In 2021-02 MikeDaviesCole interviewed MorganManzer about their time as Pride Chair.  This is the computer transcript from that, unedited.

2021-04-20 Mike Davies-Cole writes: this is not edited and was done using a speach to text microphone so may have some funny issues 

2021-02-24: after 5 years Morgan Manzer is stepping down as Chair of Halifax Pride.
I'm not sure it's something that might be of interest but Morgan has done so much work, leading the organization during some very challenging times. He has worked to prioritize safer spaces, QTBIPOC voices, and greater community collaboration. All while often facing criticism, and having his own identity and struggles as a queer person of colour disregarded and invisibilized. Anyway, I thought you might like to know, and if you ever do profiles or stories on folk, he might be worthy of some ink.

Qs

Dan's 

    • So, what's it been like?
    • What made you join pride ---
    • Why are you leaving now?
    • how much of a full time job is this during the months leading up to Pride?
    • What's a day like during Pride Week for you?
    • What happened to your personal life in July?
    • over the last few years Pride in general and you have handled some at times hostile interactions with the racialized / bipoc community. What's that been like for you?
    • what's your advice for the incoming Chair?
    • [ whatever question you want to ask about Pride's relationship with Halifax Police, and the public's response to that ]
    • have you worked with municipal and provincial politicians on this job? what was it like? [try to wring out a juicy story]
    • how do you think you'll be involved with Pride now that you're out of the spotlight?
    • Is there anything I haven't asked that you'd like to talk about?
(and we will need a photo. we can scrape a good one off Facebook, but if they have a favourite one, please get it to us.)


Yes so it would obviously it always depends for me Luckily as share a vast amount of my work is done prior to the session so I do a lot of as I mentioned a lot of administrative things a lot of planning things and then we move into as we move into the festival there's more staff on so not just core staff but there's a lot of contractors who involved and then there's you know hundred volunteer board everyone is kind of all hands on deck alarms so for me a lot of it is you know checking in with staff in the morning contractors all that sort of stuff and really being around being at events being seen you know lended pitching in a hand wherever you can so I usually am error kind of all day in saying how can I just let the hand right it's not it's not in my kind of core set of duties that I would normally do but you know how can I help people out I'm just here as a warm body do what I can and then you know obviously there's some responsibilities in terms of email giving opening remarks at something that I you know they usually have drafted a little bit and then I'm kind of refining before before I get out there and do it and you don't spend a lot of time you know welcoming meeting people ensuring you know putting out any fires that there may be an just trying to you know one of my core focuses is is how can we make this a positive experience for folks who are participating in the festival so that you know that was my we need to be going over bending over backwards in order to make this a positive experience for boats and there will be you know when there's a lot of people involved in order to ensure there will be mistakes and there will be will be things we were like how could this happen so you know working with people trying to that's a lot of as they arrive and you know and then we're having a lot of I think meetings of reflecting on things as things are happening how can we improve them for the next day or the day after that how we gonna make adjustments wired so that that was a large portion of what might you know day to day at the festival would look like yeah no I think the bulk of my work is done year round rather than at the festival 'cause there's a lot of you know decision making you know doing the budgeting doing the planning doing all that sort of stuff which is actually done you know my visit my busy time is probably may you know the beginning of April through the middle of June and then you know that's what I'm like you know wanna cry and then by festival I'm like now we're in the you know no I meant to God and and it will sometimes be what it will be and you know if I've done the good work you know planning and being a part of that in there then most things should be set up to succeed and then we are just you know setting it you know trying to make course corrections in trying to deal with any issues that may arise 

    • What happened to your personal life in July?

