UsaNewsOnline.com desk: Surrey, British Columbia – Sophia M. Matthew who is an attorney in New York City and who studied at the University of British Columbia has taken the top prize in Sher Vancouver’s 8th annual January Marie Lapuz Youth Leadership Award.

Sophia is the third transgender person to be the overall winner after Norma Lize of Vancouver in 2019 and Christopher Nkambwe of Toronto in 2020.

What are the Politics of Silence? This question framed Sophia’s undergraduate degree, where they analyzed dominant trauma narratives. A first-generation university graduate from a single-parent family, Sophia graduated near the top of their class. Before law school, Sophia worked at a queer family law firm in downtown Vancouver. Now Sophia is an attorney in New York City, where they champion LGBTQ+ pro bono, including fighting Arkansas’ transgender healthcare ban -- the first of its kind in the nation -- and completing trans name changes (see full bio below).

“Sophia’s contribution to the LGBTQ+ community is really remarkable. It was a very difficult and tough decision for the seven-member jury because there were so many amazing youths doing incredible work.  I am sure January Marie Lapuz, who the award is named after, will be very happy that another transgender person was the overall winner since January herself was also a proud trans person, states Sher Vancouver Founder Alex Sangha.

This year there were 28 very qualified youths from across Canada, the Philippines, and the USA.  Every year the competition becomes more and more fierce with outstanding applicants.

The January Marie Lapuz Youth Leadership Award has been given every year since 2015 and is entering its eighth year in 2022.

OVERALL WINNERS

WINNER   

• Sophia M. Matthew (they/them), Brooklyn, New York City (27 years old) – $1000

1ST RUNNER UP

• Weam Charaf Eddine Weam (he/she/they), North York, Ontario (28 years old) – $600

2ND RUNNER UP

• Sharon Sehrai (she/her), Delta, British Columbia (30 years old) – $400

HONOURABLE MENTION 

• Yasmine Madan (she/her), Oakville, Ontario (19 years old) – $200

• Rod Charlie Delos Reyes (he/him), Philippines (29 years old) – $200

• James Clare (he/him), Agassiz, British Columbia (29 years old) – $200

EMERGING YOUTH LEADER PRIZES

In addition to the overall winners above, this year we decided to award Emerging Youth Leader prizes.  These are youth from 16 to 23 years of age who did not rank in the overall rankings but whose applications were strong enough to be deserving of recognition.  Sher Vancouver wants to encourage, acknowledge, and recognize youth doing great work with their advocacy and contributions to the LGBTQ+ community.

The Emerging Youth Leaders are listed below in random order.

• James Svoboda (he/him), Toronto, Ontario (17 years old) - $200

• Viplav (he/him), Vancouver, British Columbia (21 years old) - $200

• Lucas Laird (he/him), Aldergrove, British Columbia (17 years old) - $200

• Ethan Joshua Persyko (they/them), Thornhill, Ontario (21 years old) - $200

JANUARY MARIE LAPUZ YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARD

The January Marie Lapuz Youth Leadership Award is an annual award bestowed upon a deserving youth who is 16 to 30 years of age and who has demonstrated involvement, commitment, and leadership in the LGBTQ+ community whether locally, nationally, and/or internationally.

Any youth anywhere who is 16 to 30 is eligible.  You do not have to be LGBTQ+ or South Asian.  Sher Vancouver welcomes all youth doing amazing things in the LGBTQ+ community.

WHO WAS JANUARY?

January Marie Lapuz was born on April 9, 1986, in Santiago City, Philippines, and passed away on September 30, 2012, in New Westminster, B.C.

January was the Social Coordinator of Sher Vancouver and the first transgender person to hold an Executive position within the organization.

She welcomed new members, connected them to information and support services, and helped organize and plan social activities and events.  A singer and dancer, she also performed at Sher events.  She was a kind, caring, generous, and loyal friend, who helped other transgender women with their gender transition.

January had many challenges and struggles as an immigrant, as a person of color and as a transgender woman living in poverty.  Nonetheless, she was a bright light and shining star in Sher Vancouver.

She had a special ability to get people to put their differences aside and move forward in the best interests of each other and the organization.

Not a day goes by that January’s friends don’t miss her.

BIOS OF THE WINNERS

WINNER   

Sophia M. Matthew (they/them), Brooklyn, New York City (27 years old) – $1000 

Sophia is an attorney in New York City, where they champion LGBTQ+ pro bono. Matthew moved from Vancouver in 2021 to join one of the world’s most prestigious law firms, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP. Since joining, they have worked with the ACLU fighting Arkansas’s trans healthcare ban, the first of its kind nationally. Working with young trans plaintiffs and their families, as well as doctors and experts, makes Matthew even more determined to use the law effectively as a tool for change. Matthew also does trans name changes. Beyond their pro bono work, as a queer transmasc person, Matthew aims to further diversity on Wall Street through leadership and mentorship.

