Billy Merasty

Manitoba-born actor and writer Billy Merasty comes from a distinguished line of First Nations artists. His uncles, the late ballet dancer Renee Highway and the writer Tomson Highway provided gay-positive role models for the young Two-Spirited man growing up in a homophobic small town in northern Manitoba. Merasty's involvement with Toronto's Native Earth Performing Arts Incorporated provided him with an artistic context in which he was accepted as a gay artist by other Aboriginal people. He is currently in the TV series Liberty Street and wrote the well-received play, Fireweed. Reflecting on his life, Merasty said, "I've always been open. Although a lot of people have told me not to be so gay if I want to be an actor, that it will limit me. I know that it has, but I'm not limiting myself, it's other people who limit me." (ICON February 1995)

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