Says what happened to your personal life in July oh OK I think it might just be because of an I think that build on the previous question and so I think that's what we've talked about it is that there are tremendous sacrifices that you make with in your personal life in order to do this and that is you know I think it's not for me it was as I've mentioned not just July you know I think it is a particularly stressful time and I think by my friends my family know that and terms of maybe give you more leeway in terms of you know your your your interactions because you are stressed anuar apps that sometimes from those personal relationships and it sing folks in my life were very understanding and that you know these are the commitments that I've made and I am the kind of person that's all in on those and you know give it all my time and effort but it does you know it is a sacrifice to sometimes you're close personal relationship that for period of primer along the back burner and you know I always you know you're making best efforts in order to define that to that time at balance and you have to know your own boundaries and limits of when it is you need to you know walk away take a breather for a little while you know go have a you know their tea with a friend and that sort of thing to be able to decompress because you do feel a lot of pressure and a lot of stress and especially in leadership role is that you know your name and face is tide to the success of this organization and and how the festival you know goes and one of the things or about ways you know I took to heart and I think it will continue is that I always thought is an that's why sometimes wasn't as flashy and out there as others because the pride is not about me its not was never about Morgan Manzoor it's not about Adam read it is about the community in about meeting and being responsive to community needs and it will you know there was lots of wonderful folks before me and there will be lots of wonderful folks after me I am a caretaker for this list and so you know I saw my role as doing largely the work to help guide and direct this festival to serve the needs of so sometimes although it is hard when you are so involved and so engrossed in the hi in the in any organization or any movement to be grounded in that it is not about me it is about the festival at large and and in service of the LGBTQ plus community here and how about some tried it remember that is that you know sometimes peoples praised or did you know disapproval would be directed at me but I am you know I am simply the vessel for that and there are you know it shouldn't be folks I mean because there's a board of lots of folks who were involved with this staff there's a community volunteers I just happened to be the person you know at the top that is you know visible in it leadership role and you know that does bear lots of responsibility don't get him wrong but i never wanted the focus to be more than manza because it's not about so much is burning in one of the hardest things for me is the very personal attacks but I faced it on Anne Anne that went into not just during the festival but my own personal life in and they were really hurtful and and you know a weather be on social media and people saying really yeah very very pointed and very they weren't instructive criticism let's say and you know and I think it came I think from my view would be was misinformed views or folks that that didn't get on really review all of the information about what my role was of what had happened or hentai or inquired about me as a person i own personal circumstances or whatever if they think that to me that's an indictment on our larger culture i don't think it's static compassionate to Pete folks who are trying to do their best work and if we are going to have grievances which are fair I'm not saying Oh no we should have got there were lots of things to point out about pride that could be improved and there are lots of historic and ongoing issues particularly around cutey by black box so that's very there's a very valid criticisms but how we approach you know being constructive and helping be part of a solution rather than just your terribles you know that's not very helpful that doesn't you know that doesn't make me want to you know you know geez well at times I'm going to be able to solve all the problems the real very real problems we face by you saying I'm a horrible human being you know I'm trying it in a very open to say OK what are the ways that we can do better one of the ways that we can improve and so that method I just appointment don't think that's pride is how do we come together and have conversations in a thoughtful considerate way of one another urge recognizing our own you know we each have our own individual lived experiences and backgrounds and trauma as queer people and so how do we have those conversations in a way that is productive and helpful because I think we all want us to all of our community organizations succeed for everyone in everyone have space there and they don't think we achieve that by necessarily pointing fingers and saying you're awful where 

    • over the last few years Pride in general and you have handled some at times hostile interactions with the racialized / bipoc community. What's that been like for you?

