Community leader, advocate and story teller living life one day at a time
On September 20, 2024 HIV Edmonton and the Canadian AIDS Society nominated Ron Byers to be a recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal for his contributions to the HIV/AIDS movement in Canada.
On November 20, 2024 The Governor General of Canada awarded the medal to Ron Byers.
The presentation ceremony will take place on June 26 2025 at Edmonton City Hall where recipients will be presented with their medals by Lieutenant Governor of Alberta – Salma Lakhani.
Edmonton has a big place in Canada’s 2SLGBTQ+ history — but it doesn’t always get the credit it deserves. Now, there are people trying to change that. In recent years, projects highlighting Edmonton’s queer history and stories have gained traction, and there is work being done to preserve decades of activism and community for the next generation. Host Clare Bonnyman sits down with Ron Byers of the Rainbow Story Hub, to talk about Edmonton’s queer history and what’s so unique about our city’s story.
June 11, 2025
In 1981, the Pisces Health Spa in Edmonton was raided by Edmonton police, who arrested 60 gay men. It’s believed to be the largest mass arrest in the history of Alberta. This week, in honour of Pride, Metro Cinema is screening a CBC documentary from that year, called The Gay Straight Jacket. Ron Byers was a staff member at the Pisces but was not arrested that night. Now, he is a queer historian in Edmonton with the Rainbow Story Hub.