Jocelyn Podolsky reflects on finding queer community through movement
Healthy Tomorrow Foundation health promotion advisor, Jocelyn Podolsky
This month’s blog post features a Pride Month reflection from our health promotion advisor, Jocelyn Podolsky.
Movement is at the heart of my work as health promotion advisor with the Healthy Tomorrow Foundation, where I support initiatives through research, partnerships, evaluation and program development. It's also been one of the most meaningful ways I've found connection and community. This Pride Month, I've been reflecting on how queer movement-centered spaces have helped me rediscover a sense of belonging as an adult.
Movement sparks connection
If there is one thing that has followed me through every stage of life, it is movement. It has been a consistent source of well-being, joy and connection. As a shy kid, organized sports played a significant role in building my confidence and shaping my social circle. I formed some of my earliest and most meaningful friendships through hours of practices and long road trips travelling to games and tournaments.
Looking back, movement was never just about physical activity. It was one of the primary ways I found friendship, purpose and a sense of belonging.
After high school, I moved away from organized sport. I stayed active, but without training and competition built into my week, my activities looked very different. I spent more time hiking, got into canoeing and portaging, and found countless excuses to be outside. I loved it but felt that something was missing. Over time, I noticed how much I missed that built-in sense of connection that sport had provided.
I began seeking queer spaces that centred around shared activity. As someone who had been searching for both connection and enjoyable ways to stay active, it felt like a natural fit.
Building queer community through movement
I had been following the Halifax Queer Birders on social media for a while before I finally joined one of their hikes. Birding combined my love of the outdoors with the chance to meet new people. While I was nervous showing up for the first time, it didn’t take me long to feel at ease. It was refreshing to be surrounded by people who were just as excited to stop and appreciate the moss, birds and other small wonders of the forest.
Through the birding group, I learned that the organizer, Ive, also facilitated queer line dance nights, Lucky Line Dance, in Halifax (Kjipuktuk). Next thing I knew, I was standing on the dance floor at the Dartmouth Buffalo Club. Far more comfortable walking a trail than busting a move, I felt stiff, rhythmless and about as flexible as a two-by-four. Before long, though, I realized many people were there for the same reasons I was: to make friends, try something new and have fun moving. I found myself returning week after week.
With each hike and dance night, I recognized more faces, felt a little more connected and conversation seemed to flow easily. Before long, what started as a way to stay active had become a meaningful source of friendship and belonging.
What this experience has taught me
This Pride Month, I have been reflecting on the value of queer folk having more ways to gather and connect. Simple movement can support both well-being and community, and can also help foster spaces rooted in joy. Pride is not only about visibility and advocacy. It is also about celebrating the many ways queer people can come together and make new connections.
Movement looks different in adulthood than it did when I was younger, but it continues to be a source of connection and joy. While queer community can take shape in many different spaces, I was excited to discover groups that brought people together through movement and that also provided the sense of connection I had been missing.
Find your community
There are many welcoming movement-based community spaces across Nova Scotia. Hfx Queer Birders hosts free monthly bird walks, with transit information and carpooling options shared in advance, while Lucky Line Dance offers monthly events in Halifax and Dartmouth, with pay-what-you-can options available. Both groups share updates through Instagram.
Other opportunities include:
Friends of the Public Gardens free weekly bird walks
Get Out Halifax, a 2SLGBTQIA+ community that welcomes allies across the province who enjoy outdoor activities and recreation sports
DalKing’s Swing Dance Society (DSDS) hosts free beginner dance lessons on the Halifax waterfront all summer.
If you enjoy being outdoors, apps like Merlin Bird ID app and Seek by iNaturalist app can help you identify and learn about plants and wildlife around you.
If there's one thing these experiences have taught me, it's that you don't need to be an expert birder, a confident dancer or especially athletic to participate. The hardest part is often showing up for the first time. It certainly was for me, but I'm so glad I did it.