Now I have that on so like what has that interaction been like it was really really hard for a number of levels you know there is a so a twofold 2 answers at first is I recognize that the organization itself has a history of oppression and marginalization at cutey by pop books so I think we have to you know acknowledged and that is on going and and I think pride organizations have to recognize that and take accountability for that and and the work too you know fix that is a long term thing and I alot of folks me included wish it happens faster and you know I always saw it as this is a long term project we give nothing we do we need to start things and doing things now but in terms of building trust and you know folks being open to have those conversations to look at pride organizations pride organization in a different way will take time and so you know and that there's there's been harms that are very serious harms that have been caused particularly to the bipac community and so so yeah so that that is so in that in that level I I get it I totally get it people have every right to be angry and to express hurt and pain that they have felt that has been caused by the organization and so that's that's the first part it's also was really hard as a queer racialized person as just being me and you know they get some of it is that I have my spell tremendous approach I even though I'm a queer racialized person is that you know I come from you know some of the although I didn't I wasn't didn't grow up that way and so that's like it's always your reconciling your own identity is that I you know I didn't go up affluent I grew up single Farage and you know and you know and chip and all of that sort of I didn't grow up that way but now I'm in a position where you know I'm a lawyer which you know has I have steady I figured out steady employment and housing and all of these things that I even being in this you know being in a leadership position more privilege doing all of these things so you know you have to put yourself in in that into what I always viewed my role is OK what it is that I can be doing can I be using my privilege in my voice to be able to uplift folks who don't have that sort of privilege and don't for lots of reasons right they can't serve in my role because I have to work at work at night so they are you know there you know they have housing instability or you know food insecurity or all of those sort of things that would prevent them from being able to have the capacity to do it I I'm so I get that and so but you know it just it was it's hard here and have those conversations because I think because of my privilege people don't view me as a racialized person at times forget that fact also my some of my Lyft experience and that I also you know I mean a profession where there's tremendous oppression against racialized people Oh yeah I I know you spend all of these you know all my day I spend all my days railing against that and you know I face it myself in those where I'm wanted you know going into a building where I'm one of the handful of racialized people and everybody else around he is white and you know even more applet so it's like and then I get into this space where you know it's gotta be complete so that that you know it's always with after that and I get that apart of it is is that um yeah I at the same time I recognized that sometimes racialized people who get in leadership positions within organisations you know become for host reasons whitewash for lack of a better term and then end up perpetuating oppression against their own you know their own communities and so I think there's you know tremendous pushback against that and that's that's real as well and I think because of that I think I you know was no longer able to go into particularly racialized spaces in the same way that I put before I mean so that was really hard to me and I began avoiding all of those because I never felt welcome I never felt included it in so that you know I think that was one of the hardest sacrifices for people here then there I never felt like they were you know particularly racialized racialized focus spaces were safe space for me that nobody really wanted me there because I was seeing as really so tight up in pride and and someone who's really just oppressing my own communities and doing that and I think it was and that was so that that I think was hardest and and people I think publicly you know very publicly stated that very similar things to that and I think it was because some of the work that I did you know championed issues for cutie bipod folks because iPod folks add board meetings in policies in those sort of things that I don't think are sometimes seen and so I think you know perhaps I didn't do a good enough job explaining what the work that I was doing or how I was trying to give a voice I wasn't always successful I I knowledge that is there is lots of times that there's lots of times that I didn't do enough and you know or didn't understand enough you know I tried to be open and tried to push those sometimes the whole reason the whole host reasons why you're not I active are able to do that but you know I was always conscious of it I think and tried trying my best to advocate for those folks for folks in my own communities and I understood that I do