Latest news with #2SLGBTQ
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Pride Toronto says it's lost 2 more sponsors ahead of annual 2SLGBTQ+ festival
Pride Toronto says it has lost two more sponsors of its annual 2SLGBTQ+ festival beginning in June, while another sponsor has reduced its financial support. Home Depot and Google have told the non-profit organization they will no longer be sponsors of the Pride festival in Toronto this year, while pharmaceutical company Merck Canada said it will reduce its contribution, according to Kojo Modeste, executive director of Pride Toronto. Modeste said the loss of support will have a "significant impact" on how the organization will be able to deliver the festival. Pride Toronto has commitments with more than 300 artists, most of whom are Canadian. But Modeste added that the Pride festival will not be any smaller. "It is sad," Modeste said on Thursday. "We were relying heavily on a lot of these sponsors that have been showing up year after year. It is sad not just for us as an organization, but the artists and the community that look forward to everything that Pride has to offer." Pride Toronto amplifies the 2SLGBTQ+ community through its festival, but "this is bringing us back," Modeste said. Home Deport confirmed to CBC Toronto that it has withdrawn its sponsorship. Google has not responded to requests for comment. In a statement on Thursday, Home Depot said: "We work with an extensive network of non-profits made up of thousands of local and national organizations to amplify our support to the communities we serve. We continually review our non-profit giving and decided not to contribute to this event this year with no agreement in place to do so. "We continue to participate in Pride activities throughout Canada and look forward to working with Toronto Pride on future opportunities." 'We need resources at this point': executive director In an email on Friday, Merck Canada said it cannot comment on its sponsorship of Pride Toronto "as discussions with the organization are still ongoing." Modeste said the organization plans to appeal to individuals who may be able to donate, Canadian companies that support the 2SLGBTQ+ community, and the provincial and federal governments. "Let's talk because we need resources at this point," Modeste said. Modeste said other sponsors, namely Nissan Canada and Adidas, have also not renewed their sponsorships, while The Abnormal Beauty Company and Tim Hortons have lowered their contribution amounts. In a statement on Thursday, Nissan Canada said the decision was based on its marketing priorities and a budget evaluation for the new fiscal year that began April 1. "Nissan Canada has been a proud sponsor of Pride Toronto for 2023 and 2024, among other external and internal initiatives. Unfortunately, we will not be able to sponsor this year's event in Toronto, a local decision solely due to a reevaluation of all our marketing and media activations in a variety of activities to ensure we will efficiently support our new product launches and marketing campaigns coming in 2025," Nissan Canada said. "We look forward to finding new opportunities to collaborate and contribute in the future." In February, Pride Toronto said three large corporate sponsors pulled their funding from the festival this year in a move Modeste said at the time was connected to a backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in the U.S. Modeste did not name the sponsors who withdrew at the time because Pride Toronto was hoping to do business with them in the future. Artin Avaznia, a solo dance artist who is producing a event called Underground Pride at the Drake Hotel Underground on June 28, said when sponsors pull out, it creates fewer opportunities for artists such as himself. He said he thinks the sponsors who dropped out were likely more interested in highlighting themselves than amplifying queer voices and visibility. "We're a very resilient community. A lot of us have had to deal with very real life scenarios, whether it's rejection from friends, family, dealing with a lot of housing issues, addiction issues. But we always rise." "So they could pull out their money, but... that won't erase our impact on culture." Festival will highlight transgender, non-binary community Modeste said the festival will go on, urging members of the public to come and show their support. "We do have a plan in place. So I would say to folks, don't be worried," Modeste said. "I believe we're going to survive. The 2SLGBTQ+ community has been in worse positions and we did not stay there. I believe Canadians will come forward and will show up for Pride Toronto and other Prides across Canada who are feeling the heat of of the backlash." Pride Month, which kicks off June 1 in Toronto, will highlight the transgender and non-binary community. The theme of the Pride Toronto festival this year is "All In." On its website, the organization says the theme is "a call to come together to stand together in unshakable solidarity. It's a promise to show up for one another every single day, united in our fight for a future where everyone can live unapologetically as they are."
