Creating LGBTQ+ Positive Space by Deirdre Pike

Deirdre Pike - Bio

Deirdre Pike's fascination for sharing stories drives who she is and what she does as both a Senior Social Planner for the Social Planning and Research Council of Hamilton (SPRC) and columnist for The Hamilton Spectator. In both roles, Pike sees it as her responsibility to facilitate conversation and to improve community engagement.

Working closely with Hamilton Organizing for Poverty Elimination (HOPE) and Hamilton’s Roundtable for Poverty Reduction, Deirdre is assisting the community to understand the impact of income inequality on individual lives and the life of the community as a whole.

As a voice for the LGBTQ community, Deirdre explains that she is not a representative for the community as a whole, but rather one voice from this distinct community of communities. Through this leadership position, Deirdre wants to let the voices of marginalized people to be heard and to encourage others to accept being counter-cultural.

She lives with her partner, Renee, in Hamilton’s Strathcona Neighbourhood where she cooks, cycles, gardens and plays tennis.