have you know my own lived experience to go off of recognizing my own privilege so but yeah I found that really really really hard and it really took I think the most severe personal toll on me because it at times it felt like an erasure of my own identity right and my own rid experience and I am sure you know some of that my gold better than I and so that was really hard and and I think anybody and they give you felt that tension and you know your other words days where I said you know should I walk away is this too great and you know when you're trying to reconcile who you who you are we all have our own complex identity um and trying to navigate that that was really hard and and so then you try to remind yourself that again I am one person and I am you know human being and I am flawed in many ways too and I can only you know I never take go into these conversations saying I represent wacky I remember that pop people I don't I am 1 voice within you know and I had my own lived experiences but there's a whole you know these communities are not monolithic right is that everybody has their own distinct views lived experiences perspectives and everyone is going to have a different view and that's what makes a beautiful wonderful so and you know I think there are certainly valid criticisms of pride and what pride poop is actions or inactions and how that created ongoing harm to keep you by pop communities I think we've made tremendous progress and I think it's starting to move in the right direction there's still tremendous amount of work to be done and for a lot of folks it's too little too late and I accept that and I recognize that but I felt what we could you know the best thing that I could do is is used by boys to use my skills to cry create an affect positive change so about the future doesn't emulate the past or the present and then we don't recreate those things but sorry I recognize people's criticisms 
King on those things and that's a good you know listening learning and I I did that spent years and ultimately you know one of the things that I'm most happy about is that I began to able to have conversations directly with folks who are involved with parents and help and since then two folks who were heavily involved have served on the board of Halifax pride and you know I know Jackson last year had a very positive experience and that we were able to come from a place of that sort of antagonism to having productive conversations and and you know jobs like I was a superstar and made so many changes and then and had so many brilliant ideas that have been adopted at how held back fried operating but me you know that's really the things that I'm proud of is that we went from do you know perpetrated horrible things against folks and then having folks common and serve on the board and have positive experiences in and be able to bring them hold their whole selves to board and fully contribute like that is dads progress like that you know you know things there's a tangible things that have happened that have improved there still a long way to go but yeah that's when that's one way I think things have changed is how do we do better and one of the things I think we really changed the perspective of a little bit oh I'm being more open in my view and I don't know Adams and some of the other books to me is that pride is to provide a plaque it is not my job to approve or disapprove of the message you know it is to provide space for all to LGBTQ plus folks and so if people you know if the bipod community wants a space to say I knew you know pride is the absolute worst in that board should get lost and matter will help you will give you the resource is and we will give you the you know we can arrange for the space and all those things I'm not it's not my job to you know say who the speakers are or whatever it is it needs to be self directed from communities and in our role is to be able to help facilitate that I provide support where we can eat is not to say Oh no no I I think this person should speak there and I don't know you can't say anything bad about pride or or or raised these issues because we think there are problems no that's not that's not their role pride in my view it's to create space to have community come together and have the conversations that the community wants to have and you know that I'm not saying that's not hard but that's you know and I think a little change of about perspective if you want to you know protest pride come on in come on you know great this is your space to put up signs and you do that will welcome you now that needs to be changed in terms of you know embracing that embracing dissent embracing different views and and how can we all learn from in here one another in a respectful way and actually here and engage in a dialogue in a conversation I think we're all better off when that happens and I think before there you know that was it still in some ways not right people don't for a whole host of reason field or serious barriers to doing that they don't feel you know it it's safe enough to be able to do that and so how overtime do we continue to move that so that back can happen and we can create spaces where everyone feels that they can participate in be there in a safe bro yeah i think in that situation i totally agree with you 

