2019 Pride London Festival Ambassador Search On Saturday, February 23rd, Pride London Festival held the third annual Pride Ambassador Search at Lavish Night Club. Each year, a contest is held to find amember of London’s LGBT2Q+ communities who is passionate about helping to raise awareness about diversity and inclusion through performance, art, public speaking, or any other medium. This year four contestants ran for the title, showing off their talent and speaking about their passion for using the title to improve inclusion within the community.
Performance Name: Lita Von Sleaze Name: Leighland Weldrick Age: 31 Hometown: Montreal, QC
After being born in Montreal and living in Edmonton and then Sarnia, Lita has called London home for the past eleven years. In the last four years, Lita has developed a large fan base and has worked around the city hosting events &
OPEN CLOSET A group for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth ages 14-18 “She’s loud, honest, emotional, and just an all-around amazing human being. She’s an advocate for the LGBT2Q community, has two kids and still manages to tour while recording an album.” Along with representing Pride London Festival at various events before, during, and after the Pride season, Lita also won a trip for two to Toronto Pride. Congratulations Lita Von Sleaze & best of luck on your reign as 2019 Pride London Festival Ambassador! fundraisers for numerous non-profit & charitable groups. She is the founder of the Haus of Sleaze and works with several younger queens to help them develop their own drag. She hosts shows regularly at Fitzrays Retaurant & Lounge and Bull & Barrell, and performs monthly with London’s Haus of Drag at Lavish Night Club. When it comes to a role model in her life, Lita has looked up to singer/songwriter P!nk for as long as she can remember.
Regional HIV/AIDS Connection Open Closet is an award-winning group for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth offered at Regional HIV/AIDS Connection. Rowan Inglis shares his Open Closet experience as both a member and facilitator. Open Closet is a program that has made an impact on a diverse range of 2SLGBTQIA+ youth. I am proud to have a position as an Open Closet facilitator and the reason I can personally attest to the value and impact of the program is because I was a youth who accessed their services. Open Closet for me was a safe space to explore pieces of my own 2SLGBTQIA+ identity, and connect with other youth who were dealing with similar issues like: coming out, navigating personal and romantic relationships and finding community. I was not only able to find community, I thrived within a community that I felt truly understood the many intersections of my identity. What made the program so powerful was that it was youth-driven. We had a voice and were advocates for our own lives and learning, and we chose topics that reflected the struggles in our everyday experiences. I am still connected with both program participants and facilitators now as an adult because of the culture of learning and support that is deeply rooted within the program. I am now a secondary school teacher in a position to help the next generation of 2SLGBTQIA+ youth learn to navigate the challenges of life with pride and authenticity. I feel like I would not be close to the same person I am today without having been a part of the Open Closet community. “Winning Pride Ambassador means the world to me. It means I have the opportunity to represent London’s queer community to my absolute fullest ability and allows me to empower queer youth using yet another platform.” – Lita Von Sleaze, after winning 2019 Pride Ambassador. After the final scores were tallied, Lita Von Sleaze was crowned the 2019 Pride London Festival Ambassador!
7-9 PM at #30-186 King St., London, ON
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PRIDE Villager
Issue 2 • Spring 2019 Page 5 To advertise here, please contact Barb@VillagerPublications.com
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