Events Calendar
Pride Month
During June we celebrate the 2SLGBTQ+ community, which includes individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and two-spirit as well as a range of other gender and sexual identities.
During Pride month, thousands of people from all over the world paint the town in rainbow colours.
Pride month is held annually in honour of the Stonewall riots, which took place in New York City in June 1969. These riots occurred at the Stonewall Inn, which was a queer friendly establishment. After several police raids, folks began to riot outside the Stonewall Inn. These riots are considered the turning point in the 2SLGBTQ+ history and are credited with opening the door to equal rights and opportunity for 2SLGBTQ+ individuals.
The first Pride celebration held in Toronto was just three years after the Stonewall Riots, and was a fairly modest affair — a picnic on the Toronto Islands. Within a few years, thousands were attending the annual Gay Pride parade, and by 2011 more than 1.2 million attended Pride Toronto.
A lot has happened in the years since the Stonewall Riots. The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (2SLGBTQ+) community in Canada has made major strides toward mainstream acceptance and legal equality, with notable progress in health care, the right to adopt, and the right to marry. In addition, 2SLGBTQ+ artists have risen to the forefront of contemporary culture, from literature and the visual arts to theatre and film. Despite the work that has been done, there is much more work to do.
Celebrate Pride Month!
