Words of wisdom

What PumpJack represents is the power of community. This award should go to the community for supporting us and getting that bar going.

-Randy Atkinson, co-owner of the PumpJack Pub, winner of the Business Citizen of the Year award.

The energy I get from the gay youth in Prince George is what keeps us going. If you want to feel empowered, go to a gay youth meeting.

-Shawn Peters, winner, along with the queer youth of Prince George, of the Youth Activist of the Year award and the Community Hero of the Year award.

I could have chosen the straight route but obviously I didn’t. As a writer, all you really have in the end is your voice and your truth. Thank you, Xtra West, for honouring that.

-Karen X Tulchinsky, winner, along with Michael V Smith, Ivan E Coyote, Larissa Lai and Billeh Nickerson, of the Achievement in the Arts award.

Just once this year, please don’t buy a dildo or go to the bathhouse-buy a fucking book.

-Billeh Nickerson, winner along with Micheal V Smith, Ivan E Coyote, Larissa Lai and Karen X Tulchinsky, of the Achievement in the Arts award.

We should all give our circle of friends a gentle nudge or forceful push to get involved. With that we could build a Community of Pride in Vancouver.

-David Goudge, winner of the Volunteer of the Year award.

Somehow I dug down deep inside and found the determination to rise above what seemed like the impossible. I did my best and it was good enough.

-Allan Cline, winner of the Athlete of the Year award and four medals at the 2002 Gay Games.

This energizes me. I’m going to continue my fight with everything I’ve got. Thank you very much for your support.

-Azmi Jubran, winner of the Straight Ally award.

The three people who are receiving these (Lifetime Achievement awards-Joe Average, Glen Hillson and Aerlyn Weissman)-are phenomenal people in our community. They are warriors.

-Janine Fuller, previous winner of a Lifetime Achievement award, as she introduces this year’s winners.

Wow. Thanks you, guys. I’ve been watching the recipients of the awards tonight and realizing just how removed I keep myself from the community. I’m quite an introvert. But my god, I’m proud to be part of the community.

-Joe Average winner of a Lifetime Achievement award.

The AIDS movement has managed to attain great strides in the 20-plus years since the epidemic began. In particular, the gay community has rallied in a way that took a lot of courage especially given the social stigmas then.

-Glen Hillson, winner of a Lifetime Achievement award.

There’s a good deal left to be done before the cure. We will prevail but to do so we need the steadfast support of the gay community.

-Glen Hillson, winner of a Lifetime Achievement award.

My project is to make gay history and to make history gay.

-Filmmaker Aerlyn Weissman, winner of a Lifetime Achievement award.