Queer West Board of Directors

A powerful movement for social change

Gay West Community Network Inc. (queerwest.org) is a not-for-profit organization serving in west central Toronto, Ontario, since 2000, managed by a Board of Directors. The Queer West Arts Collective: is responsible for performing arts events and festivals for the purposes of educating and advancing the public’s understanding and appreciation of performing arts and to educate artists, through participation in such festivals and related workshops. We also host the Gay West Bicycle Club, the largest LGBTQ bicycle club in eastern Canada with 65 members. As well as our new ShOUT Queer Youth & Young Adult Program. We publish the Bent Expressions newspaper, a social enterprise of Queer West.

We are inspired by QueerWest.org ideals of openness, innovation and participation. We welcome new ideas and new faces in our Arts Collective and serving on our Board..

Incorporated on April 7, 2008 Gay West Community Network Inc. (legal name), as not for profit organization in Ontario #1752698, hereafter to be known as Queer West.

The Inside Story an independent newspaper published since 1996 and was not originally associated with Queer West. It was hosted on site for community entertainment, news and information. It was offered as donation to Queer West on Nov 11, 2008.

It became the Bent Expressions Newspaper and Bent eBlast (Newsletter) a social enterprise of Queer West with full Board approval on May 5, 2009. The name was change in July 2009 and a new logo created.

The Board

Philip Cairns
1st Vice President

Philip is on Board of Directors of Spencer Avenue Co-operative Homes. He writes plays, performance-pieces, short stories and poetry. He has performed his own work in festivals, cafes and theatres all over Toronto.

Philip has performed his writing at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, A Space, Free Times Cafe, Clinton’s, The Black Swan, Renaissance Cafe, The Theatre Centre and Paddy’s Playhouse. He has acted in scores of small theatre productions and numerous independent films.

He is also a visual artist having recently had a one-man exhibition at Artcetera Gallery in Toronto plus numerous other solo and group shows in Toronto and Edmonton. Philip will be busy organizing Queer West Arts Collective, poetry and spoken words events in 2010. He is Reiki Master, enjoys Tarot card reading, writing, and classic films. Phiilp was appointed to Board of Directors, on Friday July 24, 2009. He became 1st Vice President on January 8, 2010 www.myspace.com/philipcairns Email: moonlake [at] gosonic.ca

Jaclyn Alia Isen
2nd Vice President and Treasurer

Jaclyn Alia Isen is one of Queer West Arts Collective’s newest members, joining the Board of Directors and initiating the ShOUT! Young Queer Adult (Un)conference Program in December 2009. Jaclyn is a creative and eager generation Y’er and a proud Parkdalian with an ongoing craving for queer and feminist theory and community.

Jac holds a Masters of Arts in Women’s Studies from the University of Western Ontario, has taught an introductory undergraduate tutorial in Women’s Studies and has participated in a number of conferences on the topics of gender and sexuality.

She has developed a great deal of experience in organizing arts-based community programming in her role as the Community Outreach Coordinator for a wonderful independent feminist business on the Danforth called Red Tent Sisters.

Jaclyn is a woman-loving-woman, and generally a people-loving-person, who holds a fierce belief in the power of the arts to educate, cultivate, heal and transform community. She is currently pursuing a Masters of Education in Adult Education and Community Development at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at University of Toronto.

Like many of Queer West’s young volunteers, her work celebrates the valuable contributions young people make to communities throughout the City of Toronto and the important role young queer adults play as advocates, visionaries, and agents of social change. Jaclyn was appointed 2nd Vice President and Treasurer, January 8, 2010 Email: qwshout [at] gmail.com

Michel F. Paré
President & Secretary

Michel François Paré - Better know as Michael, founded Gay West Community Network in 2000 and is the visionary behind it all. Since then, he has steered the organization, though years of unprecedented growth. Paré is an advocate for our West Toronto queer community, and a strong proponent of creating change, by bringing people together.

Publisher of Bent Expressions Newspaper, which he started publishing in 1996 as an independent paper. It is now a social enterprise of Gay West Community Network Inc (Queer West). He was instrumental in establishing the Queer West Village, including naming it

Founder Queer West Arts and Cutlural Centre. Founder of Queer West Fest. Founder Gay West Bicycle Club. Co-founder of shOUT Queer Youth Program. Founder Wilde Chats Philosophy Cafe. Founder Queer West Arts Collective. Co-Founder Queer West Film Festival. Michael was long time member of the former Parkdale Gay and Lesbian Association. Former director Fort York Food Bank.

One of the past Presidents of Gay Equality in Mississauga and later was the Founding Chairman of GALA WEST Gay and Lesbian Association West, that served the Etobicoke/Mississauga area.

Michael 58, considers himself a happy gay senior, he has been a gay rights activist in Toronto, for close to 30 years. He lives, works and plays in the old Bockton Village Triangle (Dufferin and Dundas W. in the Queer West Village) Holds double Master degrees in Information Science and Philosophy. Michael works for himself as a backend, web content editor / designer, three days a week..

He enjoys year round cycling, community organizing and running a philosophy cafe. Michael has served on the Board as 1st Vice President and was interim President Jan 12, 2009 to December 2009. He was elected President and Secretary January 8, 2010. queerwestinfo@gmail.com

If interest in joining the Arts Collective or serving on the Board. Email queerwestinfo@gmail.com |416-879-7954 | About the: Collective Board meetings are held every two months.