DEI Initiative / People / Douglas Stewart
Douglas Stewart
Douglas Stewart is a pioneering gay rights activist and the founding Executive Director of the Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention. He dedicated his work to addressing issues around gay rights, particularly within Black communities, through awareness and support initiatives. Stewart has served in various impactful roles, including equity trainer, dispute resolution officer, and Chief Human Rights Advisor at Centennial College. His commitment to youth development led him to provide training and organizational support to numerous youth empowerment organizations, including SERVE!, and to collaborate with the Toronto District School Board on anti-discrimination initiatives and alternative school programsl. As a founding member of Zami, Toronto’s first Black queer group established in 1984, Stewart broke ground in addressing the exclusion and racism faced by queers of color within the broader queer community. He was one of the first in Canada to speak publicly on these issues, emphasizing the dual identity challenges faced by Black gay activists. Zami was one of many groups formed during the 1980s to combat systemic problems within the “queer establishment.”