Stories
Stories are a powerful tool for communication, support, and building community.
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. ”
Navigating gender-affirming care and breast/chest cancer
Spencer balanced cancer surgery & hormone treatment with his ongoing transition journey.
Two times the cancer, one hell of a queer journey
Peter's experiences demonstrate the challenges of navigating a gendered cancer as a gay man & the importance of queer resilience.
Gender-affirming flat closure
Melly Testa faced medical and insurance resistance after choosing aesthetic flat closure surgery.
Not quite that
This short Canadian documentary tells the story of Sarah & her decision to undergo elective surgery (a preventative double mastectomy) for a BRCA mutation that puts her at high risk for breast cancer.
Surviving racism & cancer
After Ericka Hart’s breast cancer diagnosis they quickly realized that neither their identity as a queer black femme, nor their sex life as a survivor, was featured prominently in their treatment.
Navigating non-hodgkin’s lymphoma as a young adult
Michelle discusses her experience with non-hodgkin’s lymphoma as a queer young adult.
Love notes from the chemo room
Poet & activist Andrea Gibson lived with late stage ovarian cancer.
Aunt Phyllis’ boots
A digital story (video) from the Cancer’s Margins project exploring lesbian & cancer histories.
Challenging erasure in metastatic cancer
Miranda is living with late stage cancer & raises awareness about cancer’s impact across diverse communities.
Long live my happy head
Illustrator and comic-maker Gordon documents his experience with an inoperable & incurable brain tumour.
From misdiagnosis to mission
After Paula's colorectal cancer diagnosis, she became a tireless advocate based on her lived experience as a young Black lesbian.
What it’s really like being queer with cancer
Nancy Kelley reflects on the deeply disorienting & isolating experience of being queer in the cancer care system, where identity & gender expression are often sidelined or erased.
KB & Cancer Queers
KB is a US-based non-binary queer activist, artist, musician, & writer. They were diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2022 at the age of 31.
Young, queer & caring for family
Angeline (they/she) is a queer teen living in Toronto with her mom & brother. Her mom is living with metastatic breast 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.
Navigating breast cancer as a LQBTIQ couple
This podcast episode features Mel & Riki's story of breast cancer treatment, body image changes & fertility decisions.
Mary Morgan: Radical, fierce & bold
QC co-founder Mary describes her personal healing, new community, & a reaffirmation of living fully despite her cancer diagnosis.
Surviving AIDS, facing cancer without community
Ross reflects on facing treatment alone, shaped by a lifetime of self-reliance & the lasting impact of the AIDS crisis.
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.