Queer Ontario Remembers Brian De Matos, Queer Community Activist
Leonard Halladay
Hello Everyone,
I write with a heavy heart and some very sad news.
It is with considerable shock and sorrow that we at Queer Ontario (QO) recently learned of the sudden death of one of our active Steering Committee members, Brian De Matos.
Brian passed away this past week, only 35 years old, cause of death unknown – he left us too soon.
A full statement of remembrance is enclosed. Brian’s family and friends are also fundraising for his memorial at the link below.
To all that knew Brian, our thoughts are with you as you grieve this difficult loss.
In solidarity,
Leonard
Leonard Halladay
Chair, Queer Ontario
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Queer Ontario Remembers Brian De Matos, Queer Community Activist
Monday, June 12, 2023
It is with considerable shock and sorrow that we at Queer Ontario (QO) learned of the sudden death of one of our active Steering Committee members, Brian De Matos. Brian passed away this past week, only 35 years old, cause of death unknown – he left us too soon.
Brian was an indefatigable 2SLGBTQ+ community activist, advocating fundamental social change and radical care and support for those with the least amount of power in our communities and who faced compounded marginalization by race, class, immigration status, gender identity, homelessness, addiction, and poverty. Brian was halfway through his 2-year term as Queer Ontario’s Vice-Chair and he was instrumental in maintaining QO’s social media presence and Facebook requests.
Born in 1987, Brian was one of the first cohort of graduates from the Triangle Program, a TDSB alternative school located at the MCC Toronto where 2SLGBTQ+ youth can earn their high school credits in a safe and supportive environment. Brian was a fierce defender of autonomy and self-determination and a critic of unaccountable power, whether it be corporate, government, law enforcement, or those holding positions of responsibility in our own queer communities. Brian loved using the megaphone for demos and protests, and some of us knew to stay out of his way when he did! – Brian’s heart was always in the right place.
Brian seemed to be everywhere. Brian worked tirelessly on queer community activism. He worked in coalition with trans activists on legal and social equity, was a determined ally of Black Lives Matter TO, supported the work of No Pride in Policing Coalition, served on the board of Pride Toronto, and contributed to numerous other groups and organizations. He was outspoken on police accountability and advocated for police abolition. While still quite young, Brian had worked closely with Phyllis Waugh on the Rainbow Health Network. Brian had worked as a front-desk staff at the 519 Community Centre, and during his time on Pride Toronto’s board, he was intent on maintaining Pride celebrations close to the community in the bottom-up activist spirit.
On a personal note, although Brian and I had our political differences, we were both Portuguese-Azorean gay/queer guys raised by working-class immigrant parents. We were both fairly politicized. Over the last 2-3 years we had started to discuss the barriers to education and professional employment that many Portuguese had faced in Toronto, many becoming somewhat of a “lost generation.” Brian was a considerable source of information about Azorean immigration and ancestry, and we had planned further discussions about our experiences growing up in Toronto as queer, working-class, Portuguese guys. I will always be grateful to Brian for the insights he shared and the way he helped me “connect the dots” about this part of my life.
You are sadly missed.
We leave off with Brian’s own words, posted to his Facebook wall on May 29.
We all know there are personal biases that translate into systematic discrimination. I want to really put emphasis on the fact discharging patients who are NFA (No Fixed Address) to the street is not an [appropriate] discharge plan, it is systematic neglect that puts people at risk, and it’s orchestrated medical negligence. That leads to fatal outcomes @ CAEPConference #ER
REST IN POWER!
Brian De Matos (1987 – 2023)
Robert Teixeira
on Behalf of Queer Ontario
Queerontario.org
Brian marching with Queer Ontario at the Trans March on Friday, June 23, 2017 in Toronto.
A more personal moment - Brian with QO friends at Allan Gardens in June 2020 in Toronto (Photo by R. Teixeira)
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