THANK YOU STRINGAM LLP

This episode of Queer in Alberta was brought to you with the support of Stringam LLP. Stringam Law is a regional law firm serving clients through professional, tailored legal services. As a full-service law firm in Western Canada, Stringam strives to always challenge the status quo – providing uncompromising solutions through innovative methods no matter how complex the case is.

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Welcome Kurt Schlachter, CEO of Stringam LLP and the first lawyer on the show. In addition to supporting three additional episodes of Queer in Alberta, Kurt co-founded the first ever scholastic endowment fund for 2SLGBTQIA+ students at the University of Lethbridge with his partner, Jason. In the interview, we talk about Kurt's hometown of Bow Island, Alberta, the impact of representation, and Kurt's personal perspective on queerness and professionalism. Stick around until the end of the episode- we take some audience q's and also discuss the recent book bans as flagged by Alberta's UCP government.

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FOLLOW KELS/QUEER IN ALBERTA:

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⁠⁠⁠⁠@kels.valendela⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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⁠⁠⁠⁠@kels.valendela⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Shivani Mullerpatan

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LINKS TO SUPPORT VANCOUVER'S FILIPINO COMMUNITY AFTER THE LAPU LAPU FESTIVAL TRAGEDY:

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⁠⁠⁠GoFundMe's ⁠⁠⁠

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With gratitude, welcome Mama Melinda Verga to the show! Joining from Edmonton, Alberta, Melinda Verga made herstory as the first Queen to represent Edmonton on Season 4 of Canada's Drag Race. Fresh off her iconic run on the Traitors Canada, Melinda joins Lethbridge podcaster Kels to dish the behind-the-scenes of reality TV and speaks to the joys of creating Filipino queer spaces in Alberta today.

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FOLLOW MELINDA:

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@melindaverga

FOLLOW KELS/QUEER IN ALBERTA:

IG:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠@kels.valendela⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

TIKTOK:⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠@kels.valendela⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

VIDEO/EDITING:⁠

⁠⁠⁠@gablopez⁠⁠⁠⁠

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LINKS TO SUPPORT VANCOUVER'S FILIPINO COMMUNITY AFTER THE LAPU LAPU FESTIVAL TRAGEDY:

⁠⁠https://vanfilemergency.my.canva.site/⁠⁠

⁠⁠GoFundMe's ⁠⁠

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Buckle up divas, Calgary's Dream Angel Cowboy has arrived! After placing Top 3 in Sirius XM's Top of the Country Talent Competition, Robert Adam tells Kels all about queering up the Canadian country music scene. But before Rob was hitting the stage and long before Kels started podcasting, did you know that these two grew up together in Bonnyville, Alberta? Tune in as Rob and Kels reconnect after more than a decade to spill some serious tea about old crushes and to talk all things growing up queer in small town Alberta.

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FOLLOW ROB:

IG:

@robertadammusic

FOLLOW KELS/QUEER IN ALBERTA:

IG:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠@kels.valendela⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

TIKTOK:⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠@kels.valendela⁠⁠⁠⁠

VIDEO/EDITING:⁠

⁠⁠@gablopez⁠⁠⁠

SOUND:⁠

⁠⁠CKATSOUND

LINKS TO SUPPORT VANCOUVER'S FILIPINO COMMUNITY AFTER THE LAPU LAPU FESTIVAL TRAGEDY:

⁠⁠https://vanfilemergency.my.canva.site/⁠⁠

⁠⁠GoFundMe's ⁠⁠

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In 1992, Michael Phair made national news as the first openly gay elected politician in Alberta's history. Michael joins Kels and reflects on his firsthand experience with a few queer history moments including the Pisces Bathhouse Raid and HIV/AIDS crisis that changed the course of 2SLGBTQIA+ visibility, acceptance, and equality in Alberta.

