A vital support network for Cochrane’s LGBTQ community quietly faded away last year.
The town’s only LGBTQ peer support and networking group – Your Life Out (YLO) – has been on a hiatus over the last few months with no set return, and while there is a new LGBTQ program being rolled out by Parent Link, it won’t quite fill the niche.
The YLO group was first conceived by Mariana Lane and her now wife, Jennifer Lane, when they noticed there was no LGBTQ group to connect with in town.
“At one point we were like we’re the only gay people in town. But when we started looking deeper into it we started realizing that there was quite a few of us. So we wanted to have this place for people to come and gather,” Mariana said.
The final push to get the organization up and running was after seeing a social media post from a woman – a local business owner – ranting about a patron making homophobic remarks in her store.
“She didn’t have that safe space where she could say ‘this happened to me today’ only just to let it out. Not even to speak any justice or whatever, just to have that space.”
For over a year, the group held several meetings at the Gentry Espresso and Wine Bar, which the Lane couple owned at the time.
After moving to Iqaluit, Nunavut, for work and other board members following suit to other cities, the group went on a hiatus leaving adults in the LGBTQ community with little support.
It isn’t about an inclusivity problem in town either Mariana said – the Town of Cochrane, FCSS particularly, have been supportive of the group from the beginning.
“They guided us through how to build a mission (statement) and objective. They were really supportive of that,” Mariana said. “They included us in some of the events (in town) where they were having their stands.”
Additionally, a new program is being rolled out today (Jan. 11) by the Parent Link – Family Night Out, geared toward same-sex parents, where their children can play while their parents network or socialize. However, this is only a reprieve for parents of children six years old or less and soon to be parents.
“We are really looking forward to this program. I think it’s been needed,” said Tessa Davidson, who will be helping facilitate Family Night OUT. “We really want to be inclusive to all families. It does have more than a LGBTQ focus but any family who are allies or have that family diversity are welcome to come as well.”
Teens identifying with the LGBTQ community have the option of Queer or Gay Straight Alliances within their school community.
“I’ve had a lot of interest from people who are still writing me like ‘when are you going to start it up again?’” Mariana said. “I wish there was someone that would contact me saying ‘I’m willing to keep on with the meetings.’ It’s quite simple really.”
Rashelle Elburg, who was once a board member with YLO, said she would like to see the program come back and recalls the group receiving plenty of community support.
“Part of the goal for YLO was to create resources and mentorship while providing a safe environment where youth can come for support and be themselves. Cochrane is lacking a support system for LGBTQ,” she said.
Though Elburg doesn’t quite have a concrete plan for the next steps, she suggests she and other past members could get together to brainstorm future ideas.
“Hopefully, YLO will be back, but if not someone else needs to take the initiative to start something up, even if it is something like a social club once a month for local LGBTQ and allies to get together and do something fun,” she said. “As a bisexual woman, it was nice to be around others who also believe that “love is love” and to try to create some LGBT awareness in Cochrane. Also once we started having social events it was a great way to meet people.”
