WE Have To Come Out Several Times But "You Can't Scare Me Back"
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Windsor-Essex residents with "coming out" stories are being asked to share their experiences, whether it's emotional, funny, heartwarming, or even embarrassing.
The collected stories will be part of a new multimedia project called "Can't Scare Me Back," the brainchild of local artists Luke Maddaford and Cole Fortier (also known as "Epoxy" in his drag persona). They hope the initiative will be a community storytelling project and an archive for the region's LGBT community.
"We're interested in talking about coming out, and talking about it in a more nuanced way," says Maddaford. "[It's] thinking about what it means to come out in Windsor, and we're hoping to use the project as an archive of local experience."
The project's title, "Can't Scare Me Back," was taken from a declaration: "You can't scare me back into the closet." Maddaford says it's inspired by the idea of not being pressured to hide who you are.
"It's potentially a little bit politically charged in our current social environment," he said. "It's this idea of you can't scare me back to where I was. I'm out and I'm going to keep being out. I think that's important to be talking about."
Fortier says "coming out" — the colloquialism used to describe an LGBT person's disclosure of their sexual identity — can happen multiple times in someone's life.
"I've come out of the closet numerous times, which I feel is a common experience for queer people," said Fortier. "I feel that sharing stories about being open about sexuality and gender help to normalize the queer experience and amplify the cultural diversity that exists within Windsor-Essex."
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Fortier says all stories are welcomed, "whether they are an essay or two sentences."
The two artists have launched a story submission form. Entrants can use a pseudonym or be anonymous. For Maddaford, it symbolizes a safe space for the Windsor-Essex LGBT community.
"There are a lot of representations of coming out in the media which are dramatized. But I think it's important to show that coming out isn't necessarily a really big thing. I've had some big coming outs, I've had some little coming outs," said Maddaford.
Maddaford describes the Windsor-Essex LGBT community "very special," and different than in a larger city like Toronto or Montreal.
Whereas a larger city has LGBT neighbourhoods and dedicated spaces, "Windsor is much more domestic rather than public because of the spaces we have access to and the ways that we use them."
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"[Coming out] is not necessarily dramatic or overly glorified. It's important to reflect on all of those intricacies and understand that as queer people, our experiences aren't homogenous, they're really nuanced. And if we can reflect on some of the different experiences, I think that that benefits everybody," Maddaford said.
People can submit stories until June 10. The final exhibit will include a written publication, a radio presentation, and video. It will be on display at the Arts Council of Windsor and Region during Windsor Pride.
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