How I Got My Queer Back was originally conceived by Heritage Vancouver and filmmaker Aerlyn Weissman after the demolition of the original location of the Little Sister’s bookstore on Thurlow Street in Vancouver as a follow up short to Aerlyn’s 2002 documentary Little Sister’s vs. Big Brother. 

Funding was secured from a Heritage BC Legacy Fund grant and a City of Vancouver Arts and Culture grant to finance the short documentary. 

Over time, artists Lorna Boschman, Sebnem Ozpeta, Rojina Farrokhnejad, and Carolynn Dimmer joined the collaboration as Aeryln’s life circumstances began changing. The result is a work that launches off of the original film about the bookstore’s legal battle with Canada Border Services in 2000 to reflect on coming together for shared purpose, the role of physical places for community, life’s challenges, and queer joy – the complex and personal emotions by members of the Queer community that sustain the fight for inclusion and equality. 

On December 7 2024 we held our screening and talk for How I Got My Queer Back. We held a panel discussing the journey of the project, the project team, and how the final product came to be in order to celebrate Aerlyn. There was also a wonderful Q+A for participants to engage in conversation on themes of the film in addition to the topic of inter-generational dialogue between queer elders and younger members of the queer community, and the changing nature of the fight for inclusion and equality as time passes. 

The artist team described the experimental short film and screening event as: 

A love story. A liberation story. A heartfelt story of queer resistance and transformation. It explores the legacy of Vancouver’s historic LIttle Sister’s Book and Art Emporium. Before the internet, our community relied on printed materials and a central gathering place. How have things changed in the past 20 years?

The short film was funded through a Heritage BC Legacy Fund grant and a City of Vancouver Arts and Culture grant. Registration for the event filled up quickly and it was a wonderful community focused event. We would like to thank everyone who came out to the event but also special thanks to those who supported us in delivering the event: DAVIDsTEA, JJ Bean and JAK’s for their donations and IATSE Local 891 for sponsoring the event! We thank 221A for their support in making this event possible.