TikTok has become more than a platform for dance trends and lip syncs. It’s a space for storytelling, education, and connection, and for 2SLGBTQIA+ creators across Canada, it’s a digital stage where visibility, humour, and activism meet creativity. Since its launch, TikTok has become one of the world’s most popular social platforms, using recommendation algorithms to connect content creators and influencers with new audiences.

In this Two-Part exclusive series, we spotlight some of the social media platform’s most inspiring queer content creators, including artists, educators, advocates, and changemakers who are using their voices to build safer, more joyful online spaces. Each interview dives into their journeys and passions, and what being part of TikTok’s Visionary Voices and Changemakers communities means to them.

PART ONE:
IndigiQueer Joy in Motion: Two-Spirit Creators Changing the Digital World

Featuring:
Scott Wabano @scottwabano (they/he/she) — Cree Nation of Waskaganish | Montreal, QC


Kairyn Potts @ohkairyn (he/him) — Nakota Sioux | Toronto, ON

 

They are co-hosts of “The Real Rank Podcast” and powerful advocates for Indigenous and Two-Spirit visibility.

TikTok has become an important space for Indigenous and Two-Spirit storytelling. What has it meant for each of you to share your voices and cultures on this platform?

Kairyn: Sharing my voice on TikTok has truly been a blessing. It’s one of the first spaces where I’ve felt I could show up fully as myself as a Two-Spirit person, blending humour, culture and real talk without needing to shrink any part of who I am. It’s powerful to see Indigenous people carving out our own lanes online, telling our stories in our own ways and connecting with youth who might not see themselves reflected anywhere else. For me, it’s been a way to celebrate who we are, honour where we come from, and remind our communities — and myself — that our voices are strong, valid, and worthy of being heard.

You both bring style, humour, and heart to your content — what inspires your creativity day-to-day?

Kairyn: Honestly, my creativity comes from everyday moments in our communities — the inside jokes, the auntie energy, the chaos, the tenderness, all of it. I’m constantly drawing from real life, but I’m also deeply inspired by other Indigenous and Two-Spirit creators on the app who are out here pushing boundaries and telling our stories in their own ways. Seeing their work reminds me to keep having fun with it, to stay rooted in who I am and to keep creating content that feels like home for the people who watch it.

As co-hosts of The Real Rank Podcast, how do you balance fun and advocacy in your work together?

Scott: For us, advocacy doesn’t always have to be heavy. Indigenous youth already carry enough darkness and drama in our real lives, so The Real Rank Podcast is really rooted in joy. We lead with laughter, storytelling and those chaotic moments that feel like sitting with your cousins. That doesn’t mean we ignore the serious stuff — it just means we approach it in a way that feels safe, honest and fun. Our advocacy is informed by Indigenous joy, by showing our communities thriving, joking, healing and being fully ourselves. That balance comes naturally because joy is resistance too.

What does “IndigiQueer joy” mean to you personally?

Kairyn: IndigiQueer joy, is the freedom to exist exactly as we are without apology. It’s remembering that we have always existed. It’s that feeling of being held by community, culture and queerness all at once… like all the pieces of us finally get to breathe. It’s humour, it’s chaos, it’s auntie-level cackling, it’s tenderness, it’s creating our own spaces and refusing to shrink.

Scott: It’s choosing love for ourselves even when the world hasn’t always made room for us. IndigiQueer joy is survival, but it’s also celebration — of our bodies, our stories, our brilliance and the futures we’re building together.

What’s one message you hope young Indigenous or queer people take from seeing your work online?

Kairyn: I hope young Indigenous or queer people see my work and realize they’re allowed to take up space exactly as they are — that they don’t have to dim their light or be anything less to belong. If anything, I want them to feel seen… to know their humour, their culture, their softness, their weirdness and their brilliance — it’s all valid. And if they’re moving through hard things, I want them to know there’s still joy ahead of them and whole communities ready to hold them up. If my content can make even one young person feel less alone or more proud of who they are, then I’m doing what I came here to do.

TikTok recognized both of you as Visionary Voices — how did that feel, and what’s next for your creative journeys?

Kairyn: Being named a Visionary Voice was honestly such an honour. I never considered my voice to be visionary. To be recognized alongside so many incredible Indigenous and queer creators… it reminded me that my voice actually matters in this space, that what Scott and I are building is resonating. It felt like a little push from the universe saying “keep going, we see you.” And trust me, we are. Scott and I have a whole reality TV series coming out this summer that we hosted on APTN, we’re gearing up for season 2 of The Real Rank Podcast and there’s so much more content and live shows on the way.

Scott: We’re just getting started it feels like — the journey’s only getting louder, funnier and way more rank. Stay tuned and consider following us on socials to find out when we drop new content.

Be sure to read Part Two, featuring more creative visionary TikTok content creators.

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats.