Jacq Brasseur is from the North. In the North, community members take care of each other, they said.
ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 the attitude Brasseur has carried forward in their 10-plus years of community service work in their hometown of Yellowknife and current home, Regina, Sask.
Brasseur, who uses they/them pronouns, is the most recent recipient of the University of ReginaSA国际影视传媒檚 Humanitarian and community service award SA国际影视传媒� a distinction recognizing alumni for service that has made a difference to the well being of others in the community.
Since transferring to the University of Regina (UR) from Aurora College, Brasseur has launched the and initiatives through the UR Pride Centre for Sexuality and Gender Diversity. They have also expanded UR PrideSA国际影视传媒檚 Positive Space Network program, a program providing professional development and education in 2SLGBTQ+ fields.
In Yellowknife, Brasseur helped organize the first multi-day NWT Pride festival and co-founded the .
Community rainbow launcher
Looking back on their resume of community work, Brasseur said launching the Rainbow Coalition continues to be one of their proudest achievements.
Having watched the group grow, Brasseur said seeing photos from Rainbow Coalition events and not recognizing any of the new members has been rewarding.
SA国际影视传媒淭hatSA国际影视传媒檚 also shaped my idea around how organizing happens,SA国际影视传媒� Brasseur said. SA国际影视传媒淵ou set something up and you contribute in the way that you can and then when your ideas get stale, or you're catching yourself pushing back against new ideas, youSA国际影视传媒檝e got to walk away because things are going to stall and aren't gonna grow as much.SA国际影视传媒�
Seeing the has been particularly special, they said.
SA国际影视传媒淚f I was still there, I'm pretty sure we'd still be in that tiny little room,SA国际影视传媒� they said. SA国际影视传媒淚 couldn't have even dreamed that that's what would have happened after I left.SA国际影视传媒�
While the Rainbow Coalition, and some of BrasseurSA国际影视传媒檚 other initiatives, might be acknowledged as some of the first inclusive spaces in their communities, Brasseur is forthright in saying there have always been residents organizing community groups in the territories and beyond.
SA国际影视传媒淚'm just good at putting things down on paper and making things look really fancy,SA国际影视传媒� they said. SA国际影视传媒淲hen it comes to doing the community work, thousands of people are better than me at that, arguably more.SA国际影视传媒�
Standing on the shoulders of giants
Brasseur insists they are standing on the shoulders of giants so to speak, and that much of the work they have brought to Regina is based on things theySA国际影视传媒檝e seen be successful in Yellowknife and the North. They point specifically to the Saskatchewan Queer and Trans Youth Network, a project Brasseur brought to life with colleagues, which is based on the , they said.
Brasseur credits Nancy MacNeill, one of the FOXY founders, as a mentor having SA国际影视传媒渧oluntoldSA国际影视传媒� Brasseur to start becoming involved in community organizing.
While MacNeill admits she may have given Brasseur a push in the right direction, SA国际影视传媒渋t was clear that Jacq was a budding activist from the minute I met them,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淎s soon as Jacq decides they're going to do something, it's a success in waiting.SA国际影视传媒�
MacNeill said she is never surprised to see Brasseur win awards and that even if Brasseur asserts theySA国际影视传媒檙e not inventing the wheel, SA国际影视传媒渋t actually takes a pretty special kind of person to look at what is happening elsewhere and ask, how can we adapt it and change it to fit our needs.SA国际影视传媒�
She said that while nowhere is perfect when it comes to diversity and inclusion, Yellowknife has become an extremely queer friendly city and that Brasseur has been instrumental in that evolution.
SA国际影视传媒淛acq has been an undeniably huge positive influence on the community,SA国际影视传媒� MacNeill said. SA国际影视传媒淓ven if they never come back to Yellowknife our community has changed because of them, in a very good way.SA国际影视传媒�
