Zed is a proud Canadian of Chinese and Norwegian heritage. He was born on Vancouver Island in the Comox Valley and grew up in largely white-dominated spaces. His formative years as a teen included being an active member of a Taoist religion community which helped shape much of his values until he found out they did not condone his queer identity. He was fortunate enough to have wonderful support within the arts community and participated in Indigenous healing ceremonies. Zed shares his colourful story of being a non-conformist, growing up with a Chinese Canadian parent with mental illness, and finding his own identity as a psychology scholar.