Stories
Stories can offer connection, hope and practical wisdom. But for 2SLGBTQ+ people, those stories are hard to find, leaving many people feeling alone at the time they most need community.
That's why collecting and sharing our stories is a political act. When our lives and experiences go unseen, so do our needs. Sharing these stories makes us visible and helps build cancer care that sees all of us.
Our story collection includes links to first hand accounts, digital stories, articles, comics, zines, anthologies and more. Click on the coloured tags to view by topic.
“Our stories are important. Our stories are sacred...and my story is sacred. Being able to connect with other queer people who have experienced cancer, it makes it feel like the experience is less isolating. ”
Redefining life after diagnosis
Farrah Khan discusses systemic health disparities & how her diagnosis profoundly changed her perspective on life and priorities
Gender, cancer care, & creative survival
Rae Spoon is a non-binary singer-songwriter from Calgary, Alberta. Recently their creativity has been influenced by their experiences with gynecological cancer.
Hushed voices & red faces
Sarah-Jane discusses living with advanced gyne cancer & the effects of fat bias, medical misinformation & homophobia.
Love, death, & visibility
The documentary tells the story of Kim Acquaviva & her wife, Kathy Brandt, who died of cancer in 2019 at the age of fifty-four.
"Dysphoria can be really crippling"
James lives in Newfoundland and Labrador. He was diagnosed with stage 4 endometrial cancer in 2021.
Navigating ovarian cancer as a trans man
Tristan Bilash was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer in his 30s. His diagnosis & treatment were entwined with his gender dysphoria & his developing identity as a man of trans experience.
Robert Eads: Southern comfort
Trans man Robert Eads faced medical neglect before late-stage ovarian cancer treatment; his story inspired the documentary Southern Comfort.
Love notes from the chemo room
Poet & activist Andrea Gibson lived with late stage ovarian cancer.
My sexual self
A digital story (video) from the Cancer’s Margins project about the effects of ovarian cancer treatment on feeling sexual & the experience of seeking support.
Drag queens and dobermans
Vivi found healing through a self-made support group of dogs & divas!
The Neither Story
A digital story (video) from the Cancer’s Margins project exploring the sorrowful joys of transitioning through cancer.
Share your story
If you have a story you’d like to share (you can be anonymous or use a pseudonym) we would love to hear from you.