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Anna Gutmanis, singer/songwriter and activist.Anna Gutmanis, is a Canadian lesbian singer, songwriter and activist.
We here at ThePinkElephant online magazine are very excited to present one of Canada’s well known and oh so welcomed lesbian artist, who has richly provided us with a short bio on herself, her career as a lesbian entertainer and activist for gay, lesbian and women’s rights. I invite you to follow her here and to visit the many website options that provide details and photo’s of one of our most public lesbian pioneers. Anna first attended U of T in 1980-81, but was unaware of the existence of lesbian/gay groups on campus. She dropped out in order to pursue a singing-songwriting career. Joining community groups such as Lesbians Against The Right, Anna also performed at cafes, benefits and Gay Pride 1984, receiving notice as one of Xtra’s "Xtra Special People". She recorded a solo album at the end of the decade that garnered cross-Canada airplay. In the 1990′s, Anna met her partner Georgia and adopted their two children Naomi and Gaven. She also worked at several Toronto youth and women’s shelters after earning a diploma from George Brown College. In 2001, Anna returned to U of T to finish her Bachelor’s Degree, selecting a minor in Sexual Diversity Studies and a major in Equity Studies. She also worked part-time at the 519 Community Centre as a drop-in counsellor and at the front desk. Graduating in 2005, she now plans to record an original queer liberation song to share with queers and our allies everywhere. Anna Gutmanis, lesbian singer, songwriter and keyboardist, entwines brave, edgy lyrics with deep, blues-style vocals. Anna sought out revered lesbian producer Karen Kane to record “I Am Who I Am,” which won the Pride in The Arts “2009 Pride Song” Award. The video for “I Am Who I Am” has been screened at LGBT film festivals and Pride celebrations in North America and Europe, and can be seen on YouTube, The Q-Tube and One More Lesbian. Anna is a longstanding musician on the Canadian music scene. Her single, “Then Came You,” from her 1989 self-titled album, can still be heard on Canadian radio stations. This debut release received airplay in every Canadian province and territory and is now available on iTunes, Amazon, and other on-line retailers. Further productions earned have earned Anna a FACTOR grant for Canadian Talent. Anna is also a social justice activist. She has been an active member of queer grassroots groups and university Sexual Diversity Studies committees, as well as a front-line counsellor working with assaulted women and queer youth. She recently had the great honour of being keynote speaker at the Community One Rainbow Grant reception in Toronto. Anna’s recent June Pride Tour included dates in Burlington, Hamilton, Milwaukee and Chicago, and she will be returning to the U.S. in August to perform at the Indiegrrl 2010 Showcase and Conference in Knoxville. The amazing and talented Linq, who recently won the Pride In The Arts Additional Thoughts: by Anna Gutmanis I can’t stress what a wonderful time my partner Georgia and I had at the London Lesbian Film Festival this past April! Of course, being there for the screening of my video “I Am Who I Am” was amazing, but the whole festival was just a dream lesbian weekend. It was such an awesome feeling to return to the town of my birth – and my first 18 years of life – and celebrate being out as a lesbian with a bunch of other lesbians. Of course, there is never an end to fighting for our rights as lesbians and LGBT people, and Georgia and I took part in a small but strong march across downtown London drawing attention to the then-recent harassment of 2 young London lesbians by ignorant homophobes. This combination of activism and celebration – the festival included a burlesque show, a dance, and a workshop – made for a truly unforgettable weekend and something against which to measure any lesbian event. Speaking of grassroots activism, we have experienced renewed joy in this lately. As you know, the recent G20 summit was held in Toronto, where we lived until last summer and where Georgia continues to work. We decided to take part in the labour march, which was a joyous event, complete with marching bands, participants bringing along their dogs and small children, and lots of peaceful protest. We are VERY glad that we were there, on the ground. It is NOT OKAY that peaceful people, particularly queer people, people of colour, women and immigrants, were treated horrifically by police, while people who broke the peace were allowed to do their thing without police stepping in to stop them. Although we ourselves were not mistreated, we know people who were, and we are among those calling for an independent inquiry into police brutality during the summit. As we know, queer people are never treated well in a police state, and Toronto in late June was no exception. Harper’s anti-queer agenda was in full force, as we witnessed. And there has been renewed grassroots queer activism in Toronto the likes of which I have not seen in 25 years, much of it surrounding Pride! There has been a groundswell of LGBT activists upset for some time now about the increased lack of free speech, the crass commercialism, and the lack of focus on LGBT rights issues in recent Prides. After the attempts of Pride to silence QuIA (Queers Against Israeli Apartheid), a critical mass of disgruntled activists quickly and successfully planned a whole slate of Alterna-Pride events! Georgia and I were particularly excited about “Take Back The Dyke”. (see http://www.thepinkelephant.ca/archives/5682 article "Take Back the Dyke ") We took part in some T-shirt silk screening and in the march itself. How inspiring! To march with thousands of other dykes and take back our streets (no cops, yea!!), to chant with Faith Nolan (who debuted her awesome new song “Take Back The Dyke”) about the issues of REAL importance to lesbians and folks who seek social justice, was so empowering. It felt to us like the events we used to attend in the 1980s when we had little or no rights at all as lesbians – very powerful. And this is just as it should be, because I believe that complacency now, while Harper is Prime Minister and is stripping away our rights bit by bit, is a very dangerous thing. We really could lose all that we have gained if we are not vigilant and activist. http://www.annagutmanis.ca/
Interview and Intro by Naomi Miville,          
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The pink elephant magazine’s Naomi Miville interviewed Anna Gutmanis a Canadian lesbian singer, songwriter and activist. and sends this report:
“Musical Artist of 2009” award, will be joining Anna on stage for her first Indiegrrl gig! Anna is planning a new album for 2011.
Oh, one more thing – I am very excited about my video for “I Am Who I Am” being solicited and screened at the next BOLD Conference, (Bold Older Lesbians and Dykes) conference in Vancouver in September, 2010. I really feel that B.C gets what I’m doing, and I am really grateful for the support I’m getting from your beautiful province! See; 
