GAY-MAZING RACE!

A Selfie Scavenger Hunt, exploring Queer Moments in Time

Saturday August 1

Time: All day Saturday August 1, 2020

We acknowledge that we will be playing on unceded Indigenous land belonging to the Coast Salish peoples. This includes the territories of the Musqueam, Skxwú7mesh-ulh, and Tsleil-Waututh nations. You are invited to take the time to recognize whose territories you are living and playing on today

You have all day Saturday August 1st, to participate, explore a bit of queer history and locales and be entered to win an amazing Sexy Grab Bag donated by Little Sister’s Book and Art Emporium.

To participate you must complete at least five of the tasks listed below. These tasks (selfie “stops”) don’t represent the entire history and lived queer experience of Vancouver or BC so please feel free to include your own selfie “stops” with a brief reason. You are also able to submit photos of the sites if you are unable to visit them or for any other reason.

You must visit at least four sites to be entered to win the prize. To find locations you may not know you are encouraged to look the site up and learn more about it and the history.

Post all your photos in one Instagram post with #PridewithHIM to be entered to win Little Sister’s Sexy Grab Bag.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to participate

  1. Complete at least 5 tasks (5 selfies)
  2. Open the Instagram App on your phone
  3. Follow HIM on Instagram (@InstaHIM)
  4. Start a new post and click on the “Select Multiple” option
  5. Select the photos you’d like to participate with (you have a limit of 10 photos to choose from)
  6. Write a caption: Tag @InstaHIM and make sure to include the hashtag #PrideWithHIM
  7. Post it 🙂

 

If you don’t use Instagram you can email your photos in one email with the subject line #PridewithHIM to volunteer@checkhimout.ca to be entered for the prize.

Submissions must be made before 12:00 AM on Sunday August 2nd.


 

TASK 1

Take a selfie in front of Steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery

In 1973 A rally took place on the Courthouse steps, what is now the Vancouver Art Gallery, as art of what many consider to be Vancouver’s first Pride festival.

TASK 2

Take a selfie in front of Little Sister’s Book and Art Emporium

Throughout its history Little Sister’s has also acted as a community centre and safe space for Queer folks

Throughout the 1980’s Canada Customs seizes books and magazines dealing with queer sexuality and declaring them obscene. Materials seized included items available in public libraries and in other stores. Little Sister’s went to court when Canada Customs declare the Advocate Magazine inadmissible. It took two years and thousands of dollars before the government admits the magazines should not have been seized. In June 1990 Little Sister’s launched a constitutional challenge to Canada Custom’s censorship

powers, stating that Canada Customs is discriminating against gay men and lesbians, violating the freedom of expression guaranteed under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The case reached the Supreme Court of Canada in December 2000, the court ruled that Canada Customs targeted Little Sister’s solely because it is a gay and lesbian bookstore. Canada Customs can continue to screen materials equally, without regard to the orientation of the materials, this changed the onus form the importer having to prove materials were not obscene to Canada Customs having to prove the materials were obscene.

TASK 3

Take a selfie of what Pride means to you

Pride belongs to each of us and we all have our own expressions. This is completely up to your own interpretation, have fun with it.

 

TASK 4

Take a selfie in front of a Rainbow Crosswalk in your community

Rainbow crosswalks are appearing in many communities across BC and Canada. These symbols demonstrate support by communities, and show that we belong and are recognized as a part of the community.

TASK 5

Hogan’s Alley, selfie with intersection street signs or a community plaque.

Hogan’s Alley was a historical Black Vancouver neighbourhood, both vibrant and community driven. Little was recorded of its queer history. Very little of the neighbourhood remains today due to urban renewal plans and the Georgi viaduct project. It is usually racialized and other marginalizes communities that are destroyed for urban renewal.

TASK 6

A respectful selfie at Vancouver AIDS Memorial

The memorial was created in 2004 by artist Bruce Wilson. It is a memorial listing the names of many of those who were lost to AIDS in Vancouver.

 

TASK 7

A selfie in front of any current or former gay bar

The gay bar was often the only place a queer person could feel safe and be true to themselves. The bars acted as community centres, often holding fundraisers for queer causes.

TASK 8

A selfie at Clark Park

Clark Park is often the muster point for folks taking part in the annual Vancouver Trans March. Trans folk and allies march together for visibility and create support for the Vancouver Trans community.

TASK 9

A selfie at either Jim Deva Plaza or an entrance to Stanley Park

In November 2001, over 3,000 people came together for a march and vigil protesting anti-gay violence held to commemorate the death of Aaron Webster who was murdered in Stanley Park in an anti-gay hate crime. The murder of Aaron Webster was a catalyst for the community to come together and make changes towards ending homophobic hate attacks.

 

TASK 10

A selfie at Urban Native Youth Association, UNYA

UNYA supports Indigenous youth and includes culture as healing. They are supportive to Two Spirit youth as well as Indigenous youth who may not use Two Spirit as an identity.

TASK 11

A selfie at West End Sex Workers Memorial

A Politically active, vibrant and community focused sex worker community developed in Vancouver’s west end. Sex Workers of all and any identity were welcomed and supported by other sex workers. The community was forced to move to other areas and disperse due to bylaws and organizations such as Shame the Johns.

In the 1980s, the community on the Davie St stroll, primarily populated by trans women, was forcibly displaced by organizations like the Concerned Residents of the West End (CROWE), which founded and led by a white gay man. Using their political influence, CROWE helped develop the Street Activities Bylaw, which fined sex workers up to $2,000 or resulted in up to 6 months imprisonment.

As sex workers became displaced, they lost the communities that provided security and companionship. They also lost their client base, impacting their ability to pay for basic necessities and the discriminatory bylaw fines. Displacement of sex workers, particularly of Indigenous sex workers, into the DTES has also resulted in the murders and disappearance of vulnerable workers.

The West End Sex Worker Memorial commemorates the sex workers whose lives and livelihoods were put at risk by displacement. The Memorial cost $28,000 to develop, which is the amount taken from sex workers in fines in 1982.

TASK 12

A selfie at Grandview Park

Grandview has often been the end point for the annual Dyke March during Vancouver Pride. This is a popular and powerful march of queer folk.

 

TASK 13

A selfie in front of a place that is important to yourself and your identity. This is an opportunity for you to share what is important and the many aspects to our collective identity.

TASK 14

A selfie in front of Qmunity

Qmunity, a community centre for the beautiful and diverse queer community. They support and provide resources as well as hosting organizations and meetings for many groups, among many other activities and services.

TASK 15

A selfie at Chinatown Millennium Gate

There is a rich history of queer Asian experience in Vancouver and BC. This neighbourhood in particular in Vancouver was a centre for activity. The broader queer community also came to the neighbourhood to create drag shows and many other activities.