In this episode, we meet Selam Debs (she/her), an entrepreneur, mother, social justice and self-love advocate. Selam speaks on her intersecting identities as Ethiopian and Queer, her advocacy and community work in KW, and her entrepreneurial journey. She also shares tips on practicing self-love and compassion. Content description: This episode includes a brief mention of sexual abuse and assault and of a family member’s passing. Discussions of anti-black racism also occur. Themes: Intersectionality, Motherhood, Femininity, Blackness, Ethiopian Identity, Queerness, Community and Advocacy Work, Self-Love, Self-Compassion For the book list that accompanies this episode, head to the City of Waterloo Museum’s Instagram or Facebook @waterloomuseum! We’ve also partnered with Rad Riot Books to put together a book list inspired by the content of this episode, so give them a follow on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @radriotbooks. And, as always, head to the Waterloo Public Library for access to some of the books featured on these lists! Read along with the audio transcription for this episode here! Follow Selam: https://www.selamdebs.com/   Facebook: @selamdebsyoga Instagram: @selamdebs Twitter: @selamdebs Support Selam: Juici Yoga https://www.juiciyoga.com/ Facebook: @juiciyoga Instagram: @juiciyoga Twitter: @juiciyoga Project UP https://www.weareprojectup.com/ Instagram: @weareprojectup SASC (Sexual Assault Support Centre) https://www.sascwr.org/    Facebook: @sascwr  Instagram: @sascwr  Twitter: @SASCWR Womens’ Entrepreneur Centre https://www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/lazaridis-school-of-business-and-economics/women-entrepreneurship-centre/index.html Additional Resources & Shout-Outs: African Caribbean Black (ACB) Network Waterloo Region http://acbnetworkwr.com/ Facebook: @acbnetworkwr  Instagram: @ofacb Twitter: @OfAcb SHORE Centre (Sexual Health, Options, Resources, Edication) https://www.shorecentre.ca/    Facebook: @shorecentre  Instagram: @shorecentrewr  Twitter: @SHOREcentreWR SPECTRUM Rainbow Community Space https://www.ourspectrum.com/    Facebook -> @SpectrumCommunitySpace  Instagram -> @spectrumwaterlooregion  Twitter -> @our_SPECTRUM  Audio credit: Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): http://uppbeat.io/t/paul-yudin/big-adventure   License code: 4755XCD6OHKUUAVV

In this episode we meet Dewe’igan Bearfoot (she/her, they/them), a bisexual two-spirit transfemme Anishnaabe woman, and reflect on her journey to identifying as bisexual, trans, and Two-Spirit. Dewe’igan discusses the importance of finding her Indigenous community, Land Back, art, Dungeons and Dragons, and graphic novels to her own process of self-discovery. Content description: This episode contains light profanity, mentions violence faced by members of the Land Back Camp, religious trauma, and experiences of homophobia. Themes: Self-Identity, Self-Discovery Queer Journeys, Indigeneity, Two-Spirit, Community, Land Back, Mental Health, Art For the book list that accompanies this episode, head to the City of Waterloo Museum’s Instagram or Facebook @waterloomuseum! We’ve also partnered with Rad Riot Books to put together a book list inspired by the content of this episode, so give them a follow on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @radriotbooks. And, as always, head to the Waterloo Public Library for access to some of the books featured on these lists! Read along with the audio transcription of this episode here! Follow Dewe’igan: Instagram: @deweiganbearfoot Support Dewe’igan: Land Back Camp: O:se Kenhionhata:tie https://www.landbackcamp.com/  Facebook: @osekenhionhatatie  Instagram: @ose.kenhionhatatie Additional Resources & Shout-Outs: Gender Variant Working Group https://wwgendervariant.wixsite.com/gvwg/about   Facebook: @WWGenderVariance  Indigenous Student Association UW https://uwaterloo.ca/stpauls/waterloo-indigenous-student-centre/indigenous-student-association  Indigenous Student