Bro bro how do we get bigger bigger bigger and I don't think that should be the focus and I remember it was in 2016 early 2017 that we said we are going to get rid of growth we don't care bout bro if we get not as one more person that is fine we don't need more people it won't the focus needs to be is what are we doing for community let's bring it back to bring it back to basics bring it back to basics how are we serving our community it's not we're not gonna be toronto stop trying to be toronto or whatever how do we stop selling go to a lot of sponsors actually over the years and said no we're not we're not willing to sell our soul and were no because you don't match our values or or that just you know our community would not accept fossil fuel contribution so we're not interested or saying you know this is what we're willing to do we are not prepared and and it's really interesting 'cause I followed a lot of other pipes which are really bad even some that are our size or smaller you know TDs pride he's Saskatchewan pride or Saskatoon sask and no no we would never do that you know what I mean guess I there's still legitimate criticisms of corporatization what's too much whatever those are I think those are healthy discussions to have but in terms of US health I've tried implemented a lot of things to reel that back in a bit and to make sure people are sponsoring prior there for the right reason and so like we instituted a survey in terms of that all sponsors have to do and now all parade entries when the rezza parade had to do today what is it that you're doing internally and externally 4 you know for the queer community and then in 2020 that expanded into say these are commitments like there was four I think there was four pillars and these are the specific things that your organisations can be doing to push these matter for it to be so you know I think they are there is progress in terms of addressing some of those concerns that I think are legitimate you know and I think I think we recognize that and I think the organization is much better now and say whoa wow no no that doesn't that doesn't accord with our values you need to be doing more and you know now I think some of those are published on the website so forth right until we we you know I I know I'm an incrementalist is that I I think you know how do we work in partnership with organizations to pull them along I think if we have a dialogue we say OK we need you to do better and this is how our turn your mind to this and now we do training with our government part or like with our sponsors and that sort of thing how do we you know we made relationships with these folks OK how do we push you forward to better advance our community that's great do those sort of things rather than just oh will take any money you could get us and thank you you know what I mean yeah money makes the world go round we live in the capital of society I'm a real but that's great 'cause you always what I always tell people you need to remember that and I remember having this walk with several people during pride day and I would take them around and I my pivotal and his I would always find like I found this little little child and they were playing with their same sex parents and I said that's what prides are boat probably is not about corporate sponsors pride is not about money pride is not about whether or not you're going to date tonight provided about the fact that is about it is about how that or how the world looks now for this child that God is about and I think a lot of times pride's lost sight of that when you talk about the survey we actually did have a survey back when I was on the board Anne I think my part of being involved as I was very hardcore I would call people don't go yeah why do you wanna be part of us yeah but I think it's also you bring the tools to the table I came from like you said before you bring what you have I bring that I bring the tools of a parent so I always very much pawn what is the world going to look for like for my children and you know not you little queer person down the road but my kids I need them to be safe so but I mean that was just my personal thing and other people brought in other things like Raymond brought in a lot of how does the world look for us with equity and how we get there but we did bride pride a lot of times like on a shoestring it has turned money down before huge money where would have carried the entire pride day basically because the money was coming based on let's make ourselves look good to the queer community even though we're doing something perfectly to the queer community so those things and those are the superstores superstar stories of prides not yay we landed TD well TDs got money they're going to give it to anybody who wants it so yeah you know because of course it makes them look good although you know in some of the it's unfortunate 'cause the people within TD are so proud of their involvement because to them personally and 'cause I've had conversations with some employees from TV who are like their companies involvement with pride was there part in there coming out story that made him feel safe enough to hear whatever I will you know I agree I this whole kind of issues I think TD is committed throughout their entire organization to diversity and inclusion and I think is one of the most progressive organisations in terms of advancing equity there's lots of laws that I can I can you know of course his flaws going on but anyhow but they actually are in the organization you know they have like a BP of queer like a just queerness not not just a diversity of like in terms of weirdness and so like they actually have an eye like some of their policies some of their some of the things that they do are actually meaningful and working with them over the years I have you know lots of actually positive things 'cause they are they actually walk the walk compared to a lot of organizations and even ones that I work in large organizations that I've worked in you know can they improve in there they were open and able really open to stay when we said ah yeah we need to we're going to change that we're going to do this so we're going to eliminate back we're going to do this this is what we need to do for our community they weren't like no no no we we paid you this money for this specifically they weren't they were like do you do what you gotta do I get out of course they are an organization but they were really good at saying yeah so we we trust you to to know what the community needs we want to be supportive and so like do your thing and they were they've been very good about that and that to me is like a committed partner and not just somebody who's like well I paid you have my logo here yeah we're selling it so we're selling something you know we gotta recognize that at prize are selling something for folks and so there's that but how how can we push progress in the in organization to make meaningful changes I know that there's somebody who's at least committed to that 

