In June, as we gather across Ontario in municipalities in recognition of two-spirited, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex equality, I wish to extend a happy Pride Month to all those community members and all Ontarians who embrace and strive for acceptance and love in the name of human rights.

The overall story of Pride in our province and nation is one of progress, resilience and advocacy. The first official Pride parade in Canada took place in Toronto in 1981, known then as “Toronto gay pride day.” It started as a modest gathering of 1,500 brave individuals who showed up to demand basic human rights and respect.

Over the years, this tiny, Toronto-based pride day has now grown in size and significance. Today, Pride is now one month long, and Pride Toronto’s marquee Sunday march is now the largest one in the world, outranking the heavyweights of São Paulo, Madrid, New York City, Berlin and London, UK.

If the government wants to grow social cohesion, equality, the creative class, jobs, tourism and the GDP, then I suggest that this House gets behind immediately reinstating Pride Toronto’s full funding and then properly funding every single local Pride in Ontario.

Speaker, I would be remiss in my remarks today if I did not mention that I’m a proud member of the 2SLGBTQI community. I benefit from the hard work of those who came before me, including Rev. Cheri DiNovo, United Church minister and former member of provincial Parliament for Parkdale–High Park.

Under her leadership, the Ontario NDP passed into law more pro-2SLGBTQI legislation than any other party in Canadian history, including Toby’s Act, which added trans rights to the Ontario Human Rights Code in 2012; the Affirming Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Act, which banned conversion therapy for youth in 2015; Cy and Ruby’s Act, which established parental equality for 2SLGBTQI parents in 2015, which meant that I did not have to adopt my son when my wife gave birth to him, which would have been a demeaning and laborious task; and of course, the Trans Day of Remembrance Act in 2017.

Yet, despite these important gains, Pride is starting to look and feel a little bit different this year. We’ve seen an escalating rise of hate and vitriol being directed at our community members, specifically the trans community and drag artists. Religious fundamentalists and right-wing extremists, many of whom share white supremacist tendencies and values, are showing up at libraries, schools, restaurants, municipal councils and places of worship. Pride celebrations and LGBT communities are seeing the costs of security, as well as insurance, rise, largely due to those threats.

A small minority of publicly funded Catholic school boards are now refusing to fly the rainbow flag, despite having done so in previous years. This is why I’m so proud today that we are joined by 20 clergy members and Christian faith leaders who are representing 500 more who are not here today. From right across Ontario, they represent the five-largest mainline churches: the United Church and Anglican, Presbyterian, Baptist and Lutheran churches. They represent 70 municipalities in Ontario, from Toronto to Marathon, Sarnia to Ottawa, who have signed a unity statement calling for love and acceptance, calling for the affirmation of the 2SLGBT community, calling upon our House and this government to raise the rainbow flag across every single publicly funded school in Ontario. I thank them for taking the time to speak up. I thank them for being here today, asking us to do better, compelling us to uphold our obligations in the act that binds education and the Accepting Schools Act. I thank them for all their hard work.

I recognize that it’s not just the 2SLGBTQIA community that is under attack, Speaker. I recognize that Muslim and Jewish communities are also under attack. We’ve seen right here in Ontario the dark rise of hatred. We’ve seen that they’re targeting these religious as well as 2SLGBT minorities. We recognize that, in 2021, there was a 67% increase in incidents linked to hate towards a person’s religion and that, in Ontario, an over 107% rise in hate crimes against sexual orientation.

Pride Month should be joyful and we will continue to hold onto that. We are never going to let that go. I want us to rise and fight for human rights together. I want us to be able to understand that every single human being should have dignity and respect. Let’s stay united against hatred and bigotry. Let us be courageous in our advocacy to ensure that all Canadians can live free from hatred and discrimination.

Happy Pride Month, Speaker.