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Conservative activists gave Alberta government list of ‘inappropriate' books in school libraries
Social conservative activist groups provided Alberta government officials with lists of books now facing prohibition under new provincial content guidelines for school libraries, the IJF has learned. On May 26, Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides announced the province is bringing in new rules for school libraries after investigations by his office found materials containing depictions of sexual acts, nudity, drug and alcohol use, profanity and other mature content on the shelves in Alberta K-12 schools. Alberta currently has voluntary guidelines for library books, but school boards follow their own processes for selecting age-appropriate and relevant materials for students. Because of the inconsistent standards between school divisions, 'sexually explicit material has made their way onto school library shelves,' Nicolaides said, and so public, separate, francophone, charter and independent schools will be required to follow province-wide guidelines starting in the 2025-26 school year. While the province said it identified multiple books with sexually explicit and inappropriate content, it has so far only named four coming-of-age graphic novels: Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe, Fun Home by Alison Bechdel, Blankets by Craig Thompson and Flamer by Mike Curato. Three of the four books focus on 2SLGBTQ+ characters and themes. Nicolaides told reporters in Calgary on Monday he was alerted to the issue by a group of parents who provided him with excerpts from 'many of these books and other materials' and showed him information suggesting they were available in different schools. However, members of the groups Parents for Choice in Education (PCE) and Action4Canada have since taken credit for supplying Nicolaides with the names of books they wanted removed from school libraries. In an email sent to followers, PCE celebrated the launch of Alberta's public consultation on 'sexually explicit' books in K-9 schools, telling members 'your efforts helped make this happen. 'PCE has worked with concerned parents for the past two years to expose this issue. Using a list prepared by Action4Canada, one of our dedicated volunteers submitted examples of graphic books to government officials—proof that titles like Gender Queer and Fun Home are available to children in Alberta schools. This consultation is a direct result of that work,' the email newsletter reads. PCE is an Alberta-based parental rights group that has previously taken issue with sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) education in schools , gay-straight alliance laws and other 2SLGBTQ-related policies. Action4Canada is a conservative Christian group with more than 60 chapters across Canada. The group promotes deeply conspiratorial beliefs, claiming the Canadian government and education system have been ' infiltrated by radical LGBTQ activists ' and that SOGI education and sexually explicit books are part of a ' global agenda to sexualize children, interfere with parental rights, eliminate the natural family and normalize pedophilia.' After Alberta announced its new library guidelines on Monday, Action4Canada posted on its website , thanking Nicolaides for meeting with their team and responding to their concerns about sexually explicit materials in Alberta schools. In the post, the group said its Calgary chapter has been communicating with government officials over several months, providing evidence of inappropriate books in schools and a 'comprehensive binder' that outlines supposed harms of SOGI education. Nicolaides told the IJF in an email he met with PCE and 'other concerned parents.' He did not respond to questions about whether he met separately with Action4Canada or when these meetings took place. Action4Canada has led campaigns to have sexual education and 2SLGBTQ+ themed books removed from public and school libraries in several provinces. A 36-page list of 'sexually explicit and pornographic books' available in Canadian libraries published by the group includes the novels Gender Queer and Fun Home. The list includes excerpts of text and images from the novels. Many of the same excerpts are found in a document the government of Alberta provided to reporters on Monday showing examples of sexually explicit and graphic content found in library materials. Corinne Mason, professor of women's and gender studies at Mount Royal University, said Nicolaides' initial claim that complaints about school library books had come from parents concerned about books their kids had access to in schools is a 'total misrepresentation of the facts.' 