Services Student Support Coordinator WLU https://students.wlu.ca/student-life/indigenous-student-services/services/index.html    Indigenous Centre Conestoga College https://www.conestogac.on.ca/indigenous-services Rainbow Reels https://www.rainbowreels.ca/   Facebook: @rainbowreels Instagram: @rainbow_reels Twitter: @RainbowReels SPECTRUM Rainbow Community Space https://www.ourspectrum.com/    Facebook: @SpectrumCommunitySpace  Instagram: @spectrumwaterlooregion  Twitter: @our_SPECTRUM  Audio credit: Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): http://uppbeat.io/t/paul-yudin/big-adventure   License code: 4755XCD6OHKUUAVV

In part two of this two-part episode, Kez (they/them) and Aashay (they/them, she/her, he/him) speak more about the other work they do in KW. Kez reflects on their performance work in comedy, acting, and improv, as well as their involvement with the SHORE Centre and KW Counselling. Aashay also reflects on their start in comedy and their advocacy work with Rad Riot Books and Ground-Up WR. Content Description: This episode contains some light profanity, mentions of living in a homophobic household, experiences with homophobia and racism, and very brief mentions of sex. Themes: Coming Out, Queer Journeys, Intersectional Identities, Immigration, Finding Community, Performance, Books, Community Development For the book list that accompanies this episode, head to the City of Waterloo Museum’s Instagram or Facebook @waterloomuseum! We’ve also partnered with Rad Riot Books to put together a book list inspired by the content of this episode, so give them a follow on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @radriotbooks. And, as always, head to the Waterloo Public Library for access to some of the books featured on these lists! Read along with the audio transcription of this episode here Follow Kez and Aashay: Aashay Dalvi Instagram: @shaydqueen Twitter: @aashaydalvi Kez Vicario-Robinson Instagram: @kezvr Twitter: @kezvr TikTok: @kezvr Support Kez and Aashay: Canadian Improv Games https://improv.ca/ Facebook: @CanadianImprovGames Instagram: @canadianimprovgames Twitter: @CanadianImprov Ground-Up WR https://groundupwr.weebly.com/ Twitter: @groundupwr OK2BEME & KW Counselling https://www.kwcounselling.com/lgbtq-ok2bme/    Twitter: @OK2BEMEca  Rad Riot Books Facebook: @radriotbooks Instagram: @radriotbooks Twitter: @radriotbooks Rainbow Reels https://www.rainbowreels.ca/  Facebook: @rainbowreels Instagram: @rainbow_reels Twitter: @RainbowReels SHORE Centre (Sexual Health, Options, Resources, Edication) https://www.shorecentre.ca/    Facebook: @shorecentre  Instagram: @shorecentrewr  Twitter: @SHOREcentreWR Additional Resources & Shout-Outs: ACCKWA https://www.acckwa.com   Twitter: @AIDSCKW   Facebook: @ACCKWA  Brandon Ash-Mohammed Instagram: @brandonamcomedy Brendan D’Souza Instagram: @dasouzie Gender Variant Working Group https://wwgendervariant.wixsite.com/gvwg/about   Facebook: @WWGenderVariance IndigeNative Instagram: @indigenative Land Back Camp: O:se Kenhionhata:tie https://www.landbackcamp.com/  Facebook: @osekenhionhatatie Instagram: @ose.kenhionhatatie Media Indigena https://mediaindigena.com/ Facebook: @mediaindigena  Twitter: @mediaINDIGENA Medicine for the Resistance Podcast Facebook: @resistanceisbeautiful Metis in Space Podcast http://www.metisinspace.com/ Twitter: @Metis_In_Space Plan B Co-Op KW https://planbcooperativekw.wordpress.com/   Facebook: @planbcooperativekw SPECTRUM Rainbow Community Space https://www.ourspectrum.com/   Facebook: @SpectrumCommunitySpace  Instagram: @spectrumwaterlooregion  Twitter: @our_SPECTRUM  Unreserved Podcast https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-105-unreserved Facebook: @cbcunreserved  Twitter: @CBCUnreserved Warrior Life Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/warrior-life/id1434096503 Audio credit: Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): http://uppbeat.io/t/paul-yudin/big-adventure  License code: 4755XCD6OHKUUAVV

