Calgary Pride 2025!! 🏳️⚧️ 🏳️🌈
What an incredibly beautiful way to celebrate and reinforce our existence, and I couldn't have asked for a more special group of folks with whom to do so. From the TD Block Party on Tuesday, Big Splash Cabaret Pool Party on Thursday, the second anniversary of Critical Mass @criticalmass.yyc on Friday, celebrating the birthday of a very dear friend, being reminded of how many deep connections I have while surrounded by a plethora of friends at the Trans and Dyke March on Saturday, and closing out the weekend playing the Mainstage at Calgary Pride with The Corey Hotline on Sunday, this has by far been my best Pride Week yet!
Thank you to my wonderful queer family for making me and each other feel so integrated and important in the community, @thecoreyhotlineband for taking me on and reigniting my love for performing, @calgarypride for booking us and the stage crew for making us look and sound so epic, and all the amazing people who came out to support us and each other, celebrating and reinforcing our existence. Pride is a protest, and we will never stop fighting against those who want to see us erased.
Stay weird, my loves ✌️ 💖
I hate that we're here yet again. The people have spoken time and again that we care about affordable housing, groceries, and utilities, public services, infrastructure, and education, and BASIC. HUMAN. RIGHTS. but this sick and evil UCP government would rather cater to a vocal minority of their voter base who want to see people's rights taken away, not realizing they are actively wishing for their own demise.
Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard that the UCP has used the Notwithstanding Clause **four** times in the last three weeks to strip the rights of first teachers - and subsequently ALL workers - and then transgender youth, their parents, their doctors, and teachers again. They are literally bullying children and it's clear that they are coming for women's health next, but the point is far greater than that. Whoever you are, as a citizen of Alberta, this affects YOU as well. Don't think for a second that your cishet white privilege gives you any kind of immunity from the heinous agenda of this vile government.
I implore you, if you live in a UCP riding, find and sign the petition to have your MLA recalled. Talk to everybody you know, give them the facts, and make sure they understand that this government has shamelessly violated our federally protected human rights and will continue to do so as long as they are allowed to hold office. This isn't just about teachers, this isn't just about trans children or the 2SLGBTQIA+ community as a whole, this isn't just about the impending attacks on those with a uterus; this is about every single Albertan who is not in the pockets of the UCP.
** YOU SHOULD GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THIS ** #FIREtheUCP
#2SLGBTQIA+ #ABpoli #WelcomeToGilead
Pride with the Corey Hotline! I am unspeakably grateful for all the amazing people who came out to support me and the band today. Couldn't ask for a more special way to close out pride 2025. My heart is so full 🥰
What an honour to play my first show with @thecoreyhotlineband at my favourite Calgary watering hole, @shipandanchorpub
We've got another gig coming up soon! Keep your ears to the ground. 🤘
Thanks to @plasticthistle for the photo 💜
2024. What a year. Arguably my most joyful and simultaneously most painful. So many beautiful friendships formed, and a few unfortunately lost. I've grown. I've learned. I've loved again for the first time in years.
I got pierced and tattooed. I protested (and made the news). I let my silly out. I learned to crochet. I traveled. I met a gaming buddy overseas and made some new international friends. I had surgery. I overcame a lifelong needle phobia! Performed in my first drag show. Volunteered. Learned some basic bicycle mechanics. I attended my first Ship & Anchor Regulars Party. I celebrated a year sober, two years on HRT, and 34 trips around the sun. I moved into a new apartment. I Critical Massed. Legally changed my name. Reconnected with an old friend after far too long. Leaned on a bunch of amazing people for support. Formed so many core memories with a new BFFL. And I've looked back on the person I was a year ago, even a few months ago, and felt proud of how far I've come.
Now I look to the future and can't begin to fathom where I'll be in another year. Bring it on, 2025.