    • [ whatever question you want to ask about Pride's relationship with Halifax Police, and the public's response to that ]

So the question is sort of like it says like last what what's going on with the prize relationship with Halifax police public response to that so yeah yes I my position has changed on this over the years so that's one of the ones that I evolved on is that my view and I will present it on that I'm pretty anti police myself now I've always even though I'm a lawyer I work with police from time to time I had to buy the police I'm scared of sleeping I hear sirens and still started someone recently came showed up to my work one day I was sweating bullets lawyer like what do you mean please be here testing gollies like what do they want night drop in a predominantly white for my everything very easy with but at that I at the beginning when there were significant concerns in 2016 ticularly after feeding the black lives matter movement is picking up steam and there were calls here you work to ban police particularly from the parade which you know I hate as I think maybe a lot of pride organizers do the focus on the parade Halifax pride puts on you know in in conjunction with community partners you know 130 events on the festival you know private self organizes like 30 and and I look at the parade as one that's for the larger creating awareness and there is sometimes that still needed created awareness within the Adderall normative society that's the focus of the Braden is liberating for some for some clear folks today perfect purpose as well like it was being like I pulled up plant it frustrates me because I think there's so many other really more important events that are occurring just special and that the parade takes all the oxygen but that aside you know my initial view was was that can we work with police can we like I talked about earlier have conversations create partnerships in which that we could get them to move on a number of issues to serve the two S LGBTQ plus community so that was my initial view and so I said yeah OK I hear I hear the calls I hear the call so I'm gonna get you but you know can we work with that I guess again that was my naive optimism and you know so so I was involved in many of the conversations allebach that time and now my view is a police but so we went to them with a number of *** but you know and we were not asking for the sun the moon stars over here we were saying you know every every one of your employees need to be trained within I think was in three years ago by you think you early on these issues and I know Kate was had led the youth project had done you know little one for new recruits and so forth and there was tremendous resistance to that and I mean that in that I was like I was like Jimmy like that was a Gimme I'm giving you a easy this is not like this is not this is kind of a joke like an and so then it was very much like OK no you're not serious then you're not serious about it I'm serious about listening to community being responsive to their means which you say you do you're there to serve communities first everyone needs to at least have some basic knowledge and understanding of these communities that they're going to have interactions with and you know understanding how some of you know their experiences with with police how that affects you know that in those interactions and and how you folks can be perpetuating harm against those communities there was no uptake on that and then it was very much that that you know we said we're telling you you should not be involved herein and essentially we don't want you we will give you Darwin's saying that we've agreed now we've agreed that you won't participate in the parade 'cause that again was a focal point and you know all our demands were still on the table that this is what we expect to this day there's been no movement on any of our requests in there were there were a number of him were called him out there was there was no movement on any of them so that you know that to me leads me to believe but they were not actually serious or committed to hearing from community and working towards that so they essentially said we won't participate in in the festival we said you can we encourage you on uniform and to participate in the educational sessions in that we think you need to you folks need to get some knowledge so why don't you come to our evening speakers here so why don't you come to our new narrow panels why don't hear from queer folks and understand what are the issues and topics that are affecting their lives and they want some diversity officer that find their people please came to a couple of those joann we were very strict about you know no uniforms because fathers triggering for fellow from and you know there were times he would show up around the entrance there was times where I was like get lost don't come near the entrance what are you here for get gone I've told you this many times and we were really adamant about and saying we don't we don't want you here unless there's a reason that you need to be here you know we were very strict about uniforms that sort of thing you know we had all the conversation Oh well can they wear T shirts no until you're actually engaged in actually trying to understand and affect change to benefit our communities there's there's no doubt there's nothing to be done here right you don't get to come here and and wave your flag about how wonderful you are you're not doing anything meaningful so Tuesday that has not changed they have not since I think it was that was in I think it was the early 17 they have not been involved in Halifax fighting anyway since I don't see that changing in the foreseeable future until there is meaningful meaningful and substantive change in 2020 we you know we've taken much firmer stance is much harder stance is that we find the letter or public letter that we wrote to be fun police in terms of that mom you know money should be taken from police budget and that should be put towards you know bipac folks Ann and other community based organisations mental health organizations we oppose the arm that stupid armored vehicle you know yeah right like you know so we wrote we wrote our counselors we broke them saying so it's a I think Friday has recently used it step up and advocate for those things are particularly as it relates to police and you know obviously I'm so you know in terms of what the things that we've seen in terms of use and harass violence against bipap folks you know the reports all of that listening to those lived experiences so you know yeah I just I'm all Florida fund please I just it's it's mind boggling to me you know they told some of the small things like they don't target or you know they don't target like you know if there's I don't know if you heard project Marie was in Ontario 2P S part of police service Gatorade in a park that was known for you know men hooking up with men and they're like Oh yeah yeah we know that sort of stuff happens but we don't we don't put up raids there we don't we don't target those people so like that's us being progressive like that's there like look at us going like thanks for like you know that is like not a victory that that we should really be touting that's like the basic bare you know standards of decency and you know not discriminatory conduct but everything else you're doing is not enough so I think that's a view shared growth board nears that I've been there the end of last three 4 plus years is that you know police participation is harmful to a lot of a lot of folks um and there there's no change or insight and there's no commitments in order to understand and work through that and and make the change necessary to change that into the future and so you know we need to be prioritizing particularly cutie bipac folks and their voices are loud and clear is that this makes it private unsafe space for us and that's the focus in the priority so you know we said you know 'cause the argument has been well well there's two arguments account history well don't you know the history that the death of God and at the second being while there's queer there's queer people within the police service great and you're welcome to come down there uniform but you're welcome to come and you can merge with the project and volunteer with them or you can participate with NS rap or you know all of these other tremendous organizations you know get involved baby we're not we're not saying you can't be involved as part of their community it is not being a police officer not core to your identity in my view I can't take off my you know Brown skin you can take off your uniform at the end of the day like I'm a lawyer I'm more than just a lawyer if I lost my job tomorrow and could never practice law again I'm still more demands of round back right I'm so so thank you thank you for your input you get to take that off and if you are no longer a police officer next week you're going to be OK and it's not going to have the same that so we need to wait so you know I never accepted those are well you know my professions quarter identity is not immutable characteristic I racialization or your gender identity those sort of things so yeah I use on writing policing I totally get I 

