Learning from 2SLGBTQIA+ history to build more inclusive communities together
Each June, communities across Canada and around the world celebrate Pride Month, a time to honour the 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual +) community, reflect on the ongoing struggle for equality, and recognize the resilience, creativity, and contributions of people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.
For newcomers to Canada, Pride Month offers an important opportunity to learn about local history, human rights, and the diversity of Canadian society. It is also a chance to show solidarity with 2SLGBTQIA+ people who face barriers both here and around the world.
While June is Pride Month, Pride celebrations take place all summer long, with Vancouver Pride being celebrated in August.
Why Pride Month Matters
Pride began as a protest. It commemorates the Stonewall Uprising of June 1969 in New York City, a pivotal moment in the modern 2SLGBTQIA+ rights movement. In Canada, Pride has its own history of resistance, including the Toronto bathhouse raids of 1981, which sparked widespread outrage and galvanized queer communities into action. Today, Pride events are both celebrations and reminders of the ongoing work to achieve safety, respect, and inclusion for all.
While Canada has made progress in recognizing and protecting the rights of 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, many people still face discrimination in areas like housing, healthcare, employment, and immigration. Transgender and non-binary people, racialized individuals, and queer youth are particularly vulnerable. Pride Month reminds us that inclusion is not just about acceptance, it’s about building equitable systems that support everyone.
Inclusion as a Shared Value
At Impact North Shore, we believe that everyone deserves to feel safe, valued, and supported in their community. This includes newcomers who may be discovering their identities or navigating unfamiliar cultural norms, and those who come from countries where being openly 2SLGBTQIA+ is unsafe or criminalized.
Creating inclusive spaces means acknowledging these challenges and offering resources without judgment. It means using inclusive language, listening with empathy, and standing up against homophobia, transphobia, and all forms of discrimination. For service providers, educators, employers, and neighbours alike, Pride Month is a powerful reminder to reflect on our practices and create environments where diversity is truly welcomed.
Learning and Taking Action
There are many ways to engage with Pride Month as a newcomer or ally:
- Learn the history of Pride in Canada and around the world.
- Attend a local Pride event to celebrate and connect with community.
- Explore resources about 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion and rights.
- Support queer-owned businesses and artists.
- Advocate for inclusive policies in your workplace or school.
Even small actions, like asking for someone’s pronouns, displaying a Pride sticker, or reading a book by a queer author, can help create a culture of belonging.
Moving Forward Together
Pride Month is about more than rainbows and parades. It’s about dignity, equality, and community. For newcomers building new lives in Canada, and for all of us who want to live in a fair and inclusive society, Pride is a call to action. Let’s celebrate the diversity that strengthens us, and commit to creating a future where everyone can thrive, free to be themselves.
Resources for LGBTQIA+ Newcomers and Their Families
Rainbow Refugee: a Vancouver-based organization that promotes safe, equitable migration and communities of belonging for people fleeing persecution based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or HIV status. https://www.rainbowrefugee.com/
Sher Vancouver: providing arts and cultural, and social service programs and services to queer South Asians and their friends, families, and allies in Metro Vancouver. https://www.shervancouver.com/
Qmunity: a non-profit organization based in Vancouver, BC that works to improve queer, trans, and Two-Spirit lives. https://qmunity.ca/
What’s On Queer BC: Events, news, stories, and resources for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in BC. https://whatsonqueerbc.com/lgbtq-links
Pflag Canada – Vancouver: In communities across the country, the Pflag Canada network provides peer support, education and advocacy for a Canada that affirms, respects and values all sexualities, genders and gender expressions. http://www.pflagvancouver.com/
Fierté Canada Pride: the national association of Canadian Pride organizations. https://www.fiertecanadapride.org/
Resources to Learn More About the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community
Egale – 2SLGBTQIA+ terms and definitions: https://egale.ca/awareness/terms-and-definitions/
Our Spectrum – 2SLGBTQIA+ Terminology Guide and Media Reference Tool: https://www.ourspectrum.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2SLGBTQIA-Terminology-and-Media-Reference-Tool.pdf
The Genderbread Person – easy-to-use guide on gender identity, gender expression, sexuality, and more: https://www.itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Genderbread-Person-v4.png
Pride at Work – training for organizations and workplaces: https://education.prideatwork.ca/