Deon Howard

 
Deon Howard
DJ/Event Host
 
Coming to Thompson:

I’ve lived in Thompson my whole life. My parents migrated here from Jamaica. Went to RD Parker, played high school sports, it was all fun.

My Life in Thompson:

I’m currently working at Vale, but I also DJ on the side. I just started Djing in December. I broke my arm, and I was bored, so I bought a controller and started watching YouTube videos and teaching myself. Rishabh Palta asked me if I wanted to start DJ’ing with him. We started doing shows at Baacos, and now I’m doing charity events at St. Lawrence as well, and I’m hoping to do more.
 
I connected with Jamming for Jackets and helped them host a party this year, and all the proceeds went to them. I also helped Pride 55 with their social this year, and I’m planning to host a more charity shows in the future.

Why have you stayed in Thompson?

I planned on leaving, but in 2016, I realized I was transgender. I wanted to come out, but I didn’t think I could do that here. But I did, and the response has been crazy. People I don’t even know have reached out to me to tell me how I’ve given them courage, not only around LGBTQ issues, but courage to do anything.

The Best Thing About Thompson:

 I love the diversity in Thompson. We don’t discriminate here. You don’t hear about a lot of discrimination here, and when you do, it’s not tolerated. So many races, sexual preferences, religions, everyone is accepted here, and it’s really cool.

Favourite Place in Thompson:

My favourite spot in Thompson is my own studio. It lets me clear my head, listen to music from both Manitoba and the mainstream. It’s great.

Why Someone Should Move to Thompson:

The money is here. There’s lots of job opportunities, lots of experience, and you can take that anywhere.

What Makes Me Proud to Be A Thompsonite:

There’s a great sense of community here. They just had the Diwali celebrations here. I wish I could have gone, but I watched videos from it, and there were so many different kinds of people there. It was amazing.

Thompson Role Models:

Anyone who just volunteers their time, thinks about the youth, thinks about the Indigenous people, anyone who is trying to step out of the box make a difference. You can do that in your own way. People like Susannah Mueller, who is running Pride 55, Smitty, who volunteers his time a lot, there’s just a lot of great people in Thompson.