Pride events are a beautiful and complex union of celebration and resistance. Over the decades, Pride festivals and parades have done so much for visibility, community organizing, and bringing LGBTQ issues and achievements into the spotlight.
This year is a very unique moment in the same struggle. We’re currently inspired by Pride Hamilton’s recent statement, “Pride Started as a Riot”
– you can see it at https://www.pridehamilton.com/
Our communities and allies are rising up against racism, and coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. June is also National Indigenous History Month. Pride has never been exclusive, and needs always to be built on a consciousness of interconnected equity struggles.
So this year, we and allies are paying better attention to intersectionality and the origins of Pride – which began with the activism of black trans women including Marsha P. Johnson. We encourage members to learn more about the history of the LGBTQ equity struggle – it’s far deeper and more complex than what you see in the mainstream coverage of Pride events.
Meanwhile, the COVID-19 crisis aggravates and amplifies long- existing inequalities in our social systems.
Like other equity-seeking groups, the LGBTQ community has been hit disproportionately in many ways by the crisis, with its impact on finances, employment access, housing, medical care, and other issues that are more dangerous for anyone who was already facing oppression and discrimination.
Be Safe and Healthy
This year, public protest and festivities look different. Facing the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis, Pride organizations are figuring out how to demonstrate and celebrate with safety in mind, with many emphasizing online programming. Some of the events below have gone digital, or a hybrid of digital and in-person events with safety protocols.
For more information, and to help plan safe celebrations: https://www.interpride.org/COVID- 19.html
Find Pride events in your community.
We continue the march toward justice and equity for our LGBTQ communities. CUPW has a long history of presence and support for Pride events. We’ve negotiated strong LGBTQ non-discrimination language, and we continue working to make CUPW more inclusive. No matter whom we love or how we identify, we all deserve to feel safe, respected and free to be who we are.
Here are just a few of the events that we can support:
- World Pride – June 27, https://www.interpride.org/
- Toronto Pride Month, https://www.pridetoronto.com/virt ualpride/
- Digital Pride Hamilton – June 14, https://pridehamilton.com
- Saskatoon Pride – third week in June, ca
- Pride New Brunswick (Moncton, Saint John, Fredericton joint event) – July 10-18, https://www.facebook.com/priden bfiertenb
- John’s – July 10- 19, stjohnspride.ca
- Halifax Pride – July 16- 26, com
- Pride PEI – July 26 – August 2, com/PridePEI
- Vancouver Pride – August 2, ca
- Montreal Pride – August 10- 16, com/
- Queen City Pride (Regina) – postponed to September, https://queencitypride.ca/
- Quebec City Pride – September 2020 edition cancelled, other events TBA ca/
- Pride Winnipeg – September 4- 13, http://pridewinnipeg.com/
- Capital Pride (Ottawa), capitalpride.ca
If your local is showing support, please email feedback@cupw- sttp.org so that it can be amplified – please attach your photos! – from the events. And remember to tag @cupw or @sttp in your tweets, and tag CUPW STTP on Facebook.
Pride is also an opportunity to intensify connections with all of our allies across equity groups. Equity struggles are not mutually exclusive. Let’s celebrate each other and accept no oppression of anyone!