Q

Who gets to define gay heritage?

The Gay Heritage Project blending the personal and political in a new play that explores LGBT histories.
Andrew Kushnir, Paul Dunn, and Damien Atkins star in the Gay Heritage Project. (Guntar Kravis/Buddies in Bad Times Theatre)

Guest host Rachel Giese checks in with Damien Atkins — one of three theatre artists behind The Gay Heritage Project. The trio combines personal stories with those of notable and forgotten characters in LGBT history. 

"Is there such a thing as a gay heritage that we can claim, that we can be connected to?" asks Atkins, referring to the question that motivated the project. 

Atkins reflects on the difficulty of weaving diverse stories into one history; why it was important to acknowledge their status as white, middle class men; and why they chose the word "gay" despite its limitations.  

Their play recently opened in Toronto and will soon tour across the country.