Toronto officials raise Progress Pride flag at city hall to kick off month of festivities
Flag raising comes after Pride Toronto reported 2 sponsors withdrew their sponsorship of festival
Toronto officials raised the Progress Pride flag at city hall on Monday to kick off a month of festivities celebrating the city's 2SLGBTQ+ community.
Mayor Olivia Chow said it's more important than ever to support Toronto's 2SLGBTQ+ community. Chow was joined by Coun. Chris Moise, chair of the Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Advisory Committee, and city staff.
"It's not a choice. It is who we are. It's in the city's DNA that we will always support the LGBTQ community," Chow said in an interview after the flag-raising.
"We know that when we come together, we're stronger. We will not be divided and we'll stand shoulder to shoulder with the community and supporting it every way. I invite all Torontonians to enjoy Pride Month."
Those involved, including drag performer Sanjina DaBish Queen, said Pride started as a protest and it's important to support the transgender community.
"The light just needs to be on trans people right now. It does. We're very important to the community. We're important to this world. And we just want to live. We just want to breathe."
Pride Toronto recently reported two of its largest sponsors, Home Depot and Google, have said they no longer want to sponsor the festival, but executive director Kojo Modeste said the withdrawal of support won't affect this year's festivities.
"We already have contracts that we are obligated to. Where we might feel it, it's next year. But I do believe that all three levels of government will come on board. We're going to have more sponsors."
City representatives said they'll continue to support Pride in Toronto in whatever ways they can.
"At the end of the day, it's their loss," Chow said. "And if American companies want to pull out from supporting Pride, we will step in, Canadian companies will step in, the government will step in."
Throughout the month of June, Pride events will be held across Toronto.
Pride culminates with the festival weekend that runs June 27 to 29. That includes Toronto's Pride Parade, which is the second largest in the world.