City of Toronto Raises Progress Pride Flag for Pride Month – City of Toronto

News Notice

June 1, 2023

Today, Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park) officially declared Toronto Pride Month and raised the Toronto City Hall Progress Pride flag for June.

The Deputy Mayor was joined by Toronto City Council members, Grandmother Dorothy Peters, Jiima’aaganing (Seine River) First Nation, Grant Gonzales, Co-Chair of the Board, Pride Toronto and Sherwin Modeste, Executive Director of Pride Toronto.

Also earlier today, the City of Toronto held its first Pride flag raising ceremonies at Mel Lastman Square at the North York Civic Center led by Councilor Mike Colle (Eglinton-Lawrence), Albert Campbell Square at the Scarborough Civic Center led by Councilor Paul Ainslie (Scarborough-Guildwood), and at the Etobicoke Civic Center led by Councilor Amber Morley (Etobicoke-Lakeshore). The Progres Pride flag is being flown today in all civic centers to kick off Pride Month.

The city encourages residents, businesses and visitors to participate in one of the largest Pride festivals in the world. The 2023 Toronto Pride Festival runs from today until Sunday, June 25, culminating in a Pride Parade that honors the history of Pride, highlighting Toronto’s talent and inspiring community. The annual cultural event is a vibrant celebration of Toronto’s diverse 2SLGBTQ+ communities.

This evening, Toronto’s sign at Nathan Phillips Square will be lit up in rainbow colors to mark the beginning of Pride Month.

Additional programming during Pride Month includes:

Artist Mentoring Exhibit at the Toronto History Museums
Museum visitors are invited to consider self-identity and reclaiming ownership with an exhibition of visual artworks at the Toronto History Museums that disrupts, reveals and displays the narratives of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. The exhibition is led by acclaimed curator and creative director Ashley McKenzie-Barnes, who led a group of 10 emerging and mid-career Indigenous artists who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Color in a 12-month mentorship program . Participating artists were given the freedom to create self-directed works, resulting in a collection of unique and diverse works. These artists specialize in contemporary art, design and interdisciplinary practices and respond to anti-colonialism, anti-oppression and anti-racism. Each project highlights the diverse perspectives and experiences of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. More information is available on the Citys Artist Mentorship Showcase website.

The city is grateful for the support of sponsor TD Bank Group, partner Pride Toronto and media partner 106.5 ELMNT FM Toronto.

Write for Pride in the Market Gallery
In this workshop, explore through journaling what it means to embrace who we are, express our heart’s desires, and honor our bodies as the whole, loving, creative beings we truly are. Write for Pride is run by Jenn Forgie (www.jennforgie.com) and pre-registration is required. Contact [email protected] or 416-396-2819 to register and pay what you can at the workshop location: Market Gallery, 95 Front Street East (St. Lawrence Market), 2nd Floor on the 28th and 29th June, from 5 to 7 pm.

(Oor) ​​exhibition by Queer Tamil Collective at Scarborough Museum
Running from June 11, 2023 to January 31, 2024, this exhibition explores the issue of belonging as we confront the fractures of displacement through war, colonialism, caste violence, and queerphobia. Through a careful selection of sculptures, textiles, paintings, portraits, and videos, 12 Queer Tamil artists from around the world remember and revisit their complex histories while reimagining new possibilities of resistance in the face of growing bigotry and intolerance in hopes of carving out a new place of belonging that transcends binaries, borders, space and time.

The Deputy Mayor’s statement and more information about the City’s Pride Month celebrations are available on the City’s website: www.toronto.ca/city-government/awards-tributes/tributes/flag-raising-half-masting/pride -month/. Details about the Pride Parade and next Pride month are available online.

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Pride represents the things we hold most dear as Torontonians, the right to be treated with respect and dignity, to be accepted and included, to be heard and valued, and to celebrate who we are no matter what from our sexual orientation and gender identity. In raising the Progress Pride flag at City Hall and civic centers across the city, we provide a strong and visible reminder of these fundamental rights and values ​​that make Toronto one of the most livable cities in the world. I look forward to Pride Festival 2023, marching in the Pride Parade and supporting the many businesses, artists and leaders from the 2SLGBTQ+ communities who take center stage this month.
Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park)

With a 64 percent increase in hate crimes targeting sexual orientation between 2020 and 2021, and continued hate towards transgender people and queer artists, our work to combat discrimination, hatred and violence against 2SLGBTQI+ people is far from over. Pride Month is such an essential part of the 2SLGBTQI+ communities here in Toronto and beyond, as an active symbol of our resilience, determination and fear against those who would threaten our safety and treat us as less than human.
Grant Gonzales, Co-Chair of the Board, Pride Toronto

Toronto is home to more than three million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city the leading economic engine in Canada and one of the most diverse and livable cities in the world. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently ranks at the top of international rankings due to investment supported by government, residents and businesses. her. For more information visit City website or follow us I tweet, Instagram OR Facebook.