'It's a blatant lie from the minister about what's happened,' they said. Both Action4Canada and PCE are highly organized and well-funded lobby organizations, Mason said. And in the case of PCE, one with strong ties to the UCP government and Alberta's conservative movement. PCE executive director John Hilton-O'Brien was a founding board member and past president of the Wildrose Party of Alberta . During the 2022 UCP leadership race, Danielle Smith and other candidates participated in a forum on education hosted by PCE. Mason said that Action4Canada's campaigns have targeted 2SLGBTQ+ communities as ideological indoctrinators and dangerous to children in a time when the community is being violently harassed by hateful actors as pedophiles and groomers. And that it's problematic if the UCP government has been looking to them for frameworks around what is and isn't appropriate in schools. 'The fact that Parents for Choice in Education and Action4Canada, both of those organizations claim this as a win, I think that should be really, really concerning for folks like myself, who are very concerned about the influence of the parental rights movement generally in Alberta,' Mason said Nicolaides said in an email the actions being taken by the UCP government have nothing to do with the LGBTQ+ community. 'The fact that our actions of protecting young students from seeing porn, child molestation, self-harm and other sexual material in school libraries are being labelled as anti-LGBTQ is frankly irresponsible,' he said. Alberta Teachers' Association President Jason Schilling also expressed concern that the government was willing to meet with special interest groups about library materials, but not educators. 'Parents for Choice in Education and Action4Canada are special interest groups who frequently target the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Their claims that the provincial government is taking direction from them and not educators is questionable and alarming,' Schilling said. PCE told the IJF that its interest 'is in the reasonable rights of parents. Nobody who attacks those rights can expect to escape our criticism. Those claiming that we are discriminating against them are merely using the LGBTQ+ community to excuse their egregious actions.' Edmonton Public Schools, the Calgary Board of Education , and the Library Association of Alberta have all said the province hadn't contacted them about the issue of age-inappropriate books in libraries before Monday's announcement. All provinces provide general orientations about library content, but it remains the business of school boards to decide what books it uses, said James L. Turk, director of the Centre for Free Expression at Toronto Metropolitan University. Setting guidelines that block certain types of books from being in any school libraries is 'really unprecedented,' he said. 'What they're doing is censoring books,' Turk said. 'It's an absolute break from whatever any other province has done. It's following the lead of Florida and Texas and Utah and some American states that are moving in this direction.' The Florida Department of Education has removed over 700 books from K-12 school libraries. The agency maintains that no books have been banned in the state and the materials are 'sexually explicit' and don't belong in schools. The number of banned books in Florida spiked after a 2023 law was passed requiring school districts to have a policy for challenging materials that 'depicts or describes sexual conduct, is not suited to student needs and their ability to comprehend the material presented, or is inappropriate for the grade level and age group for which the material is used.' The four books named by Alberta's government have been frequently targeted by censors throughout North America. Gender Queer has the distinction of being the most banned book in the U.S. in 2021 and 2023 , and the graphic novel shared the title of the most banned book in U.S. schools in 2022 with Curato's Flamer. These novels have also received multiple literary awards and continue to be selected for library catalogues by educators because of their ability to grapple with difficult subjects young adults are coping with in their lives, Turk said. 'They do raise challenging issues, but young adults deal with challenging things in their lives, and nobody is forcing anyone to read any of these books when they're in school libraries,' he said. Turk said these books may have been found in K-9 schools in Alberta because for students in grade nine and up they are appropriate. He added that he would be surprised if they appeared in the library catalogues of elementary schools. Nicolaides told the IJF these materials were found in schools across the province, but said they are not naming the individual schools to ensure the safety and security of teachers, staff and students at these libraries. The only specific school that has been identified as part of the province's investigation is an Edmonton public school for students in grades 4-9. Garrett Koehler, press secretary to the minister of education, shared images on social media of Flamer and Gender Queer on the shelves of the school, commenting 'these problematic books were found in and around books like Goldilocks…' Gender Queer has been awarded the American Library Association's Alex Award, given to books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 to 18. The Government of Alberta's press release for its age-appropriate book guidelines policy states the recommended reading age for Flamer is 14 and up, or younger with adult guidance.
