The workplace is a hostile space for many queer and trans people, and it isn’t hard to see why. LGBTQ2S+ workers in Canada face lower pay, more precarious work and are more often unemployed. From queer school staff to trans professional athletes, many LGBTQ2S+ people are facing attacks from the far-right just for doing their jobs. But the workplace can also be a space of hope and change, as queer and trans people organize in unions, build co-ops and secure stronger protections for all workers.
Over the coming months, Xtra and guest editor Saima Desai will be working with five early-career BIPOC journalists to build an editorial package about queer people and work. The project is part of the Ken Popert Media Fellowship program, which celebrates the legacy of Ken Popert, the former executive director of Pink Triangle Press (Xtra’s publisher). Popert retired in 2017. The fellowship provides resources and support for journalists to create and publish unique and powerful LGBTQ2S+ stories. (Content created by past participating fellows can be found on the series’ page.)
Meet the 2025 Ken Popert Media Fellows:
Victoria Hincapie Gomez (she/her) is a Colombian journalist based in Toronto. She writes and reports stories about crime, culture and politics as well as profiles of people within under-represented communities. Victoria’s writing has appeared in CBC Arts, IN Magazine, Startup Ecosystem Canada and Humber Polytechnic’s news outlets, Skedline and Humber Et Cetera.
This past summer, Victoria graduated from Humber Polytechnic’s Bachelor of Journalism program. Besides her freelance work, Victoria has recently delved into self-publishing on Substack where she shares her experiences finding acceptance and community as a trans woman living in Toronto. She speaks Spanish and English.
Jacob Aron Leung (he/him) is a Chinese Canadian journalist based in Vancouver, B.C. With articles published in outlets such as The Tyee, CBC and Pancouver, he holds a passion for reporting on how people connect through shared identity. Despite his heritage, Jacob only speaks English but he becomes fluent in Cantonese when ordering a Hong Kong-style iced tea. He also operates a blog about K-pop-related news in Vancouver, Vancity K-pop Reports, in his spare time.
Cris Nippard (they/them) is a Toronto-based, award-winning journalist and QTBIPOC community worker from Scarborough, working in English. They are also a student in Toronto Metropolitan University’s Bachelor of Journalism program, where they are pursuing a double minor in LGBTQ2S+ and Black studies. You can find all of their work on their website.
Ghazal Azizi (she/her) is an Iranian-Canadian freelance journalist and fact-checker. She is based in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal), where she earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and got her start in journalism. Since her time at McGill’s student paper, she has completed internships at Explore Magazine and Broadview. Ghazal is passionate about multimedia storytelling and has produced segments for CKUT Radio and a photo-essay series for Explore. She speaks English, Farsi and French.
Alice Boyle (she/they) is a Toronto-based journalist and fact-checker. She is the former features editor at The Varsity and a former editorial fellow at The Local. Alice has bylines in Maclean’s, The Local and Toronto Life, among other outlets. She speaks English and Mandarin. Alice can be found on Bluesky @aliceboyle.bsky.social.
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