Jessica Ruano

Blog

  • Queer Dating: Part 1

    Queer Dating: Part 1

    I wrote this in November 2019, two months before my child was born. Almost five years later, I’m still exploring different types of relationships and figuring out what makes the most sense for me (and my child). It can require a lot of energy and processing, and if I’m dating someone who’s not invested as… Read more

  • L’adoption de Joy : un long chemin entre le Nunavut et Ottawa

    L’adoption de Joy : un long chemin entre le Nunavut et Ottawa

    Si le parcours pour adopter Joy a été cahoteux, Jessica Ruano se décrit comme une mère comblée aujourd’hui. Le Téléjournal Ottawa-GatineauPar Nadine PhaneufPublié le 15 décembre 2020 VIDÉO : Du Nunavut à Ottawa, l’adoption de Joy Adopter un enfant est synonyme de montagnes russes d’émotions pour les futurs parents. Mais choisir l’adoption alors qu’on est… Read more

  • Solo parenting in the time of Corona

    Solo parenting in the time of Corona

    Originally published in Ottawa Magazine, May 2020. Photos by David Kawai. When I made the decision several years ago to adopt as a solo parent, the circumstances I imagined for myself and my child were very different from our current reality. We’re told to expect the unexpected when we become parents, but few of us anticipate having to raise our children… Read more

  • Being queer

    Being queer

    I refer to myself as a queer woman. What does that mean exactly? In honour of Pride Month, I thought I would share a few thoughts I wrote out a couple of years ago: For me, being queer isn’t so much about the person I’m dating, as it is about a worldview. It is an… Read more

  • Kate Barry explores Olympia model Victorine Meurent

    Kate Barry explores Olympia model Victorine Meurent

    I wrote this article for Xtra.ca in 2009, six years before I began life modelling myself! QUEERING OLYMPIA. One of the most notorious paintings of the 19th century gets a redux with a performance piece by Kate Barry.  Photo: courtesy of Kate Barry What is the story behind the woman in the painting? Modern artists… Read more

  • Anxiety, grief, and lawnmowers

    Anxiety, grief, and lawnmowers

    I wrote this piece in August 2022, six weeks after my girlfriend died by suicide. While suicide itself is not the least bit funny, I feel it’s important to find humour in the grieving process. Here goes… This morning, I mowed my front lawn for the very first time. Now for you suburbanites and country… Read more