Queer people with intellectual and developmental disabilities flourish through self-advocacy in A Place Where I Belong
Documentary at the Vancouver Queer Film Festival highlights peer-led groups working to overcome a long history of stigma and isolation by creating connection to the broader queer community
A Place Where I Belong.
The Vancouver Queer Film Festival presents A Place Where I Belong at the Cineplex Odeon International Village Cinemas on September 14 at 2:30 pm
EARLY IN THE DOCUMENTARY A Place Where I Belong, a short clip shows disability activist Roland Johnson during his speech at the Third International People First Conference in Toronto, when he asks, “Who is in control?” Johnson was a pivotal figure in the self-advocacy movement for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and his call for autonomy echoes through the film, which spotlights a community often left out of 2SLGBTQIA+ conversations
On September 14, A Place Where I Belong will have its world premiere at the International Village as part of the 2025 Vancouver Queer Film Festival. The feature documentary revolves around the organizers and members of Connecting Queer Communities (CQC), a peer-led social group launched by the sexual health initiative Real Talk to connect 2SLGBTQIA+ folks with cognitive disabilities to the broader queer community across the Lower Mainland. Through a combination of interviews and candid moments capturing some of CQC’s programming and social events, the film offers an intimate glimpse inside the intellectual and developmental disability community, where topics like queerness and sexuality are often overlooked.
“Disability has been with us since the dawn of humanity, and it’s only very recently that we’ve really brought people into community,” says Alison Klein, CQC’s peer coordinator, who is also featured in the film. “From my viewpoint, CQC is one of the few places in Canada that really affirm people with both identities. You have an intellectual or developmental disability? Okay, let’s make sure you’re included and that your voice is heard. You like drag? Let’s go see a drag show.”
Alison Klein in A Place Where I Belong.
A Place Where I Belong grew out of director Rheanna Toy’s work with Real Talk, where she’s been producing video content since its inception. When CQC received its first year of funding, Real Talk founder and manager, John Woods, approached Toy about producing something to promote the group. Toy chose to volunteer her time and chronicle CQC’s journey, in exchange for the opportunity to explore and find a film representative of this community.
“I’m both a filmmaker and a videographer,” Toy says. “Videography is how I support my filmmaking habit, if you will. I self-funded for a bit, and about eight months in, it was taking a toll on me. I wasn’t sure what to do and I almost abandoned the project.”
Toy’s roughly year-long endeavour filming with CQC nearly faltered, until local non-profit organizations like posAbilities, the Burnaby Association for Community Inclusion, and Kinsight came together and funded the rest of the project’s production and post-production.
“As a filmmaker, these opportunities only come so often,” Toy says. “Obviously, something in the universe wants this film to be made, so I will find a story. I try to look for the truth in things. That’s when we pivoted to having it be interview-based.”
Through these interviews, viewers are invited into the lives of six CQC members as they navigate self-acceptance, dating, and community. For participants like Klein, it was also an opportunity to share the history of places such as the now demolished Woodlands institution, and shine a light on the stigma and systemic issues faced by the community to this day.
“We don’t usually hear about what’s happened and why we’re seeing what we’re seeing,” Klein says. “I’m fourth-generation Canadian, but I’m still seen as an outsider in my own country. I’m still having to learn the ins and outs of my own culture. Other support staff, families, and organizations will make decisions for us without our input. When people come to CQC or Real Talk, it’s one of the few times they get to feel, ‘I’m just there.’ You tell me what you need.”
Now in its 37th season, the Vancouver Queer Film Festival has become one of the city’s most enduring cultural platforms, providing a safe space for 2SLGBTQIA+ people and communities to showcase their voice and discuss their work. This year’s program features 100 films from 25 countries, and will include both in-person and online presentations throughout September. A Place Where I Belong’s in-person premiere will also include a post-screening Q&A with special guests and drag performances, where attendees can learn more about CQC.
For Toy and CQC, this celebratory moment also marks the start of a series of initiatives to support the film and the organization’s future. This includes launching the We Belong Tour, where the film can be screened through partnerships with organizations and communities throughout B.C. and Canada, coupled with talkbacks, resource-sharing, and learning opportunities. Screenings can be requested through the film’s official website, where a CQC donation page is also available.
“A big concern in the disability sector are programs that support people’s basic needs, versus programs that support what we call flourishing, which is more about life satisfaction, relationships, all the stuff that makes life worth living,” Toy says. “If anyone wants to support this program or others like it that are about flourishing, we’d love to hear from them.” 
Related Articles