A first-generation university graduate from a single-parent family, Matthew graduated near the top of their undergraduate and law school classes. Throughout, Matthew focused on creating space for marginalized narratives. UBC recognized them with multiple awards, including the school’s most prestigious undergraduate award, the Wesbrook Scholar—given to 20 of 39,000 candidates. Matthew is also on the NYC Dyke March Planning Committee and last year Vogue published a picture of them marching.

Matthew is honored to receive recognition and support like this award (and its Honourable Mention in 2020) as they continue working for LGBTQ+ causes in their practice and creating space for more stories and representation in the law.

1ST RUNNER UP

Weam Charaf Eddine Weam (he/she/they), North York, Ontario (28 years old) – $600 

Weam is a queer activist, helping rewrite the narrative for marginalized minorities within Canada and the Middle East. They have been leading the program development for Diversity Equity Inclusion & Belonging at Impact Resolutions, and working with companies and organizations across Canada to promote DEIB in workplaces and broader communities. In 2022, Weam pioneered the Advocacy Lab project at Helem, aiming at redefining queer advocacy in the Arab world.

Weam started their career in engineering and energy management. In 2020, after dedicating 8 years to consulting, and project management excellence, the pandemic inspired Weam to put down the engineering hat, and begin their journey into life coaching, which lead to the founding of Meditate for Change, a social movement focused on holistic development awareness. Their hypnosis research sparked their interest in demystifying the mystical and providing people from all walks of life with tools to make outstanding changes in their lives.

2ND RUNNER UP

Sharon Sehrai (she/her), Delta, British Columbia (30 years old) – $400

Sharon is an educator with Surrey School District and currently teaches Kindergarten. Outside of the classroom, Sharon works with Sher Vancouver, a registered charity for LGBTQ+ South Asians in Metro Vancouver. She is the woman’s coordinator for Sher Feline – a peer support group for queer South Asian women and gender-marginalized folks and is one of the hosts for the Sher Vancouver Podcast. The intention behind the podcast is to highlight and celebrate Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour individuals, family members, and dedicated allies in Metro Vancouver. She hopes the podcast provides validation, hope, and inspiration by sharing stories and journeys so queer South Asians know they are not alone. The Sher Vancouver Podcast is now in Season 2 with over 14 episodes. It has become a global resource with devoted listeners from Canada, UK, Germany, America, and India!  Follow us @shervanpodcast and visit our website at www.shervanpodcast.com.

HONOURABLE MENTION 

 Yasmine Madan (she/her), Oakville, Ontario (19 years old) – $200 

Yasmine is a second-year undergraduate student at McMaster University, where she is pursuing an Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences. She is the founder of Anonymous Friend – an innovative social media-based platform providing peer-to-peer mental health support for teens. It was recently featured by the Halton Suicide Prevention Coalition and awarded innovation grants from the YMCA and Duke of Edinburgh Organization.

Rod Charlie Delos Reyes (he/him), Philippines (29 years old) – $200 

Charlie is a Filipino social development advocate and an occupational therapist championing safe spaces and platforms for the LGBTQ+ community in healthcare and the virtual world through various research projects, and advocacy campaigns. He is a research fellow and a Ph.D. student whose research is focused on occupational justice among the LGBTQ+ community in Philippine healthcare. He has rallied therapists and other health professionals in discussions on gender, healthcare, and everyday living through the first-ever Global Assembly on Everyday Life, Gender, and Sexuality, which he headed. He has also initiated Project Color of Open Arms Organization, a program that trains others and shares knowledge on inclusion for the LGBTQ+ community. Now, he would be leading the IWG for Health Systems Strengthening in Western Pacific on their projects on LGBTQ+ research and advocacy campaigns, which hopefully will inform policies and regulations towards gender-affirmative spaces and health systems in Asia.

James Clare (he/him), Agassiz, British Columbia (29 years old) – $200 

Jamie is a 29-year-old transman from Chilliwack, BC. He is currently the Executive Director of the Chilliwack Gender Support Network Society; an organization devoted to providing peer support and resources for trans and gender-diverse community members in the Fraser Valley. In addition, Jamie is in his last year of a Bachelor of Environmental Studies degree at the University of the Fraser Valley. He's been passionate about social and environmental justice issues for as long as he can remember, and often takes charge of spearheading new projects to better the community. In 2020, he was awarded a Chilliwack-Hope Community Hero Award for his volunteer work spreading joy in the community with the #DoGoodRecklessly project during Covid-19. Jamie joined the Chilliwack Gender Support Network Society in 2021 and has spent his time building structure, finding resources, and creating new community connections. He’s been a passionate volunteer within the community for over ten years and currently works with four environmental organizations, three stray cat rescue programs, and the Sexuality and Gender Equity Committee under Chilliwack Healthier Community. His time is devoted to the betterment of the community, with a particular passion for improving environmental practices in urban centers.

