June is Pride Month: Help Georgian celebrate
May 15, 2023
June marks the beginning of Pride season and there are many activities planned at Georgian and across our region to celebrate the rich history and contributions of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
We want to acknowledge that coming together for Pride is because of the historical and persistent marginalization of 2SLGBTQIA+ people. We encourage you —along with celebrating — to reflect, educate yourself, and demonstrate your support as an ally.
Please check back throughout the month; more events or resources may be added.
Activities at Georgian
The Pride Progress Flag will be raised at all campuses. Some campuses will also hold a flag-raising ceremony and host other activities. Colorful rainbow crosswalks will be installed at all of our campuses too!
Here are some campus-specific events all are welcome to attend.
Barrie Campus
- Raising of Pride Progress Flag: Wednesday, May 31, 9 a.m. at the Georgian Cenotaph; will be livestreamed on Instagram
- Button making: Tuesday, June 6, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside the library, K building (brought to you by the Georgian College Students’ Association – GCSA)
- Movie night – Love, Simon: Wednesday, June 14, 6 to 9 p.m. in Alumni Hall, K229 (brought to you by GCSA)
- Rainbow cookies and face painting: Tuesday, June 20, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the GCSA Lounge, first floor of C building (brought to you by GCSA)
Orangeville Campus
- Raising of Pride Progress Flag: Tuesday, June 13, noon at the flagpoles
Orillia Campus
- Raising of Pride Progress Flag: Thursday, June 1, 9 a.m., at the flagpoles
- Button making: Monday, June 5, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the cafeteria (brought to you by GCSA)
- Positive affirmations: Thursday, June 15, noon to 2 p.m. in the cafeteria (brought to you by GCSA)
- Colouring activity: Tuesday, June 20, 1 to 3 p.m. inside the cafeteria (brought to you by GCSA)
Owen Sound Campus
- Raising of Pride Progress Flag: Thursday, June 1, 10:30 a.m. at the flagpoles
Community events
This list isn’t exhaustive; we encourage you to look for other activities happening in your community:
- Barrie Pride Parade and Festival: Saturday, June 3 – register to take part via Microsoft Forms and contact the Centre for EDI&B if you have any questions
- Celebrate your Awesome in Orangeville: Saturday, June 17 – stop by the Georgian booth and say, “Hi!”
- Owen Sound Pride Parade and Vendor Street Fair: Saturday, June 17 – sign up to take part at the GCSA office (family and friends are welcome)
- Pride Collingwood: Thursday, July 13 to Sunday, July 16
- Pride Blue Mountain: Sunday, July 16
- Muskoka Pride: Sunday, July 30
History of Pride in Canada
Pride began as a protest, even here in Canada. Many people are familiar with the famous 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York, which marked a significant turning point in the fight for 2SLGBTQIA+ rights in America.
Not as many people know that Canada has its own Stonewall: On Feb. 5, 1981, police officers enacted what was known as “Operation Soap”. More than 150 officers raided four gay bathhouses in Toronto’s Village, arresting 286 2SLGBTQIA+ Canadians; it was the second largest mass arrest in Canadian history.
Massive protests took place in the weeks that followed and on March 6, 1981, Toronto held what it now considered to be its first Pride event (even famed Canadian author Margaret Atwood attended and spoke out against the persecution of 2SLGBTQIA+ people).
Although significant progress has been made in the fight for 2SLGBTQIA+ rights, it’s important to know that many 2SLGBTQIA+ people – both in Canada and around the world – continue to face significant levels of discrimination, abuse, and even violence.
Pride advocates for the continued advancement of human rights and inclusion of all 2SLGBTQIA+ people and commemorates those who have been lost to violence, prejudice and stigma.
What does 2SLGBTQIA+ stand for?
2SLGBTQIA+ stands for two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, additional sexual orientations and gender identities.
Community resources and support
Here are a few resources; this list isn’t exhaustive.
Local
- Barrie Pride
- Dr. Marissa Rodway-Norman (trans-identified psychiatrist; physician referral required)
- Express Aid Pharmacy (2SLGBTQIA+ friendly)
- Grey-Bruce Pride
- Muskoka Pride
- North Simcoe Muskoka Trans Health Services
- Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit – Sexual Health Clinics
- Simcoe Pride
- The Gilbert Centre
Outside our region
- 2-spirited People of the First Nations
- AIDS Committee of Toronto
- Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention
- Asian Community AIDS Service
- Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention
- Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
- Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange
- David Kelley Services
- Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere
- Friends of Ruby
- Hassle Free Clinic
- HIV/AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario
- Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
- Rainbow Health Ontario
- Salaam Canada
- Sheena’s Place
- Sherbourne Health Centre
- The 519 Community Centre
- Toronto People with AIDS Foundation
- Women and HIV/AIDS Initiative
- Women’s College Hospital – Transition-related Surgery program
- World Professional Association of Transgender Health
Crisis and phone support
- LGBT Youthline
- Sexual Health Infoline Ontario (not a crisis line)
- Trans Lifeline
Learning opportunities and allyship
Articles
- Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion Knowledge Repository
- History of Canadian Pride
- History of Pride in Canada
- History of the Pride Flag
- Pride in Canada
- The Story of… ‘Karma Chameleon’ by Culture Club
Videos (TED Talks and YouTube)
- Emily Quinn: The way we think about biological sex is wrong
- Emily Quinn: What I’ve learned from having balls
- Emily Quinn: What it Means to be Intersex
- iO Tillett Wright: Fifty shades of gay
- Jackson Bird: How to talk (and listen) to transgender people
- Jenni Chang and Lisa Dazols: This is what LGBT life is like around the world
- Kristie Overstreet: What doctors should know about gender identity
- Lee Mokobe: A powerful poem about what it feels like to be transgender
- LZ Granderson: The myth of the gay agenda
- Nicole Maines: The trans story includes you
- Norman Spack: How I help transgender teens become who they want to be
- Samy Nour Younes: A short history of trans people’s long fight for equality
- Susannah Temko: What it means to be intersex
- Tiq Milan and Kim Katrin Milan: A queer vision of love and marriage
- WHAT IS INTERSEX?
- Yoruba Richen: What the gay rights movement learned from the civil rights movement
Georgian also created an email signature and Microsoft Teams backgrounds that employees can download for use.