In part one of this two-part episode, we meet Kez Vicario-Robinson (they/them), a gender-queer non-binary artistic performer and comedian, and Aashay Dalvi (they/them, she/her, he/him), a queer comedian and owner and chief curator of Rad Riot Books. We learn about how they met through Rainbow Reels and more about KW’s Queer and Trans Film Festival. Kez and Aashay also speak about their journeys of self-identity and coming out and discuss some objects tied to their stories.  Content Description: This episode contains some light profanity, mentions of living in a homophobic household, experiences with homophobia and racism, and very brief mentions of sex. Themes: Coming Out, Queer Journeys, Intersectional Identities, Immigration, Finding Community, Performance, Books, Community Development For the book list that accompanies this episode, head to the City of Waterloo Museum’s Instagram or Facebook @waterloomuseum! We’ve also partnered with Rad Riot Books to put together a book list inspired by the content of this episode, so give them a follow on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @radriotbooks. And, as always, head to the Waterloo Public Library for access to some of the books featured on these lists! Read along with the audio transcription of this episode here! Follow Kez and Aashay: Aashay Dalvi Instagram: @shaydqueen Twitter: @aashaydalvi Kez Vicario-Robinson Instagram: @kezvr Twitter: @kezvr TikTok: @kezvr Support Kez and Aashay: Canadian Improv Games https://improv.ca/ Facebook: @CanadianImprovGames Instagram: @canadianimprovgames Twitter: @CanadianImprov Ground-Up WR https://groundupwr.weebly.com/ Twitter: @groundupwr OK2BEME & KW Counselling https://www.kwcounselling.com/lgbtq-ok2bme/    Twitter: @OK2BEMEca  Rad Riot Books Facebook: @radriotbooks Instagram: @radriotbooks Twitter: @radriotbooks Rainbow Reels https://www.rainbowreels.ca/  Facebook: @rainbowreels Instagram: @rainbow_reels Twitter: @RainbowReels SHORE Centre (Sexual Health, Options, Resources, Edication) https://www.shorecentre.ca/    Facebook: @shorecentre  Instagram: @shorecentrewr  Twitter: @SHOREcentreWR Additional Resources & Shout-Outs: ACCKWA https://www.acckwa.com  Twitter: @AIDSCKW   Facebook: @ACCKWA  Brandon Ash-Mohammed Instagram: @brandonamcomedy Brendan D’Souza Instagram: @dasouzie Gender Variant Working Group https://wwgendervariant.wixsite.com/gvwg/about   Facebook: @WWGenderVariance IndigeNative Instagram: @indigenative Land Back Camp: O:se Kenhionhata:tie https://www.landbackcamp.com/  Facebook: @osekenhionhatatie Instagram: @ose.kenhionhatatie Media Indigena https://mediaindigena.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mediaindigena/ Twitter: @mediaINDIGENA Medicine for the Resistance Podcast Facebook: @resistanceisbeautiful Metis in Space Podcast http://www.metisinspace.com/ Twitter: @Metis_In_Space Plan B Co-Op KW https://planbcooperativekw.wordpress.com/   Facebook: @planbcooperativekw SPECTRUM Rainbow Community Space https://www.ourspectrum.com/   Facebook: @SpectrumCommunitySpace  Instagram: @spectrumwaterlooregion  Twitter: @our_SPECTRUM  Unreserved Podcast https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-105-unreserved Facebook: @cbcunreserved Twitter: @CBCUnreserved Warrior Life Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/warrior-life/id1434096503 Audio credit: Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): http://uppbeat.io/t/paul-yudin/big-adventure  License code: 4755XCD6OHKUUAVV

In this opening episode of the Hear Our Stories Podcast, meet your hosts: Harkamal (she/her), Julia (she/her), and Sarah (she/her). The podcast hosts introduce you to the Hear Our Stories podcast, its mission, and tell you a little bit about themselves!  In each episode we will include related links to support and follow, so for this introductory episode, we’ve included links for some of the organizations that our guests are affiliated with to get all of you listeners excited for what’s to come!