GSA Visits

Suggested Format:

• Mi'kmag land acknowledgement
• About the Elderberries
• What we're doing today
• You all have cards - these are for an Ask Me Anything
• Then we do short introductions, maybe talk about a topic, then ask the students to fill out the cards.

Dan's Bio

• I'm 56, I've known I was 8 years old (story about Mino)
• I've had several long term relationships. Mention the one that ended because of a drug problem
• I live in a house in the north end of Halifax, I've lived there for many years and I really like it there.
• My work: Do you know the internet? I built it!
• Volunteer: publishing. what is publishing?
• Now mostly retired
• Life is good
• Now I'm a part time archivist (what's an archivist?)
• Current interest: thinking about privilege, different kinds, and how we can use it to do good in the world.

For Next Time

• It's easy to tell horror stories about how awful it was. Try to have at least one story of the good times.
  • Dan's: "We laughed and loved and danced - a lot! At the gay bar I would get together with my dancing partner and dance from 10pm until 1 or 2 in the morning." Remember one big argument about whether men were allowed to dance with their shirts off.

Typical Questions

Did teachers do anything to stop bullying? How were you treated back then if you were gay? What did your parents think / act when you came out? Any ideas on how to come out with humour? I’m non-binary, does that mean that whoever I date, it will always be gay? How hard was life? Is it possible to be one gender and feel like the other but not want to make any changes? Can someone change their personal orientation if they wanted to? How do you stop from getting bullied by your siblings because you’re bi? What’s your worst bullying experience?