About Jamie Lee
An Overview of Jamie Lee
A politician and advocate of aboriginal people, the LGBT community, poor residents of the city's poverty-stricken Downtown Eastside, and sex trade workers. Hamilton is a candidate for the publicly elected Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, for which the election is 2008 November 15. She also is a writer, entertainer, and transexual. She is working on a research project at the University of British Columbia "The Expulsion of Sex Workers from Vancouver's West End, 1975-1985". Hamilton serves on the boards of directors of two societies in Vancouver: Vancouver Pride Society, which presents the largest annual parade of any kind in British Columbia; and sits on the board of the Greater Vancouver Native Cultural Society. In addition, she sat on the Downtown Eastside Arts in Parks Steering Committee, a committee funded by the Park board to develop an overall guiding plan for Downtown Eastside parks.
Early Life
Jamie Lee Hamilton was born James Arthur Hamilton on September 20, 1955, in Vancouver, BC, of parents Ralph Hamilton and Alice Hamilton. Ralph was an immigrant from Washington State, with Irish roots, who championed the unity of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Alice was from the Rocky Boy Band (Montana, USA) and became a leader of the aboriginal community in Vancouver. Beginning in her youth, Hamilton worked in the sex trade, transitioned to female and became a strident advocate of the various communities of which she is a member.
Achievements and Awards
- Founder, George Ross Scholarship Fund, Greater Vancouver Native Cultural Society; Vancouver, BC 1988.
- Tenth elected Native Princess, Greater Vancouver Native Cultural Society, 1988.
- Walk for Life, annual AIDS Walkathon, 1990: paid volunteer co-ordinator; Vancouver, BC.
- XI elected Ms. Gay Vancouver, 1991. While reigning, performed with the New York traveling cast of A Chorus Line.
- Founder of Hot Meal Programme for Transexual Prostitutes, First United Church, Vancouver, BC; 1993.
- First transexual to stand for public office in Canada, for Vancouver City Council, 1996.
- Community Hero Award, Xtra West newspaper; Vancouver, BC; 1996.
- Prominent in the campaign attracting international attention to shame the authorities into investigating the 67 missing women from the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, 1998 to present. So far, Robert "Willie" Pickton has been convicted of murdering six of them. See articles "Twenty women missing, action demanded" and "Too many shoes"
- Founder, Grandma's House, a safe sactuary for street-involved women; Vancouver, BC; 1997.
- Keynote speaker at Resolutions and Ruptures: Sexual and Gender Diversity and the Spaces In-Between conference, University of British Columbia; 2004.
- Leader of the successful No Trademark Campaign opposing trademarking the word "pride"; Vancouver, BC; 2006.
- Invited presenter, Canadian parliamentary subcommittee on solicitation; Vancouver, BC; 2006.