Interview with Selina Robinson for On The Record: The BC Jewish Queer & Trans Oral History Project in collaboration with JQT Vancouver. Interviewed by Carmel Tanaka via remote Zoom video call. Selina (she/her) is a Jewish politician who is the mother of a gay son. She is an NDP representative and Member of Legislative Assembly of BC residing in Coquitlam. Selina talks about growing up Jewish in Montreal, and Richmond, BC where the Jewish community was much smaller. She talks about organizing community-led Jewish education in Burquest that focused on inclusion of all sects of Judaism during the ‘90s. Selina talks about working for Jewish Family Services, and their attempts to make safe spaces for gay Jewish kids and their parents. She talks about guidance from her son Aaron, who is similarly pursuing queer Jewish community initiatives. She also tells an anecdote about Aaron’s coming out and how his leaving for university worried her about his preparedness for the world at large. Selina talks about Aaron being openly Jewish growing up and creating positive spaces for him to share his Jewishness with non-Jewish peers, but the difficulties of not knowing the perfect way to parent a queer kid as a straight parent. She also talks about Aaron inviting her to Shabbat dinner with Pride Colours and how proud she was. Selina talks about how Jewish organizations can become more welcoming to queer Jews by including queer Jews in their leadership and becoming more self-reflective.
Photograph depicts (from left to right): Sandra Hochstein, Sue Katz, Mark Winston, Reesa Devlin, Ellen Freedman, Selina Robinson, Kate Gross, and child Miriam Lank.
Photograph (from left to right): unknown person holding child, Sylvia Katz, Dave Medzon, Sharon Sheppard, Ellen Freedman, unknown clown, Dov Lank (hooded figure) and Mark Winston.
Photograph depicts people standing beside the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witness building, Burquest’s new building: 2860 Dewdney Trunk Rd., Coquitlam BC. People in parking lot: Dan Robinson, Harvey Graham, unknown woman with baby, Mo Aaron, Reesa Devlin
Photograph depicts people standing on the stairs of the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witness building, Burquest’s new building: 2860 Dewdney Trunk Rd., Coquitlam BC. People on stairs, from bottom to top: Mo Aaron, Harvey Graham, unknown woman with baby, Reesa Devlin, Dan Robinson
Photograph depicts an audience in a classroom; event unknown. People in the audience include: Nina, Mitch and Josh Bloomfield; Nelson Tkach; Ellen, Jamie and Andy Freedman; Martin, Sylvia and Rebecca Katz; Sharon, Gerry and Ben Sheppard; Devorah Katz; Sandra, Philip, Bethany and Julia Hochstein.