What's So Queer About Dying?

In pursuit of a world of possibilities for queer bodies, minds, and spirits, it is necessary to consider death and end of life transitions. The 519, in partnership with The Senior Pride Network, are hosting “What’s So Queer About Dying?”, an intergenerational panel and community gathering to discuss end of life concerns and to explore this shared future in a supportive environment. This event will explore what is unique about LGBTQ community knowledge, experiences, and attitudes around end of life. We invite you to join your fellow travelers as we explore these topics with perspective from a diverse panel of service providers and community members. Panelist biographies Maureen Aslin is Operations Manager at End of Life Planning Canada, a new charity that provides information, education, and support to help people plan for dying. She facilitates workshops in Advance Care Planning for ELPC and Dying With Dignity Canada. Maureen has facilitated psychosocial support for people touched by cancer, and is past board chair of The 519. Judith Wahl is a lawyer and Executive Director of the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly, a community legal clinic for low income seniors in Ontario. Judith has been involved in the development of the Ontario law on health care consent , advance care planning, and substitute decision making Judith is presently participating on the Hospice Palliative Care Ontario Leadership Table and Community of Practice on Health Care Consent and Advance Care Planning and is one of three co-writers of a report for the Law Commission of Ontario on Tools, Policies and Practices to support decision making on end of life planning and care ( due in June 2016). Kate Murzin is a health promoter and works for the Canadian Working Group on HIV and Rehabilitation. The focus of her work is HIV and older adults. She spends most of her time providing education and training for service providers, supporting research, looking for policy change opportunities and serving as secretariat for the National Coordinating Committee on HIV and Aging. She is interested in advance care planning in the context of HIV and aging and is currently exploring this topic in collaboration with other stakeholders from the HIV, disability and chronic illness communities. Margaret Rodrigues has been Honorary Assistant at the Anglican Church of St. Peter, Carlton for the last two years. She studied at Trinity College, University of Toronto, with research interests that included the theology of gender. She was ordained an Anglican priest in December 2011. Her ministry training included spiritual care and chaplaincy at Toronto General/ Toronto Western Hospitals. She is a member of the Seniors Pride Network and hopes to continue providing ministry to the transgender community. Andrew Gurza is a Disability Awareness Consultant whose passion is “making disability accessible to everyone.” He is the Founder and Co-Director of Deliciously Disabled Consulting, a company, brand and movement that aims to make the lived experience of disability accessible to pop culture. In his work, he highlights the lived experience of Persons with Disabilities to show that disability is a universal experience we can all embrace. Within the LGBTQ community, Andrew works to deconstruct our homo-normative, body beautiful ideals and show that Queers with Disabilities deserve representation. His goal is to welcome everyone into the conversation of disability. In early 2015 Crew Magazine named Andrew Canada’s most prolific advocate for Queers with Disabilities. Notisha Massaquoi is currently the Executive Director of Women’s Health in Women’s Hands Community Health Centre – the only Community Health Centre in North America that provides healthcare services with racialized women as its priority population. She has been an advocate for increased primary healthcare services to racialized, immigrant and refugee QLGBT community members and has been instrumental in ensuring that the services of WHIWH-CHC are also accessible to the Trans community. Dr. Catherine Brooks, Peduhbun Migizi Kwe (Early Morning Eagle Woman) Is an Anishnawbe Kwe, Nipissing First Nation, Bird Clan, Red-tailed Hawk, a member of the Bear Medicine Society, who sits with the Turtle Clan in the Long House at Oneida Settlement. A strong believer in the power of Aboriginal culture and community action for achieving Aboriginal self-determination both as individuals and in communities and a Traditional Counsellor, educator, consultant and community worker. Naomi “Nay Unapologetic” Bain is a member of SOY Human Rights Equity Access Team, writer, performer, community educator, futurist and professional nerd. She is passionate about change in her community and throughout the world. She thinks that death is a process almost like coming out, there is a certain amount of fear of the unknown, fear of what is next, and just like coming out there is a period of peace and understanding.