The Emerging Youth Leaders are listed below in random order.

James Svoboda (he/him), Toronto, Ontario (17 years old) - $200 

James is a 17-year-old student in Toronto. He is from an immigrant family and has a solid drive to create equal opportunities for all. James energetically takes on any opportunity to make spaces safer for the LGBTQ+ community, as well as other minorities seeking youth leaders. His strong drive actively contributes to helping the LGBTQ+ community through volunteer work and personal projects. He has worked as an actor, writer, and podcaster. Additionally, he works on CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health) studies and projects to help bring a youth perspective to mental health care. For two years, he has worked alongside SOY Program to plan Toronto’s Youth Pride Prom, which gives opportunities to queer youth to have a safe, affirming, prom. James came first in Let’s Stop Aids - The Winning Seed Competition for his unique proposition for HIV education, in a youth-centered approach. James is committed, and ambitious, and will continue to advocate for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, and beyond.

Viplav (he/him), Vancouver, British Columbia (21 years old) - $200 

Viplav is a current 4th-year student at the University of British Columbia, in my last semester, as a double major in Gender, Race and Social Justice (GRSJ) and Sociology. I am very passionate about Social Justice Activism, theories of marginalization and representation, reclamation politics, and critical sexuality studies.

Lucas Laird (he/him), Aldergrove, British Columbia (17 years old) - $200   

Lucas is a 17-year-old high school student who works to have a future career in advocacy for LGBTQ+ equality. In school, he pushes for discussions centered around gender and sexual orientation to help inform his non-queer peers. By leading those conversations, he wants his peers to better understand the circumstances many LGBTQ+ students have and continue to deal with alongside their education. In tandem with those conversations, he has been in contact with several queer-centered organizations to learn how to get involved in protests against anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric. He recognizes that hate can be easily spread online, but that too applies with love and support. He hopes by working with his school district they can show their support for the whole world to see.

Lucas would not be where he is today if it were not for his family, who are his biggest supporters, his friends for giving him the laughs he needs, and his teachers for always pushing him to go further and encouraging him to strive for success. While high school has been some of the worst moments in his life, it has also been some of the best. Thank you.

Ethan Joshua Persyko (they/them), Thornhill, Ontario (21 years old) - $200

Ethan is an owl. It’s their spirit animal. Owls are clever and honorable, and they utilize their deeper spiritual senses for guidance, and that’s exactly who Ethan is. Not to mention Ethan's sleep schedule is living proof of the phrase “night owl”. Ethan’s theatre is centered on community building, and a restoration of a sense of identity, belonging, trust, and togetherness among folks. Ethan double majors in Drama and Law, and minors in Equity Studies, at the University of Toronto St. George. Their theatre involvement includes Tarragon Theatre, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Hart House Theatre, Alumnae Theatre (for last year's NIF!), and Wychwood Theatre.

For more information on the award check out: 

https://januaryfilm.com/

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EMAIL CONTACTS OF THE OVERALL WINNERS

• Sophia M. Matthew, Brooklyn, New York City, Winner [email protected]

• Weam Charaf Eddine, North York, Ontario, 1st Runner Up [email protected]

• Sharon Sehrai, Delta, British Columbia, 2nd Runner Up [email protected]

• Yasmine Madan, Oakville, Ontario, Honourable Mention, [email protected]

• Rod Charlie Delos Reyes, Philippines, Honourable Mention, [email protected]

• James Clare, Agassiz, British Columbia, Honourable Mention, [email protected]

PHOTOS OF THE OVERALL WINNERS ARE ATTACHED

For photos of other winners or contact information please contact Alex Sangha below.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

Alex Sangha MSW, Founder of Sher Vancouver  https://www.shervancouver.com/ [email protected]

Founder of the Sundar Prize and Festival https://filmfreeway.com/sundarprize (Now Accepting Film Submissions)

Producer of Emergence: Out of the Shadows https://emergencefilm.net/ (Now On YouTube with over 50K views) https://www.youtube.com/@shervancouver

Producer of I, Migrant (Feature Documentary Coming Soon)Sher Vancouver is a registered charity for LGBTQ+ South Asians and their friends, families, and allies in British Columbia, Canada.  Everyone is welcome.