I have some guests in the House today from OPSEU representing youth correctional workers. We have Joe Davies, David Farrugia, Jeff Tynes, Johnathan Guider and Jim Reilly. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’d like to welcome Marcel Atunwa and Cameron Lucas, both with my constituency office and here in Queen’s Park for the first time.

I, too, would like to introduce my second family, my staff who are here from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities today. Thank you for everything that you do to support me, but more importantly the students, families and schools of Ontario.

I would like to welcome my team members from the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery. I have Erica, Matteo, Laura, Ellen, Praveen, Jeffrey, Mariah, Rhea and Sandra. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Sitting in the west gallery, please welcome a student from the beautiful riding of Essex, Danielle Brindley. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I would like to welcome Paul Au and Aileen Li, who are the parents of our page Christopher Au, from Markham–Unionville. Christopher is also the page captain today. Thank you, Christopher, and welcome to Queen’s Park.

I’m very proud to introduce the following people, and there are a number of them, so please bear with me. I want to welcome: Rev. Deana Dudley from the Metropolitan Community Church; Rev. Jeffrey Dale from the United Church of Canada; Rev. Junia Joplin from the Metropolitan Community Church; Barbara Dobrowolski, who is the president of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association; Rev. Brent Hawkes, who is the pastor emeritus from the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto; of course Rev. Dr. Cheri DiNovo, United Church of Canada; Bishop Andrew Asbil from the Anglican Church of Canada; Rev. Stephen Milton from the United Church of Canada; Rev. Anne Hines from the United Church of Canada; Rev. John Joseph Mastandrea from the United Church of Canada; Ael Spence from the United Church of Canada; Rev. Ralph Wuske from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada; Rev. Bob Faris, Presbyterian Church of Canada; Rev. Alexandra Gilmour, United Church of Canada; Rev. Morgan Bell, United Church of Canada; Rev. Maggie Helwig, Anglican Church of Canada; Rev. Michiko Bown-Kai, United Church of Canada; Intern Pastor Victoria Featherstone, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada; Laura Gallagher-Doucette, United Church of Canada; and my wife, Farrah Khan.

I’d like to welcome to Queen’s Park Charlene Heckman from Fort Erie, Joy Russell from Fort Erie, Debra Chapman from Fort Erie, Heather Kelley from Ridgeway, Margaret Baskerville from Fort Erie, and Suzanne Hotte from Jordan Station. Welcome to Queen’s Park. I’m looking forward to the press conference at noon.

From the riding of York Centre, I want to welcome the Hernandez family, Danny, Danilo and Dennise; the Dela Cruz family, Genevieve, Adam and Carmela; and an incredible individual who has been the founder and leader of the Taste of Manila, a hallmark in our riding of York Centre, part of representing the largest Filipino diaspora community in Canada, my friend Rolly Mangante. Welcome to the Ontario Legislature.

It is with great pleasure that I welcome to the House some students from St. Elizabeth Catholic School and their parents. They are part of VIFF, the Vaughan International Film Festival, and they’ve contributed to that. I’d like to present Paolo Calzini, filmmaker and student; Roberto Calzini, his father; Adrianne Calzini; and Annalisa Calzini, his sister.

I’d also like to introduce and congratulate Lauren Pappas, filmmaker and student, and Sandra Pappas, her mother. Welcome to the House.

It’s my pleasure to welcome a great member of my team in my constituency office—and songwriter—Debbra Davidson. As well, a great member of my team Svetlana Barkan and her daughter Natalie Barkan are joining us here today. Lastly, Rose Bostakian is also joining us today, the daughter of Mendana. Thank you very much. Welcome.

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.

It is an honour to rise to celebrate Pride Month. June is a vital month to celebrate Pride and to advocate for the human rights of 2SLGBTQIA+ people in every community in this province. I’ve had the privilege of marching in many Pride parades in communities of all sizes across Ontario over the years and I’ve always been inspired—inspired by how people come together to show solidarity and allyship with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. It is essential, now more than ever, that we honour and celebrate the history, struggle and resistance of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community: resistance to anti-2SLGBTQIA+ violence, hate and systemic injustice that we are sadly still confronting today.

Pride is about coming together and standing up for change, resisting oppressive norms and creating space for every person to be seen, heard, cared for and included in our province. It takes so much strength and courage to combat hate with love, to confront violence with solidarity and to overcome injustice with pride. Thanks to the activism of 2SLGBTQIA+ community, we can be proud of how far we have come as a province. But, Speaker, let’s be honest: We must also acknowledge that there is so much more to do.

I’m especially concerned about the rise of hateful, targeted attacks on trans folks in Ontario and across North America and the pushback on 2SLGBTQIA+ symbols in some corners of society today. It is a reminder that we, as elected officials, have a special responsibility to push back against hate in our words, our actions and our laws. All of us in this House, regardless of party, have a special responsibility to push back against hate and to ensure that we build inclusive, caring communities that embrace 2SLGBTQIA+ neighbours.

I want to thank the faith leaders who are here today for having the courage to stand up and speak about how we care for each other. To everyone in Ontario, have a safe and happy Pride.

It’s my pleasure to introduce a resident of Simcoe–Grey, Michael Kogan, who is the proud father of page Solomon Kogan, who is page captain today. Welcome.

I just noticed the time. Assuming there are no objections, we’ll continue. Member for Barrie–Innisfil.

I recognize the member for Toronto Centre.

I’d like to welcome John and Mac Barry to Queen’s Park today from London, Ontario.

I know the member from Brampton East is not here, but he has asked me to introduce his constituents from Brampton East: Baljeet Kaliravna, Sushila Kaliravna, Neetu Pounia, Sachin Panwar and Anshul Kaliravna. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

It’s my pleasure to welcome to the House today Susan Goode, an educator for 23 years both in the public system and the founder of GlenOak Academy, an independent school in Mississauga. Through her work, she assists children with acquired brain injuries as well as Indigenous children and youth. She is the steward of a pilot project for the Batchewana First Nation in Sault Ste. Marie in terms of her not-for-profit organization. Welcome, Susan Goode.

Mr. Speaker, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent to allow members to make statements in recognition of June being Pride Month, with five minutes allotted to His Majesty’s loyal opposition, five minutes allotted to the independent members as a group and five minutes allotted to His Majesty’s government.