Four Queer Yukon board members have resigned.
Ames Val, Kinesi Mills and Lauren Gostick resigned in a Nov. 6 email. Board member Duane Gastant' Aucoin resigned on Nov. 7. The only remaining board member is Dave Whiteside.
Queer Yukon has operated in the territory since 2011. It has been hosting pride parades across the territory since 2013. They have also hosted community programming such as queer movie nights, craft nights, peer support groups and medical clinics.
However, the organization has been plagued with issues over the past few months.
On Aug. 12, the organization posted to its Facebook that it was looking for a new executive director. In September, the Cache – Queer Yukon’s meeting space in Whitehorse – was closed for multiple days due to short-staffing, per a Facebook post posted Sept. 19. On Oct. 1, the organization put all public-facing programming on pause as the organization reviewed policy to guarantee staff safety.
According to the Nov. 6 statement by the Queer Yukon board, the cessation of public programming came after staff refused to work due to safety concerns, particularly during drop-in hours. The board statement said they decided to put a hard pause on programming when it was concluded these concerns could impact any public-facing programming. They said the pause would allow for an investigation and preservation of staff and community safety.
The board approved the final report and recommendations from the investigation on Oct. 24. The report and recommendations were provided to staff on Nov. 1, said the statement, and a reopening plan is currently being implemented.
On Oct. 31, the organization announced a special general meeting set to take place on Nov. 14. On the agenda, which was circulated by a member via Facebook, was a special motion to remove Val, Mills and Gostick from office as directors.
In the Nov. 6 statement, the board said the special resolution to remove Mills, Val and Gostick was submitted by three members who did not provide rationale behind their submission. The statement said upon inquiry, one member cited dissatisfaction with the board’s rejection of the collective agreement.
In their resignation letter, Val, Mills and Gostick said the decision to resign came after significant reflection on the state of Queer Yukon. They said they have made sincere efforts to address “critical operational challenges” with the organization, such as lacking governance and organization structure, inadequate supports for staff, board, and community members, as well as a “pervasive culture of instability.”
They said the organization has failed to support BIPOC individuals. They said the issue is has been intentionally unaddressed.
On Nov. 5, Queer Yukon received three requests from society members to add Aucoin's name to the resolution for removal from the board, according to the statement issued Nov. 6. Two of the petitioners listed Aucoin's living outside the territory as their rationale, and one of them also listed a previous decision of the naming of a program-related group and their ability to host in Queer Yukon Society space, per the Nov. 6 statement. The third petitioner did not give their specific reasoning.
Queer Yukon's bylaws allow members from Yukon First Nations to sit on the board while not physically being present in the territory.
Aucoin, in his resignation letter, said he was proud of Queer Yukon’s accomplishments in making the Yukon a safer home for queer people. He said he had grown up facing hatred and intolerance in the 1980s in Yukon.
“...it breaks my heart that this same hatred & intolerance is now also coming from members of our own community!” Aucoin wrote. “The current actions by some members to remove 4 Directors of the Board for various reasons without even trying to work with us and clear up some of the misinformation is toxic bullying and heartbreaking.”
In the letter, Aucoin said he did not have the strength to stand up to bullies after the resignations of his fellow board members. Aucoin is also looking after his elderly father in Ontario, according to letter.
“QYS losing 3 indigenous Directors is a black eye on the society,” wrote Aucoin. “I hope others can continue the effort to end the colonial behaviours of a few.”
When contacted by the News, Aucoin said at this time, he had no further comment than what he wrote in his letter.
According to a Nov. 8 statement from Queer Yukon, Mills, Val and Gostick began as board members in August 2024. Aucoin served intermittently over three years, and also served as Queer Yukon's vice president at one point.
As per the Nov. 6 statement from the board, the first vote on a collective agreement took place Sept. 26: shortly after staff refused to work due to safety concerns.
"At that time, new members felt unable to vote on the Collective Agreement having received no information on the bargaining process or steps taken to address labour relations/management upon ratifying the agreement," reads the statement.
While some board members received the draft agreement in September, the statement said they received a full agreement with comments from the executive director on Oct. 17. At a meeting on Oct. 24, the board were told they could reject or accept the agreement with no further discussion with the union, according to the statement.
"Given the resignation of the Executive Director and four board members—three of whom were the only members that participated in bargaining—the current board, including new members Ames, Lauren, and Kinesi, along with returning member Duane, were tasked with both understanding and planning for the agreement’s implementation in addition to navigating the onboarding of a new ED," reads the statement.
The statement said the board did not want to commit to an agreement they didn't fully understand or feel prepared to support a new executive director in implementing, given the work refusal, executive director transition, and implementing a new strategic plan.
The board said their intent is not to renegotiate, and that they are working with a union negotiator to gain a better understanding of the agreement. They said they were also working with the Federal Conciliation and Mediation Services to understand navigating labour relations in the workplace, and the collective agreement from a management perspective.
Mona Luxion, the former executive director of the Queer Yukon Society, also posted to a private Facebook group with their version of events on Nov. 6.
Luxion said they had hoped to keep disagreement between the board and themselves private. However, according to Luxion, the board had misstated facts and suggested negligence on Luxion’s part.
Luxion refers to the board's statements that they were given only a week to review a collective agreement: Luxion said board members actually had over a month to review the collective agreement.
Luxion said their resignation date was moved up to Nov. 7 as opposed to the initial plans of a longer transition period between Luxion and the new executive director.
Luxion also referenced emails from the board saying Luxion’s departure was the reason for voting against the Collective Agreement.
“My resignation date was only moved up to November 7th after the Board's vote, when it became clear that remaining in the position would require me to carry out Board decisions that were harmful to the organization in general, & staff and community in particular,” wrote Luxion.
On Nov. 8, Queer Yukon released a statement thanking Aucoin, Val, Mills and Gostick for their service and contributions. The statement expressed deep disappointment in "the colonial attitudes exhibited by some members."
The statement said the society is focusing on recruiting new board members, including people with experience in non-profit boards.
"The support of our community is crucial as we work to rebuild a board that has been significantly impacted. If you have experience with nonprofit organizations and board work, we encourage you to step forward," reads the statement. "It is vital that we rebuild quickly to maintain our services and continue our mission."
The statement also thanked Luxion for their dedicated service, and introduced Isaac Lohnes as the new executive director.
The special general meeting is set to take place Nov. 14. According to the Nov. 8 statement, the plan for restarting programming will be announced there.
The News has attempted to contact Luxion, Val, Mills, Gostick and Whiteside.
Editor's note: this article has been updated by the original published Nov. 11, 2024, to clarify Aucoin served as a board member over the course of three years, not two, and that he also was vice-president of Queer Yukon at one point. The News regrets the error.
Contact Talar Stockton at talar.stockton@yukon-news.com
