Queer Italian-Canadian Artists

A Study on Ethnic Belonging and Cultural Production

ABOUT THE PROJECT

The Queer Italian-Canadian Artists Project documents, analyzes, and gives visibility to the lived experiences and creative production of Italian-Canadian artists who belong to the LGBTQ+ community.

Heteronormative and traditional values have played an integral role in the preservation of Italian cultures in Canada and in the integration of Italian communities into the Canadian mainstream. These phenomena have caused the marginalization of members of Italian-Canadian communities who belong to gender and sexual minorities; these phenomena have also led to the erasure of histories of sexual and gender diversity in Italian-Canadian communities.

Our research contributes to a more nuanced and diversified understanding of our communities by disrupting mainstream ideas of what it means to be Italian-Canadian.

M O R E

Artists
Interviewed

Since 2021, the research team has been conducting structured qualitative interviews with queer Italian-Canadian artists to explore the ways in which their gender, sexual, and cultural identities affect their creative process.

Meet the artists here.

Journal Article Published

Filling an important scholarly gap, our project aims to produce academic literature that contributes to a greater understanding of queer Italian diasporic experiences in Canada.

Hours Spent Sharing Stories

Too often, the experiences of queer people are ignored, hidden or silenced within Italian-Canadian communities. Rarely are we given the space to share our stories or build community in ways that celebrate our intersecting identities. This project is an invitation to be heard, to be documented, and to be reminded that we are not alone.