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| GLAD PROCLAMATION |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
INSPIRATIONAL PROCLAMATION FOR GLAD
BY PATRICIA
KOINE: (2001)
GLAD TO BE ALIVE!
As Gays Lesbians of African Descent
With Celebration & Acceptance.
FREE from denial, silence, condemnation, invalidation.
GLAD TO BE ALIVE!
As Gays Lesbians of African Descent
Where Self Love is a Revolutionary Act!
FREE of repression, suppression, oppression, depression.
Where Unity is in Diversity & Homophobia is no more!
GLAD TO BE ALIVE!
Transforming Africa...
One Person at a time.
All for Love. Love for All.
|
| GLAD FOUNDER |
|
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
 |
Born
in Nairobi, Kenya Patricia
Wanjiru Koine travelled to Toronto to further her
studies in 1987.
Patricia embraced |
| and made peace with herself as
a lesbian in 1999 after a long and personal soul searching
process. Failing to find a community of gays or lesbians
in the Toronto area who were African and out, that could
provide support with the process of coming out, Patricia
was prompted by a friend to create what she was looking for
that was visibly absent and silent. |
|
| GLAD ANNIVERSARY |
|
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
GLAD Celebrates 7th Anniversary
March 31, 2007 marked the 7th anniversary of GLAD since it's launch at the first
banner painting event. Throughout, GLAD has succeeded in creating an exciting
buzz within the LGBTTIQ community and has earned respectful recognition in a
very short time.
Thanks to the many volunteer members including families, friends, supporters,
allies and organizations who have been involved in numerous ways and put their
100% behind GLAD. Our Vision and Mission continue to guide us with integrity.
In an effort to maximize the capacity of the group on local level, GLAD will
facilitate event based activities in Toronto, (see calendar) that reflect the
various challenges, needs and triumphs faced by members. In acknowledging the
global outreach provided by our website, we'd like to encourage online discussion
forums from our community cafe page. You are welcome to sign our guest book and
enjoy our favourite tunes from our jukebox. Articles and stories can be shared
by sending them to:
for
editing and posting.
For our international allies and supporters please share our site with your networks
and we hope you too will be inspired to Celebrate Diversity, Promote Equality
and Transform Community in your localities with courage. Bookmark our website:
use ctrl D (for PC) or cmd D (for Mac) shortcuts to bookmark any page on the
site while you are surfing. |
| GLAD HISTORY |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
The idea of GLAD - Gays Lesbians of African Descent
was conceived
by Patricia on November 19, 2000 in Toronto, Canada, after participating
in the Landmark Education Advanced Course Program. Through participation
at the Self Expression and Leadership Program offered by Landmark
Education, Patricia officially launched and implemented GLAD in
the Spring of March 2001, with the 1st Banner Painting event. GLAD
was created as an informal group with ambitions to validate and
celebrate the existence of continental queer Africans in Toronto,
to create a supportive community, and to participate actively in
challenging and engaging our African communities in addressing
the impact and consequences of internalized and externalized homophobia,
through education, outreach and advocacy.
The idea of the Banner Painting event
was the first documented
attempt to create a space for ongoing engaging dialogue through
the medium of art, as a means to reach out to other continental
African gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transsexuals, transgendered,
questioning folks who felt alone, alienated, angry, confused, fearful,
frustrated, isolated, invalidated, and/or silenced by their sexual
orientation. Patricia invited participants to come to a safe space,
and begin the new millennium with the process of acceptance and
celebration by painting often forgotten or stigmatized words that
exist in our African languages that acknowledge yet degrade the
reality of same-gender love. This allowed us to powerfully reclaim
our names and our existence. This was a revolutionary act in self-love
and affirmation.
GLAD's First Pride Parade
The Banner Paintings led to GLAD’s first presence in Toronto’s Pride
Parade in June 2001 where again for the first time a landmark was made by having
the first continental African queer group, along with families, friends and supporters
march at Pride. Each year thereafter, GLAD marched at the Toronto Pride Parade
in 2002, 2003 & 2004 - making an impressionable impact on the tapestry of
Toronto’s diverse queer communities.
GLAD Growth
GLAD has experienced exponential growth in its 5 years of existence.
Participation at Pride 2001 and 2002 proved that GLAD was here
to stay. 2003 saw the creation of a Vision and Meeting Conduct
Guidelines. In 2004 the formulation of our Mission and Values was
completed. In 2005 six new Teams were launched that will take GLAD
to a new level of participatory community involvement, growth and
development. |
| GLAD TEAM LEADER BIOS |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Patricia
Core Team Leader, Supporting The Social Events Team
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Holly
Core Team Leader, Supporting The Education & Outreach Team
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Lydia
Core Team Leader, Supporting The Documentation Team
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Teo
Social Events Team Leader
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
----------------------------------------------------- |
Etienne
Social Commitee Assistant Team Leader.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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|
|
| GLAD VISION |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Celebrating Diversity
Promoting Equality
Transforming Community
| GLAD MISSION |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
To provide a supportive community for GTA based African self-identified
LGBTTQ: and to actively document our existence, challenge homophobia
and inform our communities through education, outreach and advocacy.
| GLAD VALUES |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
We are guided by INTEGRITY
and the spirit
of FREEDOM.
| GLAD TEAMS |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
GLAD Teams Include:
Core Team
Documentation Team
Education & Outreach
Team
Social Events Team
|
| MEETING CONDUCT GUIDELINES |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Respect self and others |
| Integrity of self and others |
| Maintain confidentiality |
| Observe punctuality |
| Respect differences in opinions |
| Accountability & responsibility for individual
actions |
| Respectful communication |
| Respectful language |
| Maintain/extend a welcoming environment |
| United we stand...divided we fall |
|
|
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