Staff

During his time working with LGBTQ/2S community-based organizations in Toronto, Osmel focused his work on developing policy and procedures, strategic planning and program design in the non-profit membership-driven sector.

Osmel is excited and honoured to advance the vision and mission of QMUNITY and strongly believes in the power of inclusion to affect lasting social change

She holds a BA in English and Ethnic Studies from Mills College (Oakland, CA – the traditional territories of the Ohlone and Yokuts peoples) and an MA in English and Queer Studies from Simon Fraser University (Burnaby, BC – the unceded lands of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations) and is an accredited Sommelier. Her connection to QMUNITY goes back to the mid 1990s, when she met her first “real” girlfriend at a QMUNITY (then The Centre) youth group. She lives in East Van with her wife and large, lazy dog.

Joel brings over 10 years of experience in group facilitation, adult education, curriculum design and public speaking to his role at QMUNITY.  Most recently, Joel completed a Certificate in Dialogue & Civic Engagement from Simon Fraser University. Course learnings provided him with the opportunity to enhance his skills and abilities to bring groups of people together to have difficult conversations and co-create new knowledge and innovative solutions to address complex issues.

When Joel isn’t waxing poetic about queer revolutions or addressing the toxicity of misogyny, you might find him on some sports fields (oh, the irony) tossing a plastic, flying disc or kicking around a soccer ball.  His main mode of transportation is cycling, and he frequently pines for the long Vancouver summer days so he can try to survive ill-planned and under-prepared day-long bike trips.

Meera completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees in social work in Toronto and  spent the first half of her career in the non profit sector. This included a crisis line for assaulted women, homelessness and housing, and HIV/AIDS. Within health care Meera has worked in hospitals and palliative care in Vancouver.

Today Meera is working on her PhD (Taos Inst. and VUB Brussels) looking at the connection that takes place between queer therapist and queer clients, and was strongly influenced by her work at Qmunity in developing this research.

Meera moved to Vancouver from Toronto in 2012. She loves the fresh air, the energy of the trees and the spirit of the ocean, all that is BC. Meera’s work and life experiences have taught her that there so much more to people than what meets the eye. “We are such complex and powerful beings, able to move through transformative change at unexpected moments of our lives”.

This practice has taken him across Ontario and British Columbia and at times has given way to severe caffeine induced bouts of existential woe and narcissistically questionable self-reflection.

Rana is a Master Trainer for two global programmes developed by the British Council – “Active Citizens” and “Leadership in Community Development” – and has delivered trainings in Syria, Lebanon and Turkey.

Rana holds a Bachelor in Business Administration, an executive Masters Degree in Psychosocial Support and Dialogue from the Lebanese University, and a Diploma in Social Training and Interactive Methods, from the Academic University for Nonviolence and Human Rights in the Arab World “AUNOHR University” in Beirut, Lebanon. She completed several academic programmes for peace builders around the world.

This list includes a programme with the Center for Justice and Peace summer in the Eastern Mennonite University, Virginia, United States, where she attended courses on Conflict Analysis, Narrative Discourse, Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience, and other similar programmes in South Africa. Rana also worked with international trainers from different counties like: Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Morocco, South Africa, Italy, Denmark, United States and the United Kingdom.

Christen has worked with QMUNITY for the past two years as a PrideSpeaks facilitator, alongside pursing an Associate Degree in Biology at Douglas College. Her work in classrooms and as the Pride Liason for the Douglas College Student Union, as well as her extensive volunteer and event management experience has helped to prepare her for the role of Special Events and Community Outreach Coordinator. She is looking forward to making more connections with the queer community here in Vancouver, especially with other QTBIPOCs.

Christen is also passionate about environmental science and conservation. She and her partner try to lead a zero-waste lifestyle in their East Vancouver apartment. She spends her free time re-reading Maya Angelou, pretending to be a model for Vancouver Fashion Week, biking around Main Street and trying new Caribbean-style recipes.

Landon has worked or volunteered in a communications and administrative role for a number of organizations throughout his career, including Finer Details Event Planning, Theatre Terrific, TimePause Event Services, Made In BC, Mascall Dance Studio, and Vancouver Pride Society. He is currently a Director of Artistic Sign Language, has served as a Director for Foundation of Hope, and is a Past President of BC Rainbow Alliance for the Deaf.

[email protected] was one of the first to introduce to The Canadian Federal Court and the United Nations how de-homosexualization clinics in Latin America oppress the LGBTQ2S+ community by means of torture under the disguise of Rehabilitation Clinics. [email protected] helped marginalized communities become more visible through activism, storytelling, and education.

[email protected] has inspired others to become more active in the community, and has helped many organizations in Ecuador and Canada be more inclusive.  [email protected] believes that kindness can make a better world for everyone and leads by example.

When Esther was fifteen, they started their high school’s Gay-Straight Alliance; they’ve been involved in LGBTQ/2S activism and art ever since. They’re one half of the organizing team behind REVERB: A Queer Reading Series, which has been putting on shows featuring emerging and established queer writers since 2013. All of Esther’s organizing centres anti-oppression and accessibility, with the not-so-secret hope that spaces that affirm, celebrate and support marginalized identities can change the world for the better.

Esther likes a lot of things: poetry, pop music, dismantling the heteropatriarchy, making pancakes, and scavenging for berries, to name a few.