CONFERENCE REPORT
KDocsFF Presents My Name Was January:
Honouring January Marie Lapuz and all Trans, Non-Binary, and Two-Spirit people on the Transgender Day of Remembrance BY TARA LYONS | Kwantlen Polytechnic University
January Marie Lapuz was murdered in her home in New Westminster, British Columbia on September 30, 2012. She was 26 years old. On November 20, 2020, to mark the Transgender Day of Remembrance, Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) held a screening of My Name Was January, a documentary celebrating the life of January, a beloved trans woman. Originally developed as an in-person Pride event, “KDocsFF Presents: My Name Was January” was recommissioned as a virtual event co-hosted by KDocsFF, the Kwantlen Faculty Association’s LGBTQ2S+ Committee, and the Kwantlen Student Association’s Queer Initiative due to COVID-19 restrictions. Over 100 participants, including students, faculty, and members of LGBTQ2S+ communities, virtually attended the event (Fig. 1). My Name Was January was directed by Elina Gress and Lenée Son. Lenée Son is a Khmer Krom settler who grew up in Surrey on unceded Kwantlen, Katzie, Semiahmoo, and Kwikwetlem territories. She holds a Bachelor of Journalism with a minor in Sociology from KPU. Her work as a freelance multimedia journalist has appeared in publications such as rabble.ca, Multimedia Photojournale, The Volcano, Westcoast Food, and Inside Vancouver. Elina Gress is a freelance multimedia journalist, primarily photojournalist, with a Bachelor of Journalism from KPU. With a keen eye and mind full of creativity, she strives to tell stories that enlighten and encourage change. My Name Was January was produced by the Sher Vancouver LGBTQ Friends Society (Sher Vancouver), specifically Alex Sangha, founder, and Ash Brar, president. The virtual event began with a keynote address from Alex Sangha. In addition to Alex’s work as a film producer, he is a social worker who holds a Master in Public Administration and Public Policy degree from the London School of Economics and a Master of Social Work degree from Dalhousie University. During his keynote address, Alex highlighted how the documentary serves to celebrate January’s life and the lives of all trans women of colour. The objective of My Name Was January is to remember the impact January had on others’ lives and to uplift the narratives of trans women of colour. Despite a “shoestring budget of less than $25,000,” Alex noted how the documentary has
garnered incredible success on the film festival circuit, with 63 official selections and 14 international awards. After the keynote address and a screening of the documentary, there was a panel discussion featuring Lenée Son and Alex Sangha alongside Velvet Steele and Jack Kennedy. Velvet Steele defines herself as a woman with a transsexual medical history. She is an activist for trans and sex worker rights, a sensitivity facilitator, and a fetish service provider who educates folks on the world of sex toys. Jack Kennedy is a non-binary student activist and writer. Their main mediums of storytelling are mainly fiction and
Fig. 1 | The poster for KDocsFF Presents: My Name Was January.
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