It’s so important for us to stand with and celebrate our diverse 2SLGBTQIA+ communities all year round, and we know we‘re better off when we come together to affirm everyone’s experiences and identities.
That’s what made Pride celebrations in Prescott-Russell, Ottawa, Lanark County, and Renfrew County so special this year. At United Way East Ontario, we believe everyone in our region deserves to be heard, included, supported, and celebrated for who they are. It was inspiring to see such strong community-wide support wherever our staff and volunteers showed up this summer.
We kicked the Pride season off in Smiths Falls on June 6, with the town’s flag raising ceremony and Pink Pony Pride street party put on by Smiths Falls Pride.
Next, we visited Russell Town Hall on June 7 for Prescott-Russell’s Pride flag raising, thanks to the Prescott-Russell LGBTQ Allies Group. We helped run a food table at the event and it was great to connect with so many community members.
We then headed west to support the 4th Annual Pride Picnic in the Town of Renfrew, put on by Renfrew Pride, on June 14.
We sponsored those three regional events before capping off the month with a special Community Builder Award surprise for Yves Brunet during Capital Rainbow Refuge’s Annual General Meeting.
Watch Yves’ interview about his CBA on CTV Morning Live.
Yves is an incredible person and leader in the local 2SLGBTQIA+ community. He has dedicated more than a decade of his life to volunteering to support 2SLGBTQIA+ refugees seeking safety and acceptance in Canada. His warm and nurturing personality shines through in his role as a mentor within various sponsorship groups connected to Capital Rainbow Refuge.
Finally, we closed out the summer by showing up to this year’s Capital Pride Parade in Ottawa on August 24.
We are so proud to work with partners across our region to support 2SLGBTQIA+ communities in meeting their diverse needs: organizations like Ten Oaks Project, the Ottawa Senior Pride Network, Family Services organizations, PFLAG, and many others.
We continue to be a loud voice in support of, and alongside, the 2SLGBTQIA+ community through advocacy and storytelling.
For more on United Way’s continuous work in this space, please visit our Equity and Reconciliation page.