    • have you worked with municipal and provincial politicians on this job? what was it like? [try to wring out a juicy story]

Work with municipal and provincial politicians on this job and what was it like yes like I worked quite a bit so I always met with usually annually meet with the Premier I would meet with municipal politicians I usually would meet with my Savage city Councilor way Mason was where most of pride events were so we usually meet with him but I think I work most closely with MP Andy Fillmore on a number of really granting and funding things that the federal government should be implemented over the last several years my experiences were were generally positive in terms of of working with folks I think there was a commitment to proud and a genuine belief in its value and you know we were willing we were willing and able to have a dialogue I think the respectful dialogue where we could push back at times and I thought all of them for the most part you know we're not going to grant everything but for the most part we're willing to hear us and respect our request and work with us in a in a constructive way I think those relationships were something that I was you know I cared about 'cause they are important right that means like government gives us you know those sound by things that people know never think about right found violations and like we went from there it's really the federal government that we get you know Garrison grounds from and all those things you use those spaces and and so working with those folks all three of levels of government give us funding so all of that sort of stuff is is making sure and one of the things I think we focused on really an old and every aspect of projects fostering relationships so I you know got to work with a lot of people I think we would push them where we could would highlight often some of the issues that were important but try to policing right we talked to the mirror about that we talked to we talked to them about you know why it is we're making this item for not asking permission I'm doing this This is why you know kind of get on board there we in my time never received any pushback never really have anyone speaking out against prising out against our decision going contrary to any of these things that we wanted you know were supportive in terms of the policies and in terms of the cash so you know I I you know obviously they could always do more much more and we all we gotta push to get more get everything we can I think there is a history in all of government policy making homophobia transphobia and all an amount in all of all government all their policies but I think we were we're very fortunate to have good relationships with all local politicians and I think to me that seems a little bit too is that sometimes I think it's clear folks we don't recognize the power we have and I think part of that why that is is because they know that fear folks do have alot and that you know they need to get on board and I sometimes I think we as queer folks can use our power more to push change because I don't think people politicians and and policy makers incision makers don't want to be on the wrong side yeah i fully agree with you i just do better 

    • what's your advice for the incoming Chair?

