2018 Pride Season

Rainbow pride flag
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
To Sunday, September 23, 2018
12:00 AM to 12:00 AM
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OPSEU at Pride

Members of the Rainbow Alliance arc-en-ciel will be attending various Pride events and festivals this summer.  They are scheduled to take place at various locations across the province.  The Alliance is energized, empowered and inspired by members, locals and communities who have joined in the ongoing fight for equal rights for all. 

OPSEU members, Executive Board Members, staff, family, friends and allies are encouraged to come out and show their support.  For individuals interested in volunteering and/or would like further information on how to become involved, please send an e-mail to [email protected]

Schedule of Events 

Region 1 

Stratford

June 4-10 
https://www.facebook.com/events/1961985090782460/

Oxford County 

June 16
https://www.facebook.com/Oxford-County-Pride-552451441589230/ 

London 

July 19-29
www.pridelondon.ca

St. Thomas, Aylmer and West Lorne (Flag Raising and Pride Day)

​July 23

Elgin County 

July 27

Chatham-Kent

August 18
1st Annual CK Gay Pride Family Event w/Parade 
https://www.facebook.com/events/842227599318946/

Windsor-Essex

August 8-12
www.wepridefest.com

Region 2 

Guelph Pride 

April 28-May 14
www.guelphpride.com

tri-Pride (Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo) 

May 22-June 6 (tri-Pride Week) 
www.tri-pride.ca

Pride Haldimand-Norfolk 

May 26
https://www.facebook.com/haldimandnorfolkpride/

Niagara 

June 2-9
www.prideniagara.com

Owen Sound 

June 10 (Pride Parade) 
https://www.facebook.com/GreyBrucePride/​  
http://www.bayshorebroadcasting.ca/news_item.php?NewsID=101198

Brantford 

June 11-16
www.brantfordpride.ca

Hamilton 

June 17
http://hamiltonpride.ca/

Region 3 

Durham

June 1-3
www.pridedurham.com

Barrie 

June 8-10
www.barriepride.com

York Region 

June 16 (Pride Parade) 
www.yorkpridefest.com

Muskoka 

July 20-29
www.muskokapride.com

Simcoe 

July 30-August 12
www.simcoepride.com

Peterborough

September 14-23
www.peterboroughpride.ca

Region 4

Kingston 

June 16
www.kingstonpride.ca

Belleville

July 3-9
www.bellevillepride.ca

Brockville 

June 4-10
https://www.brockvillepride.com/

Pembroke

June 9
http://www.pembrokepride.com/​ 

Ottawa 

​August 20-26
www.ottawacapitalpride.ca

Region 5 

Toronto

June 15-24 (Pride Week) 
www.pridetoronto.com

Peel

July 8
http://peelpride.wixsite.com/peelpride/copy-of-pride-week-2016

Region 6 

Elliot Lake 

May 25-27
www.elpride.ca

​Timmins 

June 4-9 
www.timminspride.com

Sudbury 

July 10-16
www.sudburypride.com

North Bay Pride

July 18-21
https://www.facebook.com/events/293704124435095/

Sault Ste Marie 

July 28 
https://www.facebook.com/Sault.Pride/

Manitoulin Island 

Aug 18 & 19 
https://www.facebook.com/PRIDEManitoulin/

Region 7

Sioux Lookout 

June 3
http://thedrydenobserver.ca/2018/06/08/sioux-lookout-flies-its-colours-for-pride-event/

Thunder Bay 

June 9-16
www.thunderpride.ca

Kenora Pride 

June 22-24
www.kenorapride.com

Dryden Pride 

June 30
https://www.facebook.com/events/167414870496990/

Fort Frances 

July 9-15​
http://fortfrances.com/content/lgbtq2-pride-week​ 

What is Pride?

To the LGBTTIAPQQ2S (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, intersex, asexual, pansexual, queer, questioning, two-spirited) community and their allies, Pride is a reaffirmation that discrimination based on one’s sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression will not be tolerated.  A cornerstone in gay rights social movements, Pride also calls for an end to violence against the LGBTTIAPQQ2S community.  It is about preserving one’s dignity and ensuring that access to the same rights and services is fair and just.  In addition, it is a celebration of sexual, gender and family diversity.   

June is Pride month

June was chosen as Pride month to commemorate the Stonewall riots that were a series of spontaneous demonstrations initiated by the gay community.  They were a response to an early morning police raid that took place on June 28, 1969 at the Stonewall Inn, in New York City.  Prior to the riots, police raids on gay bars were quite frequent and often involved violence and physical force.  The Stonewall riots are widely considered to be one of the single most important events in the gay rights movement in the United States.  

This movement started to make its way to Canada in August 1971 when protests and demonstrations took place in Ottawa and Vancouver.  In 1981, the police raids of Toronto’s bathhouses pushed tensions between the gay community and the police over the edge.  Over 300 men were arrested but most of the charges were later dropped.  These raids established Lesbian and Gay Pride Day in Toronto and would later be known as Toronto Pride.  Today, it is one of the largest gay festivals in the world.    

This month also serves as an important time to reflect upon the many achievements of the LGBTTIAQQ2S community.  Throughout the years, such accomplishments have included:

  • in 1969, the decriminalization of homosexuality in Canada with the passage of the Criminal Law Amendment Act (1968-1969);
  • in 1986, the addition of sexual orientation as a prohibited ground of discrimination to the Ontario Human Rights Code.  When the Code first took effect in 1962, it was the first of its kind in Canada because it dealt with different kinds of discrimination; 
  • in 1990, the World Health Organization (WHO) removed homosexuality, listed as a mental illness, from the International Classification of Diseases.  This paved the way for the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT).  Today, it is commemorated annually on May 17;  
  • in 1996, sexual orientation was included as a prohibited ground of discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act;
  • in 2005, Canada became the first country in the Americas and the fourth in the world, to legalize same sex marriage with the passage of the Civil Marriage Act;   
  • in 2012, discrimination based on gender identity and gender expression were incorporated into the Ontario Human Rights Code as prohibited grounds of discrimination;
  • in 2013, Kathleen Wynne, Canada’s first openly gay First Minister, was sworn in as Premier of Ontario;
  • in 2014, Toronto hosted WorldPride which marked the first time it was held in North America.  Overall, it was the fourth time such an event was held in the world; 
  • in March of 2017, Ontario introduced a new gender ‘X’ option in efforts to advance gender inclusivity with changes to official documents, starting with drivers licenses.  
  • in June, 2017, Bill C-16, which will protect the rights of transgender people from discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act, became law.  In addition, hate crime provisions under the Criminal Code would also protect gender identity and expression.  

Pride also recognizes the hard work and sacrifices which were made in attaining these achievements.  The individuals, at the forefront and behind the scenes, have been instrumental in paving the road to where the LGBTTIAPQQ2S community finds itself today.  Yet, the fight for equal rights continues to be a work in progress because homosexuality is still considered illegal in many parts of the world.  The hope is that this struggle for fairness will not last forever.  Happy Pride!   

For more information:

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/lesbian-gay-bisexual-and-transgender-rights-in-canada/
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2013/06/28/feature-how-the-stonewall-riots-started-the-gay-rights-movement/
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/transgender-bill-trudeau-government-1.3585522
https://globalnews.ca/news/3532824/senate-passes-bill-c-16-which-defends-transgender-rights/
http://dayagainsthomophobia.org/
https://news.ontario.ca/mto/en/2017/03/new-x-gender-option-now-available-on-ontario-drivers-licences.html 

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