E003 Scott Williams LGBTQ+ Terminology 1

Let’s Be Well Together Podcast - Episode 3
Date: February 15, 2022

Participants: John Webster, Sammy Damaren, Cameron Earnshaw and Sheila Webster
Guest: Scott Williams

Start times and Segment Summaries:

[0:00:19] What’s On Your Mind: Sammy and John talk about the Arts, which are important to wellness in their lives.

[0:09:16] Expanding Minds Interview: [Social Wellness] Part 1 of our discussion with Scott Williams of Spectrum (Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space), about Spectrum’s 2021 LGBTQ2+ Terminology Reference Guide, with a focus on gender related terms and concepts.

[0:23:21] Adventures of the Starving Artist: Cameron’s tells us how Shy Harry’s single, “Do You Right” is getting radio play in the U.K. He hopes to perform in the U.K. with the band. He also put out a cover of Take Care (by City and Colours) with friend and harpist Rose – find it on Rose’s Instagram page @roseharpist. He also had a great teaching moment.

[0:26:12] Move That Body: Sammy and Sheila both danced throughout their lives. They talk about their love of dance and how it’s different from exercising at the gym.

[0:31:13] Running Popup: John talks about an approach he’s exploring: achieving balance by making informed choices about the trade-offs he makes between different areas of wellness. He’s forced into trade-offs, because of time management, for example

[0:34:58] Flipside of the Coin: Sheila and John talk about the first time they fell in love with a painting when they bumped into the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair. They bought it and art became a rich source of enjoyment – part of wellness for them.

Quotes and Take-Aways:

John: If I want to work on wellness, then I need to find ways to include art in my life, to recognize art.

Scott: There are as many different ways to be 2SLGBTQ+ as there are 2SLGBTQ+ people, so best to avoid assumptions generally.

Scott: Gender is internal. It’s your sense of self, where sexuality has to do with external factors such as who you might be attracted to for example. Gender identity is just that: how you identify your gender, which may not be the same as what the doctor assigns you at birth.

Scott: Terms and labels like these are not boxes to put people in. Language is a tool to help us express to other people what we are feeling or thinking.

Scott: We’ve been socialized for so long in this binary [man / woman] thinking that it can be challenging for us to open our minds to things beyond that binary.

John: For me, balance happens when I make informed choices about the trade-offs I’m forced into in facets of wellness. I feel like I let things happen to me before. I let myself get way out of shape by just ignoring physical wellness [one of the many facets] and I don’t want to do that anymore. I’m trying to understand what trade-offs I’m making, and then to make informed choices.

John: If that’s a message I can get out there, it’s why not sit back and think about what trade-offs your making between categories of wellness, then take control of that. Make the ones you want to make.

Bulletin Board quote brought to you by Sammy: Rhythm scares people.

Guest Information: Scott Williams holds a BA in English Language & Literature from Wilfred Laurier University, and a diploma in Film Production from Vancouver Film School. He completed certificates in Diversity & Inclusion Fundamentals and Anti-Racism with the Canadian Centre for Diversity & Inclusion. He is a graduate of the Engage!KW program from the KW Community Foundation. Prior to Spectrum, Scott served as the Communications & Development Coordinator at KW Counselling Services where he was part of the OK2BME Team. He volunteered as a member of the City of Kitchener Mayor's Task Force on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, the Children and Youth Planning Table Communications Advisory Committee, the Mental Wellness Network of Waterloo Region, and on the Breaking the Silence working group of the Rainbow Community Council. In his time at WLU, Scott served as Co-President of GLOBAL (Gay, Lesbian Or Bisexual At Laurier) and as a member of Laurier's Sexual Diversity Committee -- the antecedents of the Rainbow Centre. Scott was one of a small group that organized the first Pride Prom in Waterloo Region in 2003. He has previously volunteered with the Rainbow Reels Film Festival, and as a member of SPECTRUM's Board of Directors.

Spectrum (Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space): https://www.ourspectrum.com/
Link to Spectrum’s New 2021 LGBTQ2+ Terminology Reference Guide: https://www.ourspectrum.com/resources/101-terminology-guide/
Instagram @SpectrumWaterlooRegion
Spectrum Waterloo Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEf0IGt_3nyZ6hOJSTW8unQ

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Thanks for joining us,
(-(-_(-_-)_-)-)   Your wellness check-in team
John, Sammy, Cameron, Sheila and Julie

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E004 Scott Williams LGBTQ+ Terminology 2

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E002 Beth Beattie Disclosing Bipolar Disorder