-------------------------------------------------------------------GO ON A QUEER HISTORY WALKING TOUR WITH MICHAEL:

https://www.edmontonqueerhistoryproject.ca/news-events

FOLLOW KELS/QUEER IN ALBERTA:

IG:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠@kels.valendela⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

TIKTOK:⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠@kels.valendela⁠⁠⁠⁠

VIDEO/EDITING:⁠

@classicjanvier

SOUND:⁠

⁠⁠CKATSOUND⁠

LINKS TO SUPPORT VANCOUVER'S FILIPINO COMMUNITY AFTER THE LAPU LAPU FESTIVAL TRAGEDY:

⁠https://vanfilemergency.my.canva.site/⁠

⁠GoFundMe's ⁠

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In Tagalog, the word "bakla" was a historical slur for gay and queer people in the Philippines. "Balikbayan" is a word that refers to both diasporic Filipinos and the iconic large boxes filled with goodies that we mail back home to loved ones in the Philippines. Younger generations have begun to reclaim the term "bakla," including this week's guests from Calgary, Alberta.

Meet Lanny and SallieMae, the two queer Filipinx Canada's who have co-founded BaklaBayan, a variety show and artistic collective that showcases 2SLGBTQIA+ Filipino/a/x talent in Calgary. Joining Kels in the Lethbridge studio, the group talks about growing up as Filipino Albertans and redefining cultural and queer identities on their own terms.

-------------------------------------------------------------------FOLLOW BAKLABAYA, LANNY, AND SALLIE:

IG:

@baklabayan.yyc

LANNY

SALLIE

FOLLOW KELS/QUEER IN ALBERTA:

IG:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠@kels.valendela⁠⁠⁠⁠

TIKTOK:⁠⁠⁠

⁠@kels.valendela⁠⁠⁠

VIDEO/EDITING:⁠

⁠@gablopez⁠⁠

SOUND:⁠

⁠CKATSOUND

LINKS TO SUPPORT VANCOUVER'S FILIPINO COMMUNITY:

https://vanfilemergency.my.canva.site/

GoFundMe's

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we grieve. Ingat ka.

SUPPORT QUEER IN ALBERTA HERE⁠ ☕️💖⁠⁠⁠🌈🌈

What would the world look like if we prioritized compassion over comprehension? Ask Brent Saccucci, a EdD candidate in Lethbridge, Alberta, who advocates for compassion at the root of all learning.

Joining Kels in the studio, Brent shares their expertise and introduces listeners to Queer 101, queer and trans inclusivity workshops they offer in Lethbridge. Tune in as Brent shares why Lethbridge is the queerest city they've ever lived and get an inside look at Queer 101's focus on developing skills and attitudes for navigating an increasingly gender-diverse world.

-------------------------------------------------------------------FOLLOW BRENT:

https://www.learningwithbrent.com/

FOLLOW KELS/QUEER IN ALBERTA:

IG:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

@kels.valendela⁠⁠⁠

TIKTOK:⁠⁠⁠

@kels.valendela⁠⁠

VIDEO/EDITING:⁠

@gablopez⁠

SOUND:⁠

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Thanks to shows like RuPaul's Drag Race, Drag has fully hit the mainstream. But as Drag Queens take centre stage, where are the Kings? Enter Lethbridge's Dick Goblin, the first ever Drag King to join us on Queer in Alberta. Your favourite Lethbian King and the quintessential man of mystery… he’ll make you laugh, he’ll make you cry, he’ll make out with your mom ;)

Kels interviews Dick out of Drag as Ash Thomson. During the episode, Ash adopts Kels as her new Drag Father and talks King representation in the southern Alberta drag scene. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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FOLLOW DICK:

IG: ⁠⁠⁠@dickgoblin_thefirst

FOLLOW KELS/QUEER IN ALBERTA:

IG:⁠⁠⁠

⁠@kels.valendela⁠⁠

TIKTOK:⁠⁠@kels.valendela⁠

VIDEO/EDITING:

@gablopez

SOUND:

CKATSOUND