So what happened in 2011… for one thing the LGBTQ Community saw massive change. In the United States with the repeal of “Don’t ask don’t tell” there was a surge of pride in the community, proof that nothing is impossible. Some states have legalized same sex unions, while others have only further entrenched themselves against the concept. The extreme right is continuing to beat their war drums claiming the demise of society because of LGBTQ people.

I find that to be interesting… it was not after all the fiscal policies of the LGBT Community that crashed Wall Street or has thrown the world into economic chaos. Actually according to statistics, the LGBTQ Community accounts for the vast majority of consumer spending in Canada and the United States. Let’s face it… having a bad day? Is there better therapy then zipping out and spending a little money? Better then what some people do, at least in my opinion.

But I digress. 2011 also saw no less than three major predictions that the world was going to end… remember November 11, 2011 at 11:11? Of course no one was sure if that was AM or PM, and there there is the whole business with time zones getting in the way… 11:11 where exactly? Not that it really matters, my typing of this blog post clearly indicates that it didn’t happen… yet.

Bullying was something that continued to run unabated. Even with the huge social outcry, it still continues to be a significant issue in society. More than just in school, in the great big corporate world it is rampant. Most people don’t even seem to realize it, maybe as adults we are just used to be brow beaten that we brush it off? Or perhaps the fear of retribution, like losing one’s job, is just so great that we numbly go about our days?

I for one think that 2011 was a good year. Yes, it was a difficult one, but sometimes one has to consider what good can come from challenge. We as a community in Canada were given reminders of how fortunate we really are. The world around us fell into chaos, and that chaos illustrated how strong our community is, how closely knit together we really are.

Many charities have reported a sharp increase in volunteers and in funds from the community – something that was desperately needed after the federal cut backs of 2008 – 2010. Our Q Hall of Fame Inductee, ted northe survived lung cancer and having almost 80% of a lung removed, and in 2012 celebrates his 75th year.

Was 2011 a year that many would like to forget? Sure, there are moments that I wish I could erase. As a dear friend once said to me… “Bad things will always happen in life, we cannot change that nor hope to control it. What is most important is what you learn from your experiences, and how you use that knowledge to make a difference in the world.”

2011 taught me much, and I for one am going to try to make a difference, no matter how small.

It was a night of inspiration, hope, love, and community.  We were each dazzled by stunning performances by Jayleen Stonehouse, Symone, and Raye Sunshine.  The room was beautiful.  The acceptance speeches of the inductees… brought us to tears and then doused us with hilarity.  The history told was nothing short of amazing.

We had three guest speakers that night, The Honourable James Moore, The Honourable Hedy Fry, and ted northe.  All were brilliant, but perhaps the most poignant was that of Mr. northe as he regaled us with a sixty year history, experienced first hand, of our community.  A room full of people brought first to tears, and then to their feet as Mr. northe received a standing ovation that lasted enough that like a rock star he went back onto the stage.

To best quote the evening, here is some of the feedback we have received:

“The most inspirational night of my life”

“Perhaps the truest sense of community and pride I have felt in many years, it really is what having pride is all about”

“I think it’s always tempting when we now have so many equal rights and privileges that it was easy – it’s good for us to continue to hear the stories of the people who made it happen and to hear the stories that show just how far we’ve come…              when I hear stories like we heard from the inductees last night – stories that happened well within my memory, things that happened to people we know and love, things like Paul’s own story of being bullied despite the fact that we was probably bigger than those who bully through all kinds of intimidation … all of that somehow makes it clear that Freedom Fighters of all kinds have made a huge difference, and Lest I Forget, events like last night are really important – it’s important to remember what those before us have done and to celebrate the victories in awesome style. I so appreciate the Queens!”

Here is a shot of some of our inductees that evening.

From Left to right are 2009 Inductees: Janine Fuller, ted northe with our 2011 Inductees: Karen Busby, Garth Wiens, Kammelle Toe (Representing the Dogwood Monarchist Society – DMS), Kneeling is Marty Mojo Stevens also with the DMS, Kevin Dale McKeown or “QQ” the journalist, NiQ, Delwin Vriend, Jeremy Dias, Michael Murrell (With DMS), Raye Sunshine (with DMS)