Resources for LGBTQIA+ Artists
June is Pride month!
ELAN recognizes and celebrates the valuable contributions made by artists who belong to LGBTQIA+ communities as well as their role in English speaking art communities and organizations across Quebec. And in an effort to support and uplift this community we have put together a list of resources which will allow LGBTQIA+ artists living and working in Quebec to continue making and celebrating all year round. To find more opportunities like these visit our Call for Submissions page or our Job Board which are updated regularly.
As well, if you are looking for more support on finding the right funding for your project or organization, check out our Québec Relations project. Through this project you can use our search engine to find information (in English) about funding opportunities in Quebec. As well, you can set up a free consultation with someone to help you towards securing the funding your project needs.
Organizations in Montreal
- Founded in 1988, the Montreal LGBTQ+ Community Center is an anchor point for its members and a living space where recreational, socio-cultural and humanitarian services are offered, which promote well-being and improve the living conditions of people from gender and sexual diversity (GSD) communities.
Click here for more information. - The Massimadi Foundation’s mission is to promote the culture and arts of Black LGBTQ+ communities as a vector of social change in the fight against homophobia and transphobia and a means of integrating Afro LGBTQ+ people.
Click here for more information. - Gay and Grey Montreal is an organization that brings together and supports the English speaking senior (50+) 2S.L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ community in and around Montréal.
Click here for more information. - Born in 2004, Helem Montreal originates from Helem in Lebanon, and initially had the Lebanese LGBTQ+ community as its target audience. Today, the organization is dedicated to all of Montreal’s Arabic-speaking LGBTQ+ communities.
Click here for more information. - Gender Creative Kids is a charity based in Montréal that advocates for the inclusion of trans and non-binary youth in all spheres of life. Driven by values of solidarity, openness, and respect for gender inclusiveness, we advocate for the elimination of transphobia and the systemic violence that results from this. We take a trans-affirmative approach that encourages a healthy and safe exploration of gender for children, enabling trans and non-binary youth to express their identities in authentic ways.
Click here for more information. - Project 10 works to promote the personal, social, sexual and mental well being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, two-spirit, intersex and questioning (2LGBTQ+) youth and adults 14-25.
Click here for more information. - RÉZO is a Montreal-based non-profit community organization that has been active since 1991 with gay or bisexual men, and men who have sex with men (MSM), whether cis or trans.
Click here for more information. - A pioneer of LGBTQ+ cinema for close to four decades, image+nation culture queer is dedicated to sharing the stories and experiences of LGBTQ+ people through film and media. image+nation’s mission is to represent, protect and prepare present and future generations of queer storytellers and media makers while building empathy through sharing stories with audiences here in Canada, and throughout the world with our online initiatives.
Click here for more information. - The West Island LGBTQ2+ Centre is the only LGBTQ2+ resource in the West Island region of Montreal. The Centre has a series of programs that cater to different demographics within the community.
Click here for more information.
Organizations in the Regions
- The Quebec Lesbian Network is a national organization in autonomous community action that has been working in the collective defense of rights since 1996. It brings together women of sexual diversity, that is to say, women who are cis, trans, two-spiritual, fluid gender, queer or non-binary, and who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, having a fluid sexuality, asexual or in questioning.
Click here for more information.
- Born from the Groupe d’action trans de l’Université de Sherbrooke founded in 2016, TransEstrie is a community organization that aims to support, accompany and represent trans and non-binary people in the Estrie region.
Click here for more information. - For nearly 15 years, Divers-Gens has stood out and built its reputation through its fight against homophobia and transphobia. Divers-Gens supports everyone from the 2SLGBPTQIA+ community, as well as their loved ones. People mostly between the ages of 6 and 25, living in the Haute-Yamaska or Brome-Missisquoi area.
Click here for more information. - Founded in 2004, the Alliance Arc-en-ciel de Québec was known until June 2014 as GLBT Québec / Lutte à l’homophobia. A community organization in the Capitale-Nationale region, it is a major player in the fight to defend and promote the rights of people from sexual diversity and gender plurality (DSPG).
Click here for more information. - GRIS Estrie (Estrie Regional Social Intervention Group) is a non-profit community organization that demystifies sexual orientations and gender identities through the testimonial method.
Click here for more information.
Other Resources
- Montréal, arts interculturels (MAI) Alliance Program (Opens June 15)
A unique support program conceived for artists from all fields who encounter systemic and structural obstacles. The program strives to eliminate barriers to their full participation in the arts by offering customized financial allocations and guidance that are adapted to the learning and creative needs and desires of each participant.
MAI invites proposals from racialized artists (including recently immigrated artists), Indigenous artists (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit), Deaf artists and artists living with disabilities or chronical diseases, neurodiverse or differently-abled artists, and/or artists who are members of 2SLGBTQQIPAA+ communities.
- Metatron Press (Ongoing)
Established in 2014 Metatron is an award-winning literary publisher that specializes in publishing contemporary books and writing by rising authors. They “specifically encourage submissions from anyone living on the margins of the imperialist, capitalist, ableist, heteronormative, patriarchal, white-supremacist machine and anyone else seeking an encouraging and safe environment to showcase their work.” They are currently accepting submissions for their #MicroMeta Poetry Series. [Submission fee of $1.25]
- Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers (Deadline April 1 annually)
The Writer’s Trust Dayne Ogilvie Prize rewards a debut book in any genre by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who identifies as (but not limited to) lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or Two-Spirit. Jurors will shortlist three books. Prizes of $1,000 will be awarded to each of the finalists.
- I+N Festival Courts Queer Short Film Fest (Deadline September 15)
Submit to the Image+Nation LGBTQueer Montreal Film Festival. A pioneer of LGBT2SQ+ cinema for over 30 years, image+nation is dedicated to sharing the stories and experiences of LGBT2SQ+ people. image+nation is an inclusive annual 11-day festival, the oldest of its kind in Canada, featuring award-winning locally and internationally produced films that strives to preserve the authenticity and diversity of LGBT2SQ+ voices.
- Metonymy Press (Ongoing)
Metonymy is a Montreal based press who publishes work that transgresses boundaries, undermines the status quo, and sustains those on the margins. They try to reduce barriers to publishing for authors whose perspectives are underrepresented in order to produce quality materials relevant to queer, feminist, and social justice communities.
- Montreal Improv’s Inclusion Scholarship (Ongoing)
This program exists to remove access barriers and increase representation in the classroom, particularly for individuals who are BIPOC and/or LGBTQ+, as well as those with disabilities. At least one full class scholarship will be made available for each class. Applicants will be informed ahead of time via email.
