Welcome to Pride Month! 

Pride Month was first introduced in June of 1969, after a police raid took place at a popular 2SLGBTQ+ bar in New York that led to six days of protests and clashing between citizens and police. This riot was later referred to as the Stonewall Riot and was the start to protests that continued to take place to fight against discrimination faced by the 2SLGBTQ+ community. 

In May of 1969, Canada officially decriminalized homosexual acts between consenting adults 21 years and older. In August of 1971, individuals across Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto protested for the first Gay Liberation with a list of ten equal rights for the government. In December of 1973, homosexuality was removed as a disorder in the DSM. In 2005, Canada legalized same sex marriage under the Civil Marriage Act. In 2017, the Canadian Human Rights Act protested gender identity and gender expression, and Prime Minister Jusin Trudeau apologized to the 2SLGBTQ+ community for decades of state-sponsored, systemic oppression and rejection directed at queer and trans Canadians by the government. Finally, in 2018 the LGBTQ+ Purge Class Action Settlement Agreement was finalized, marking it as a landmark to acknowledge the systemic harm the 2SLGBTQ+ faced by the government. 

Since the first protest in 1969 took place, thousands of protests have occurred to oppose the discrimination the 2SLGBTQ+ community has experienced and continues to face. As of today, 1.3 million Canadians identify as part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Although this community has made huge changes throughout the past few decades, many individuals still face discrimination today. The top five types of stigma within this group include being shunned by family (57%), verbally harassed or threatened (52%), physically harassed or threatened (49%), harassed or threatened online (48%), and feeling as if others do not understand them (50%). According to Canadian reports, every three in ten 2SLGBTQ+ individuals have fair to poor mental health. 

Common top drivers of stigma include people being threatened by something they don’t understand (27%), people not feeling comfortable with people who are different (25%), and people believing that being part of 2SLGBTQI+ communities is unnatural (24%). 77% of sexually and gender diverse youth have reported being the target of bullying in the previous year, 13% of individuals in the 2SLGBTQI+ community are homeless, despite only representing 4% of the general population. Homelessness within the 2SLGBTQI+ community is often due to mental health issues (15%), having conflict with a parent or guardian (12%), learning or cognitive limitations (48%) lower incomes, experiences of on-the-job discrimination, and barriers in finding or advancing employment opportunities. Individuals apart of the 2SLGBTQI+ community are twice as likely to describe their mental health as poor (33%) compared to other bullied youth populations (16%) and have consider taking their own life (27%) consider taking their own life in comparison with other bullied youth (13%). By showing up and participating in Pride month, you are reducing the stigma faced by 2SLGBTQ+ individuals. Certain Pride Parades will be taking place across Canada including in Winnipeg, Regina, Toronto, Victoria, Halifax, Vancouver, Montreal, Edmonton, and Ottawa. Whether you are a member of the community or an ally, your presence helps ensure that the progress started in 1969, continues throughout history, ensuring safety and support for all individuals across the country. 

 

References
Events - Public Service Pride. (2026, April 21). Public Service Pride. https://publicservicepride.ca/events/ 

Government of Canada. (2024, May 16). Facts, stats and impact: 2SLGBTQI+ communities. Www.canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/women-gender-equality/free-to-be-me/federal-action-2slgbtqi-communities/facts-stats.html 

Lu, R. (2025). More Than a Rainbow: The History, Significance and Power of Pride. Uwo.ca. https://uwo.ca/se/thrive/blog/2025/more-than-a-rainbow.html 

Queer Events. (2019, October 4). History of Canadian Pride | QueerEvents.ca. Queer Events. https://www.queerevents.ca/canada/pride/history