Bev Lepischak

Bev Lepischak was born in 1953 on a small farm in rural Manitoba, where she learned that hard work and careful nurturing could make things grow under even the harshest conditions. Bev studied Social Work at the University of Manitoba and worked in Churchill and Winnipeg where she also earned her credentials as a lesbian.

Within a month of coming to Toronto in 1981, Bev began volunteering for the Toronto Counselling Centre for Lesbians and Gays where her natural leadership skills soon saw her becoming Chair of the Board. During the 1980’s and 90’s, she made her mark on every organization in which she was involved: Jessie’s Centre for Teenagers; WCREC; the Guelph Sexuality Conference; and especially Central Toronto Youth Services where she worked from 1993 to 2004. As a community development worker, Bev trained professionals and community groups throughout Ontario about the needs and issues of queer youth, coordinated the Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Youth, organized two major “Other Young Lives” conferences, and supported countless other initiatives.

Bev received many accolades over the years, including the Guelph University Lifetime Achievement Award for Sexuality Education in 1997 and the David Kelley Community Award in 2000, but her proudest achievement has been the creation of Supporting Our Youth (SOY). This program, which began in 1997, has been groundbreaking for its vision of queer community building across the generations, its range of cultural, recreational and mentoring activities, and its ability to evolve to meet new challenges. Now part of Sherbourne Health Centre, SOY supports some 20 unique initiatives including projects focused on newcomer and black queer youth, trans youth, and queer youth with disabilities.

Bev’s private life mirrors her passionate and nurturing spirit as much as her public life. She met her soulmate, Anna Travers, in the mid-eighties and welcomed the chance to co-parent two little girls. Bev’s home is her refuge – a place to cook, garden and, of course, to gather people in.

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