Maybe your views will change and that can be a good thing you know I think there's this perspective in our world right now is that we can never admit that we were wrong or that we've changed our mind and I think that that is a negative thing very bad thing I think it's important that you don't know just you know what I went out and reached out and talk to a bunch of folks and you know I think actually now I'm on board with this idea we should do this and don't be afraid to the last one don't be afraid to take risks and do things that are maybe a little uncomfortable with you there are a lot of decisions that I made that made me terribly uncomfortable and that's OK that's a good thing right it's not about me so right and of course I'm going to be uncomfortable but things but at the end of the day I was committed and believed oh actually though this is good like you know this is a good step forward for the organization for the community even though it makes me personally uncomfortable you know and and got to largely I'm thinking like business like you were committing a lot of money to this and we don't have the normal you know corporate business checks and balances that we would have and you know those are the things that like make me nervous I think actually you know this is a commitment to Accessibility or to cutie pie pot folks and that's more important that's the most important thing that we can do so being open to that OK that's my advice that is awesome I did extend it so I think we're good but I would really like to thank you for being so open and honest and so wonderful in laying your soul bare I wanted to ask you though you are a person of colour could you state so that Dan has it for his his in his article what how you identify racially yeah so I I am I identified biracial so I'm black I have a black parent in white parent so I usually I really go by it all usually black but I think most people view me as a person colours so I people want even though you know I'm half black yeah biology is a crazy thing so my skin colour is later depending on the season and so I don't buy anything you know black person a colour racialized yeah like I I am myself I've just pulled back the I will say First Nations depending on the situation but when I'm talking about the black **** I say black I think it's I I'm getting tired of a lot of these you know things that have come up because a lot of them I've just come up to make weight face is comfortable in the room yeah I'm not African Nova scotian I have no idea where Mr historical roots come from Africa nor do I need to go on that roots journey family is so far removed from that we know how we got here we know the historical part of descendant of slaves and part of the family that's fine but I you know I'm not devaluing that connection I'm just saying that and I've had this conversation with people from the continent of Africa and they're like yeah you're not African like yo no you're not and I agree yeah the difference is when I say First Nations is my family on that part of my family has historically always been here so that has never changed I know where that came from you know and some elders can just can cite my linneage back for so far I'm like wow yeah so that that is a thing but you're right like when I say colour I like black because yeah you know I'm gonna embrace that because of that one drop rule so yeah don't do it as a I think that's a German perspective and there's I know a lot of black folks after knows I'm not after no Scotia neither but you know I think feel that there is dogs devalued by sometimes sweeping things like people of colour which is you know not really anything you know it all of these actually very distinct you know ethnicities and cultures that were just kind of sweeping together and some you know and so I I I understand and I have complete respect for why people come folks take issue with that yeah so I I typically now go with black but I think it's two for me is because I you know being biracial it is more complex in that you know and I was very you know I had a lot of that growing up in a predominantly white community at and some of those things and you know navigating that and then you know it's learning and understanding and growing into my blackness more as I as I Ronan age is really it's good you know again it's a personal it's always a personal self love journey while you're at it too right and the challenges that come with that so you know I I think that it's really funny 'cause the response to the bipac thing my daughter who looks fully 100% weight but she's not but she's not even wait on the paleness site was trying to explain by pop to her son now my family is really weird 'cause I think I just went for like one person looking like everything out there so my grandson looks extremely indigenous and also when she was explaining bipac he included her in it she goes well no I'm not any goes well yeah because you're Peach and she tried to say that no she was white and he's like no 'cause people like your colour are Peach and then he pointed to a piece of paper and he goes that's white and he's 5 and I'm like you know what he's got it so you know like maybe we should do a little flip and let 5 year olds run the governor right because he was like Nope you're Pete work you know that speech you know like so yeah yeah I thought that was a very cute moment she's like I still can't get it through him I said maybe you don't need to because maybe that's where we need to go yeah maybe that's where understanding needs to go but anyhow so I'm going to wrap this up 'cause I've kept for too long I again thank you literally as far as i'm concerned my job is done i'm just going to be handing this