Cision Canada
5 days ago
- Business
- Cision Canada
IKEA Canada renews partnership with Rainbow Railroad to support at-risk LGBTQI+ individuals for a second year Français
This year, IKEA Canada will donate up to $200,000 from the proceeds of its Rainbow Cake, available in stores nationwide from June 1 to July 31, 2025. Every purchase of this colourful dessert directly supports Rainbow Railroad's lifesaving efforts, helping approximately 300 LGBTQI+ individuals find safety and resettle in Canada—more than twice the number typically supported in a single year. "Our vision at IKEA is to create a better everyday life for the many people – a vision that holds even greater significance today," says Selwyn Crittendon, CEO & CSO, IKEA Canada. "Supporting the 2SLGBTQ+ community is deeply rooted in our values. The Rainbow Cake initiative reflects our belief that everyone deserves to feel safe, respected and truly at home in every aspect of their lives. Pride is not just a moment; it's a movement, and we're proud to stand as allies every day of the year." Through this partnership and others, IKEA Canada continues to be a vocal advocate for those facing persecution for simply being who they are. Over 70 countries still criminalize same-sex relationships, and in many, LGBTQI+ people are targets of violence and exclusion at home, at work, and in their communities. "We are proud to continue our partnership with IKEA Canada during this Pride season," says Scott Ferguson, Director of Corporate Partnerships at Rainbow Railroad. "Thanks to the leadership of IKEA and the generosity of Canadians, we are helping more LGBTQI+ individuals than ever before escape dangerous situations and begin new lives where they can live freely and authentically." In recognition of IKEA Canada's long-standing commitment to 2SLGBTQ+ inclusion and the strength of this partnership, the collaboration with Rainbow Railroad has been recognized with North American honours, reaffirming the impact of aligning purpose with action. "Rainbow Railroad's mission to support people fleeing anti-LGBTQI+ violence closely aligns with IKEA Canada's ongoing efforts to welcome and support refugees and newcomers," says John Williams, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Leader, IKEA Canada. "Together, we have a great opportunity to create meaningful change in local communities and help build a more inclusive and compassionate Canada." This year, IKEA Canada will continue championing everyday allyship of the 2SLGBTQ+ community by: Raising the Progress Pride Flag at all stores across Canada on International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT); Sponsoring and participating in Pride parades in cities across Canada; Partnering with Pride at Work Canada and the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion to foster inclusion and intersectional education in the workplace; Donating $40,000 to local 2SLGBTQ+ organizations across Canada within the communities in which we serve; Providing safe spaces where co-workers can be themselves and support one another through internal forums such as the Rainbow Connections Co-worker Resource Group; Encouraging customers to take part by supporting purpose-driven campaigns, such as the Rainbow Cake. To learn more about how to support this initiative or get involved, visit: ABOUT RAINBOW RAILROAD Rainbow Railroad is an international non-profit organization with headquarters in New York and Toronto dedicated to helping LGBTQI+ people escape state-sponsored violence and persecution. Since its founding in 2006, the organization has helped more than 20,000 LGBTQI+ individuals find safety through emergency relocation, crisis response, cash assistance, and other forms of support. Rainbow Railroad is a registered Canadian charity and 501(c)(3) organization in the United States. For more information, visit ABOUT IKEA CANADA Founded in 1943 in Sweden, IKEA is a leading home furnishing retailer, offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible can afford them. IKEA Canada is part of Ingka Group which operates 574 IKEA stores, shops and planning studios in 31 countries, including 16 in Canada. Last year, IKEA Canada welcomed 32.6 million visitors to its stores and 162.6 million visitors to IKEA Canada operates business through the IKEA vision - to create a better everyday life for the many people and does so through its local community efforts and sustainability initiatives. For more information on IKEA Canada, please visit
CBC
6 days ago
- General
- CBC
First St. Margaret's Bay Pride festival aims to connect 2SLGBTQ+ people and fight hate
Social Sharing What began as a small group of friends looking to connect 2SLGBTQ+ people in their community has turned into a 15-person organizing committee for St. Margaret's Bay Pride's first festival. The Pride organization was formed earlier in 2025 and serves communities in the St. Margarets Bay area just outside Halifax. "One of the things that we've noticed since living here is that there isn't a lot of visibility around 2SLGBTQ Pride," said Tania Cheng, one of the organizers, who moved to the area about four years ago and previously lived in Toronto. "Especially in rural areas … folks can feel potentially more isolated." Cheng, along with their wife and friends, wanted to change that. The new Pride organization has been inviting businesses and groups in the St. Margarets Bay area to be involved in the Pride festival. They've received many positive