Pride Month, Queer Joy, and 2SLGBTQIA+ (In)Visibility
Pride Month in Canada is a vibrant celebration of diversity, inclusivity, and the ongoing fight for 2SLGBTQIA+ rights. Throughout June, cities and towns across the country burst into a spectrum of rainbow colors, hosting parades, events, and discussions that highlight the struggles and triumphs of both local and broader queer communities.
Canada has long been considered a global leader in 2SLGBTQIA+ rights. In 1969, the country took a significant step forward with the partial decriminalization of homosexuality, paving the way for greater acceptance and legal protections. Since then, milestones such as the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2005 and the passing of comprehensive federal protections against discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation have solidified Canada's reputation as a place of relative equality. The unending work of queer activists and human rights allies needs to be recognized for each of these movements forward, as the challenge in getting politicians, community leaders, and the general public to care about and support 2SLGBTQIA+ rights and protections has never been painless or uncomplicated. A more detailed picture of some of Canada’s queer history can be found at the Edmonton Queer History Project.
Beyond festivities, Pride Month serves as a reminder of the work still needed to achieve full equality. Issues such as transgender rights, access to healthcare, and combating discrimination in schools and workplaces remain at the forefront of the 2SLGBTQIA+ rights agenda. Activists continue to push for legislative reforms and social acceptance, ensuring that Canada remains a country where everyone can live openly and authentically.
Image extract from the Building Utopia zine.
During December 2023’s Ignite Change Global Convention (a ten-day online commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the signing of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights hosted by the JHC and partners), queer movers and shakers came together and shared some of the most impressive successes and pressing challenges facing 2SLGBTQIA+ folks, including the adoption of “rainbow terminology” in everyday speech, the use of the arts in nurturing visible queer identities, the insidious presence of transmisogyny and transphobia in both public and ostensibly “safe” spaces, and, perhaps most prominently, the significance of defining and celebrating Queer Joy in all areas of life. This sense of joy, in particular, was succinctly put by the day’s keynote speaker, equity champion Jack Saddleback:
“Continue holding on to that stubborn joy! Continue holding on to that because no one can take that away from you…Everyone here who is listening to this conversation [know that] you are going to go and spread joy, that you are going to go and spread love, and that you are parts of being that larger conversation of being good ancestors for those who are living right now and those who are yet to be born.”
Pride is not just a celebration, but a testament to resilience, progress, and the ongoing pursuit of equality. It stands as a reminder that while much has been achieved, there is still important work ahead to create a more inclusive and accepting society for all.
Ignite Change Day 5 presentation playlist
Click on the + to the right to expand each presentation and access the YouTube recording.
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Adebayo Katiiti shared the compelling story of his own experiences as a Black Trans Leader in Alberta through his documentary, Unpacking Black Trans Legacy, highlighting the challenges he faced, including silencing and imprisonment due to his gender identity.
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This session discusses Brave Spaces, the 4 As of Allyship, and become familiar with the 2SLGBTQIA+ acronym & rainbow terminology.
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Queer history advocate and founder of the NL Queer Research Initiative, Sarah Worthman, discusses her recent research exploration into the lives queer individuals during the First World War.
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Les personnes de la diversité sexuelle et de genre sont persécutées dans de nombreux pays où les États criminalisent l’expression de leur identité de genre et orientation sexuelle. Ces personnes vivent avec des risques et des enjeux pour leurs vies et leurs sécurités à cause des nombreuses menaces auxquelles elles font face. Alors pour protéger leurs vies et celles de leurs partenaires, ces personnes s’engagent dans le long périple fuyant leur pays d’origine et pour s'installer dans un pays sécuritaire.
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Fae Johnstone and Jack Saddleback engage in a fireside chat about the realities, barriers and opportunities the advancement of 2STQLGBIA+ rights.
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DeleteHate is an education program designed for schools, staff, their support systems and the community and focuses on the issues of diversity, inclusion and hate/bias, and provides valuable skill development and tools that can be put to use immediately.
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In this session, storytelling helps paint a reality of the experiences of 2STQLGBIA+ individuals with police and how these engagements have caused harm. The discussion moves to reflecting on how to remedy the harm and create space for joy and healing; the anecdote of anti-oppression.
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The accessibility of supports and services within non-profit and frontline agencies can often be unsafe and/or non-transinclusive. In this session, discussants from Edmonton-based 2SLGBTQIA+reflect advocacy organization RaricaNOW! on how transphobia and cisnormativity show up in frontline agencies, share their experiences of accessing services, and reflect on ways in which organizations may unknowingly create barriers and harm to the trans community.
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This session involves walking through case studies of how Edmonton’s Queer History Project, the Mustard Seed’s Social Issue Walks, and the YEG Dignity Project literally put people in the shoes and stories of the those they help, via digital experiences overlaid over physical public space.
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Resilience has been a longstanding element of 2STQLGBIA+ activism, but ingrained in that resilience has also been a longstanding history of joy. With community builders from across Canada speaking to their lived experiences, this panel from the Council of Alberta University Students seeks to both look at what queer resilience means, and to go beyond survival, and explore what queer joy looks like in 2023.
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What is queer joy, and how can we share it? Join our creative space as we learn about zine history and the role of zines in 2SLGBTQ+ community activism, before trying your hand at making a zine for yourself!