedy runs the gamut from one-liners and observational humour to edgy and ribald. Dianne was born in South Africa, grew up in Newfoundland, and is now based in Ottawa.
“The Library’s mission is to foster community, and we’re very excited to work with Queer Connection Lanark in building awareness of our 2SLGBTQI+ community”, said Erika Heesen, CEO/Chief Librarian. “We look forward to enjoying and learning from these shared stories”.
To learn more about Queer Connection Lanark, visit www.queerconnectionlanark.ca.
To learn more about the services offered by the Library, visit www.perthunionlibrary.ca.
Contacts:
Perth & District Union Public Library
Contact: Erika Heesen, (613) 267-1224
eheesen@perthunionlibrary.ca
Queer Connection Lanark
Contact: Elizabeth Snyder
qclanark@gmail.com