Love & Sex

Kevin and Alex Newman on coming out and father-son forgiveness

Keynote speakers at Qmunity’s IDAHOT 2016 breakfast share their family’s story

By Robin Perelle • May 13, 2016 6:45 pm EDT

Kevin Newman and his son Alex describe their experiences of Alex’s coming out journey in their book All Out. Father and son signed copies of their book after they spoke to Qmunity’s annual IDAHOT breakfast attendees on May 13, 2016. Credit: Robin Perelle/Daily Xtra


Hundreds of LGBT people and their allies filled a ballroom at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Vancouver May 13, 2016, to help BC’s queer resource centre Qmunity mark the upcoming International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.

Many of the breakfast attendees were moved by keynote speakers Kevin and Alex Newman, who shared their father-son story of learning to understand and forgive each other after Alex came out.

Here’s a look at some of the key moments tweeted about the Newmans’ presentation:

(Alex Newman and his father Kevin remember the challenges they each faced when Alex came out./Robin Perelle/Daily Xtra)

(Alex Newman and his dad Kevin share a smile on stage./Robin Perelle/Daily Xtra)

City councillor Kerry Jang also drew a roomful of applause when he presented the City of Vancouver’s proclamation that May 17, 2016 will be recognized as the “International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia” in Vancouver.

Following the breakfast, Qmunity board chair Morgan Camley told Daily Xtra the board is mid-process in its hiring search for a new executive director. (After four years at the helm, former ED Dara Parker left in April to accept a leadership role with Social Venture Partners Vancouver.)

Fingers crossed, Qmunity will “hopefully be in a position to provide an update in a month or so,” Camley says.

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Love & Sex, Power, Activism, News, Vancouver

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