Hi folks, my name is Paige and I am a queer, non-binary, poly, indigenous, and disabled person living in Ottawa. I have attended Kind for many years now, facilitating QTY, the 20-Something group, and now the 30-ish group. I love art, flowers, and have an ever-growing collection of tiny things. Looking forward to meeting you!

Hi! I was a late bloomer to my bisexuality, coming out in my late 20s, but have definitely made up for lost time! I’ve been involved with Kind for more than 10 years, first as a participant and now providing peer support through QueerAmore. By day, I’m a workplace safety professional passionate about building psychologically safe and inclusive workplaces. And by night I am an adventuresome kinkster. When I’m not volunteering at Kind, I’m putting broken people back together with Canadian Ski Patrol. I love making new friends and I’m excited to meet you!

My name is Ben. I am a racialized queer man of Chinese descent with a non-monogamous love orientation. I am a public servant by profession, an explorer of life’s journey in life. I came out in the year 2000 and after 20 plus years of exploring and expressing my identity, it is time to pay it forward for all the support and guidance that was given to me. It would be an honour to be a pit stop on your journey. Looking forward to meeting you.

Hi! My name is Maddie. I am a queer, demisexual, cis woman and an anxious human. Several of my passions are music, singing, nature, reading, and crafting. I have two adorable cats, Lavender and Sunny, who are the loves of my life. 

I’ve been with Kind Space since 2021, previously as a placement student and presently as a peer facilitator. I currently co-facilitate the 20-Something Group, Ace/Aro Space, and Cafe Q. I am incredibly passionate about providing empathetic, adequate, and equitable services, social supports, and resources to 2SLGBTQIA+ people and communities. As someone whose motto is to treat people with kindness, Kind Space is a lovely place to be. 

I studied at Carleton University, majoring in Social Work with a double minor in Sexuality Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies. I currently work as the Child/Youth Program Supervisor at Banff Avenue Community House, and as a Lifeguard/Assistant Aquatics Manager at the Soloway Jewish Community Centre. My personal and professional values are informed by structural social work, anti-oppression, intersectionality, queer theory, anti-racism, and feminism. 

I look forward to meeting you!

I am an asexual trans woman living in Ottawa. I have lived here and attended Kind Space for 5 years, and have been one of the facilitators for the Ace/Aro Space group since its creation in 2021. I enjoy helping people find a community and a place they feel they belong. Outside of Kind Space, I like playing board games, geocaching, and solving technological problems.

I am an Autistic aro/ace genderqueer bean who brings chaos and laughter wherever I go. I love cats, knitting, and holding space for people to be themselves. Keeping this bio short and sweet, like me!

I’m Sophie, my pronouns are she/her. I’m just your average 20 something transgirl who found themselves in lockdown. My girlfriend and our two bunnies (Dude and Darkness) are my whole world – when I’m not gaming or fussing over embedded computers at my day job. I’m the co-facilitator for genderquest, so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any ideas for community events or discussion topics!

Jonathan is a queer creative and idealist who has a strong passion for all matters spiritual. His religious background is rooted in evangelical Christianity, but part of his life’s work has been about dismantling harm based narratives and theologies from the Abrahamic tradition of his childhood, both in himself and the communities around him. He is a Gemini sun, Aquarius moon and Libra rising – a bit of an air head. Jonathan also has a passion for addiction recovery. As a recovering addict himself, he finds true meaning

in the work that he does with others through peer mentoring opportunities at work and volunteer positions. Some of his greatest joys come through seeing the Divine reveal Itself through creation, evolution and connection. No topic is off limits. Except the weather.

Jonathan is the co-facilitator for the Queering Faith Program.

Anona has been an artist all of their life, and when it came time to decide which path to take in their career, they knew they had to be true to themself. Anona considers it their calling to enrich the lives of those they work with by bringing out people’s inner artist and bringing more beauty to their environment.

Anona’s advocacy and philanthropic initiatives focus on persons with disabilities and women-identifying persons. They create powerful statement art. They are practicing DSW in the field of disability support. They work the front line in a women’s shelter for survivors of domestic violence. They are a board member for both Arts Network Ottawa and A.R.T in Action. As a good-natured, neurodivergent, and non-binary identifying human,  your friendly neighborhood Anona loves french fries, coffee, and puppies. They are currently practicing solo poly and have been actively learning about polyamory for about 4 years.

Anona is a co-facilitator of the Polyabilities program.

Hi, I am a 35 yr old cis queer black woman and mom of 1. I am originally from Ivory Coast (West Africa) and I have been living in east Ottawa for 6 yrs now. I have been polyam for about 3 yrs now (whoa that’s a long time). I work in finance by day, but by night I moonlight as a powerlifter, burlesque novice, embroidery enthusiast, occasional baker, movies and board games lover, and avid self care believer. I am a sexual assault survivor and I have anxiety (I am already overthinking this bio anyway). I co-facilitate Polybilities because I love getting to know folks’ stories and wins/challenges in polyamory as we are still living in a monogamous world that deems anything deviating from it to be a stigma. My wish for Polybilities is that it becomes a space where polyam folks can educate themselves and challenge their concepts of polyamory.

I am a Queer,  Early Childhood Educator who has lived in the Ottawa area my whole life. I have been attending Kind Space for about 7 years (as of 2023) and was facilitating the 20 Something Group for the last 3 years, and now I co-run the 30’s Group.  I strive to give young adults the safe space to be their authentic selves, that we all deserve.

I am a multiply disabled white settler transmasculine advocate, educator and support giver. I’m originally from Vancouver, British Columbia, but I’ve been living in Ottawa for the most part since 2007. I currently run the GenderQuest support and social group for trans, non-binary, Two-Spirit and questioning adults and co-facilitate the CafeQ youth group. I have been involved with Kind Space for about 8 years as a participant and 4 years as a facilitator as of 2023. I am passionate about giving people spaces to be and explore themselves and connect with others. I also create art initiatives and support arts in programs here at Kind Space.

Megan Butcher is a queer white settler of English and Scottish ancestry. While their family roots are mostly in southern Ontario, they have lived for over 20 years on the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabeg. They work in Ottawa as a librarian and live with their partner and a needy wiener dog in a tilty house at the top of a hill.

Hi! I’m Masha. I’m a woman of trans experience and a first-generation immigrant from then-Yugoslavia, today Serbia. In my day job, I work at Library and Archives Canada. At Kind Space I’m Head Archivist, which means I work with boxes of old magazine issues, newsletters, papers from Kind’s history, and basically anything else we have that doesn’t fall under the library. I have a passion for queer and trans history in all of its messiness. I believe we can learn so much about ourselves by understanding how past generations of people just like us found ways to be who they were, to build community, to survive and to thrive.

In my spare time, I love cooking, watching old films, learning languages, and hanging out in swamps taking photos of frogs and turtles.