Can we make Nerd Nite Edmonton any gayer? It’s unclear, but we can sure as heck try! Join us for a night of drinks and three fascinating talks.
When: Thursday, June 25th. Doors at 7pm, show at 7:30pm
(Doors & bar open at 7pm, with drinks available all night)
Where: The Lobby at Fringe Theatre Adventures
Fringe Theatre Arts Barn, 10330 84 Ave NW, Edmonton
How much: Offer What You Will
Zita Dube-Lockhart: Your Brain On Bonds: Community, Connection, and the Science of Resilience
The Science of Resilience explores how stress shapes our minds, bodies, and communities, and why human connection plays in resilience, healing, and growth.
Zita (they/she) works at the intersection of mind, body, social environment, and clinically significant levels of overcommitment. They hold an MA in Counselling Psychology and an embarrassingly complicated relationship with their voicemail.
Zita is a Nerd Nite Edmonton alumnus, co-owner of Action Potential Fitness, co-founder of the Centre for Trauma Informed Fitness, and a counselling therapist at the Alberta Wellness Centre for Eating Disorders, bouncing between roles in what can only be described as interdisciplinary chaos.
You can call Zita many things… but they’d really rather you text instead.
Instagram: @the.fitnessanarchist, @actionpotentialfitness, @cftif_canada
Evan Westfal: The Relationship Between Homosexuality and Fecundity: Why Being Gay Helps a Species Survive and Reproduce
In this talk, Evan explains to you why being gay really helps different animal species survive. Have you ever wondered why homosexuality has persisted through millions of years of evolution? Shouldn’t being gay lead to less reproduction? Is being gay natural? All these answers and more will be offered in a talk that is playful, intellectual, and hella gay!
Evan Westfal (he/him) is the Programs Manager for the Fyrefly Institute for Gender & Sexual Diversity housed within the University of Alberta, he chairs the Rainbow Alliance Youth Edmonton Committee, and has served as a curriculum advisor for the Sex Information & Education Council of Canada (SIECCAN). Basically, Evan is professionally gay!
Instagram: @evanwestfal
Allison Hadley: The Rainbow Connection – Exploring the Intersections Between Queer Culture and Nerd Culture
When a queer person does not have any 2SLGTQIA+ mentors or community in their life, how do they find belonging? It is often in the safe(r) spaces of nerdy fandoms where acceptance in fantasy settings can turn into a sense of real life belonging. Why are so many trans people drawn to Deep Space Nice and Fallout: New Vegas? Is Dungeons and Dragons inherently queer? The answers may not be as simple as you think.
Allison Hadley is a podcast host, author, activist and drag performer. She is passionate about building community resilience through queer joy. She is also a big ol’ nerd who grew up on science fiction and tabletop roleplaying games.