Harvey R. Younker

This year is the 30^th anniversary since the death of my great-uncle, Harvey Younker.  He was the oldest in a family of three with my grandmother in the middle and his brother the youngest.  Born to a farming family in rural Prince Edward Island, he trained to be a carpenter at Prince of Wales College in Charlottetown and then went on to work for a private security company later in life.

Harvey was a man who chose to live a life of authenticity when it was not easy to do so.  He declined faith-based conversion therapy and moved to Toronto in the 1980’s where it was easier for him to live life as a gay man.  When the unthinkable happened and he was diagnosed with AIDS he was put on HAART (Highly Active Anti-retroviral Therapy) which was still experimental and not widely the standard treatment.  Sadly, the treatment did not keep him with us much longer and in October of 1996 at only 52, he died.

He is missed by many family members back on Prince Eward Island, especially his son Scott and his two granddaughters, Madison and Malia.

Message To Loved One:

You are never forgotten.  So much of the work that I continue to do is because I know that you and many others in your situation didn’t have the rights that we have today.

HIV/AIDS Awareness

When my great-uncle was first diagnosed not many people were told.  I sure wasn’t told that was how he passed away.  It was also a very different time back then; we did not have things like PrEP or know anything about a U=U movement.  My great-uncle gave me a face to put to an illness that people only whispered about.  He gave me the ability to tell a real story and advocate in spaces for people within the community, but most of all he gave me the ability to honour him while doing it with love, dignity and most of all compassion.

Favourite Memory:

When I opened up my great-uncle’s will and saw that he left a huge donation to the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto.  This was the same church where I had gone to find clarity in a very hard time in my life and I found a flyer for Toronto PFLAG, those mothers gave me the guidance anyone could ever want and they helped me find my voice.