responses, said Cheng. "It just goes to show that there is a need and an interest for this here." More than a dozen events are planned for June and July, with most being free and family-friendly. A trail walk to the Hubbards Barn, which will host a picnic and market, will close out the festival on July 26. The organization is being supported by the Rural Communities Foundation of Nova Scotia, a registered charity that recently launched a Rural Pride Fund. The fund allows new Pride groups that are not formally incorporated to receive individual donations and sponsorships through the foundation, without the need to try to administer the money themselves. "That introduces a lot of extra challenges," said Erika Rolston, executive director of the foundation. As examples, she pointed to questions around whose bank account money would sit in, or potential issues with the Canada Revenue Agency. "This helps put some of that infrastructure in place so that those … groups can just set about the business of organizing the Pride activities," said Rolston, who is also queer. "Ideally, it will give … organizers sort of the breathing space to build the momentum that they need to in their community activities." Rolston said the goal is for organizations to eventually become incorporated, with the fund serving as a support in the early stages. For Cheng, fighting escalating hate toward queer and trans communities is another reason to do the work of starting a Pride organization and staging events. "St. Margarets Bay … can be a welcoming and inclusive place for folks to live," she said.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Groups cut ties with Fierté Montréal, say organization no longer represents them
A growing number of 2SLGBTQ+ groups in Quebec are cutting ties with Fierté Montréal, saying the organization behind Montreal's annual Pride festival has lost its way. In an open letter obtained by CBC, 10 organizations representing queer and lesbian groups in Quebec criticized Fierté Montréal, saying it no longer represents them and its practices are unacceptable. The signatories of the letter, which was written in French, say that Fierté Montréal bills itself as a unifying and festive event, meant to champion the struggles and voices of the 2SLGBTQ+ community but they feel "unheard, used and underpaid." They also say Fierté Montréal prioritizes image over activism and the interest of sponsors over those of the 2SLGBTQ+communities. "We think that Fierté is a festival that caters towards corporations, that caters towards corporate greed and doesn't cater towards queer communities and queer people," Halem Montréal board member Yara Coussa, one of the letter's signatories, told CBC News in an interview. The people behind the letter also accuse Fierté Montréal management of racism, sexism and creating a toxic culture and are calling for structural changes within the organization. In an interview with Radio-Canada, Simon Gamache, Fierté Montréal's executive director, said the organization was saddened by the accusations and treating the accusations very seriously. He said an internal investigation, in which he isn't personally involved, is underway. He also said the board of directors is committed to putting in place a process for handling complaints, be they related to behaviours taking place between artists participating in the festival or between artists and Fierté Montréal. Gamache said the hope is to have a system in place by September with the help of third parties that can offer "an external perspective and make recommendations." Nonetheless, the groups who signed the letter say that Fierté Montréal isn't doing enough for the community. "They are probably the richest queer organization in the city if not the province and yet they're not providing support and services to queer people that are actually asking for it," Coussa said. "So at some point you have to wonder: who are they catering to?" As an example, the signatories of the letter point to an event that used to be by invite only and exclusive to members of the community. Now, it has an entry fee. Carolina Montrose, founder and producer of DISCOÑO events, said the VIP area called VIQ — for very important queer — provided community members with a free opportunity to network. "Now, it's if you can afford that, you have that special space. And I don't think [paid] VIP areas have a place in a festival that is for marginalized communities," she said. Coussa agreed, saying it went against everything they've been working toward. "It's anti accessibility, anti-inclusion, anti-everything. And, and it just makes me wonder, is the only goal to make money here?" Coussa said. In defence of his organization and its relationship with corporate sponsors, Gamache said "we don't just happily take the money if the business comes to us and wants to work with us." "We make sure that the company has the same values as us. The first value is to advance the rights of LGBT communities and not go backwards," he said, adding that those sponsors have access to mermbership but they don't have elective powers. "Voting organizations are LGBTQ+ community organizations; they are the ones who can decide what happens at the general assembly; they are the ones who will elect the board of directors," Gamache said. Meanwhile, however, a new group is planning a festival of its own called Wild Pride as an alternative. Organizers for that event are aiming for it to take place in August.
