Rachelle Lee Smith and Speaking OUT

Rachelle Lee Smith and I met via Twitter. Hard to imagine feeling so tuned to someone you got to know 140 characters at a time. Which is stretching the truth somewhat because it was early on that we began connecting via email. Rachelle’s powerful work became the focal point for a service I was creating for West Hill United. Two years before, West Hill had become a member of Affirm United/S’Affirmer Ensemble, the group within The United Church of Canada that promotes rights for the LGBTQ community, particularly members of the Order of Ministry within the UCC. That first year we had George Smitherman as our guest speaker. Invited prior to his bid for the city’s mayoral seat, George brought with him his lengthy and very public witness to the leadership LBGTQ members in our community can offer. The following year we were joined by Kathleen Wynne. Then Minister of Transportation it was in her previous role as Minister of Education that she became front page news as the brains and grace behind an amazing public school curriculum unfortunately defeated by conservative evangelicals in relation to just this issue. This year, we welcomed Francisco Alvarez, Co-chair of Pride Week and the champion of the successful bid for the 2014 World Pride Week festival here in Toronto. Back to Rachelle. Teaching at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Rachelle explores life with her camera and, in a multimedia essay, helped a group of LGBTQ youth to explore themselves in relation to the world. I won’t try to give you the idea but will send you to it so that you can experience Rachelle’s sensitivity, power, energy, truth, clarity, wisdom, and insight. Prepare to be moved. Speaking OUT: Queer Youth In Focus