Kingston Pride is proud to announce your candidates for the first Kingston Pride Ambassador. Please come out and support your candidates for the two day selection process on Sunday, June 10th (Meet and Greet) and Monday, June 11th (Final Selection).
Below you will find a short bio of our candidates in no particular order.
Emrys De Sousa
Emrys – They/Them
Hi, my name is Emrys De Sousa! I am 18 years old, and I am a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. I am pansexual, and I identify within the umbrella term of Non-Binary (specifically Demigender, in this case, Demi-boy). I’m an avid consumer of LGBTQ+ media (television shows, movies, novels, music etc.). I am also a barista at Starbucks, and have organized Pride Month for our Kingston stores for this year! I’m passionate about giving back to the LGBTQ+ community, as I have found the strength to be open about who I am through my friends, mentors, and allies in the community. I want to be a part of the support for LGBTQ+ people of Kingston and continue to advocate for tolerance and acceptance!
Ian Burns (Rowena)
Ian – He/Him (Rowena – She/Her)
My name is Ian Burns and I want to be Kingston’s Pride Ambassador. I was raised in Kingston, and have experienced many parts of the city: as a child, as a student, community volunteer, athlete, and while working for the military, government, Queen’s, and local businesses. Every day people are still fighting for acceptance in Kingston, myself included so I constantly aim to grow and learn about the struggles of members of our community, so that I can properly fight for the acceptance of others.
I have had the pleasure to experience a range of Canadian pride. I have been involved in Pride celebrations in 3 different cities, as a volunteer and entertainer, and I am a frequent community volunteer and LGBTQA* activist. As a drag entertainer, I have a unique platform to reach people of all ages, orientations, and in multiple cities. As Rowena Whey I was a member of a non-profit organization in Edmonton supporting LGBTQA* and equal rights charities for which I organized multiple events to raise funds for awareness.
I believe I have the strength, commitment, and motivation required to represent Kingston Pride and continue the fight for LGBTQA* rights. I hope I will be your representative this year. Happy Pride!!
CJ Stevenson
No photo or bio at the moment