2SLGBTQIA+ History and Identities in Canada

A lot of Pride celebrations trace its origins back to 1969 in New York City, which was a police raid on the Stonewall Inn, this was a gay bar. The subsequent reaction from the community was a four-day riot through the streets of New York. And the popular opinion is that Pride began there.

It came to Canada in 1971 when queers organized the first gay and lesbian rights protest on Parliament Hill. And so that protest called We Demand was a moment in which queers in Canada began advocating their political agenda. So Pride for Canada, it’s not 1969, it’s 1971.

The first real Pride, I guess, celebrations that were actually called Pride, began in 1973. And these were very humble celebrations that often included a picnic meeting over at the Toronto Islands. These were the small-scale community-based events that were designed to give people a sense of community, a sense of belonging, and to give them a space where they could be themselves, which was really rare. It was hard to find during that time. Pride festivals in Canada through the 70s and 80s were primarily in the larger urban centres. So you found them in Toronto, in Montreal, in Vancouver, but elsewhere, it would take another few decades for Pride festivals to really take off.

You know, in my hometown of Burlington, Ontario, I never saw a Pride festival while I lived there. So even into the 2000s, there was no Pride festival. Pride has undergone numerous changes in its history. So in particular, in the 1980s, there was a controversial decision to allow corporate sponsorships to come into the Pride festivals, in particular, beer, alcohol sponsorships, and this was seen as a contentious decision. And even now, we’re still debating this.

Another change is the inclusion of police officers. So, in the 2000s in Toronto, Toronto police began marching in the Pride Parade. And this was another controversial decision that the community has been debating ever since then. People think: “Oh, why are you so militant? Why are you so political? It’s just a celebration. Come out to the party.” No, the party is the protest! You have to understand when you’re looking at the history of criminalization of homophobia, this is a process that forces queer people to hide who they really are, to live in a closet. And so, to be able to come out and celebrate in a street wearing what you want to wear, being who you want to be with, that is a protest. So you are celebrating, and that very celebration, the very existence, being comfortable in your own skin is a form of protest. And that is what Pride is about.

So, there is no separation between this protest and celebration idea. The celebrating is the protest, and it’s so foundational to what it is we’re doing out there. Pride is a defiant act against forces of shame that would tell us that we’re immoral, that we’re sinful, that we are criminal. And so, we decide we are going to stand up against this simply by showing up in all of our colours and having the best time of our lives. So that is foundational to what Pride means and there is no separation between it.