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.

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.

I’d like to take this opportunity to recognize Pride Month in Ontario. This is an opportunity for all Ontarians to come together to celebrate the 2SLGBTQIA+ community that has been so important to the cultural fabric and economic prosperity of our province. They’ve brought so much joy, colour and love to the province of Ontario.

Ontario is a place that values and is strengthened by equality, diversity and inclusion. It is a place where people from all walks of life come together to build a society and to build a home that celebrates the uniqueness of each individual. Pride is a shining example of this unity, a celebration that reminds us of the progress that we have made and the work that still lies ahead.

Our government has been helping, protecting and promoting diverse Ontarians since day one and we will continue to do just that. That’s why we’re proud to support so many 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations, not only in Toronto but across the province, such as North Bay Pride, Ottawa Pride and Stratford Pride. I was honoured to be a part of the Pride event in the town of Napanee in Hastings–Lennox and Addington just this last weekend.

Each year, we support the work they do to help empower and celebrate community and foster a more inclusive province. We’re also rolling out additional resources, like the Anti-Racism and Anti-Hate Grant and the anti-hate security grant, which will help protect community spaces for organizations that serve vulnerable communities and the anti-racism movement.

This month, Ontarians will proudly wave our rainbow flags, a symbol of pride and resilience. These colours represent the diversity within the community and the countless struggles that they have faced and overcame. They represent the strength and the courage of individuals who have fought for their rights and paved the way for a more inclusive society.

In honour of the many battles fought and being fought to ensure the acceptance of the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and Ontarians, we will continue to celebrate the freedoms that have been earned through the dedication and activism of countless individuals who have fought for justice and equality, many of whom are in this room.

Pride is more than a celebration; it is a reminder of the ongoing journey towards freedom, acceptance and understanding. It is a call to action for all of us to stand up against hate, discrimination and prejudice. It is an opportunity to educate ourselves and others and to build bridges of understanding and empathy.

From arts and culture to politics and business, LGBTQ+ community members have enriched this province in countless ways. They have inspired us with their creativity, leadership, resilience and hope. They have shown us that embracing diversity and inclusion is not just the right thing to do; it is the key to our collective growth and prosperity.

As we come together to celebrate Pride Month in Ontario, let us remember that our work is not done, that all members of this House can agree there is no place for hate in Ontario, and we all must stand up against homophobia, transphobia and all forms of discrimination. Our government will continue to work together with the community to promote equality and inclusivity in our schools, our workplaces and our communities.

So today, let’s take this opportunity to celebrate love, acceptance and pride. Let us cherish the progress we’ve made and look forward to the future with hope, optimism and determination. Together, we can build a stronger Ontario where everyone is welcomed and accepted, regardless of who they are or who they love.

Applause.

We are proud to celebrate Pride Month alongside our 2SLGBTQIA+ friends and neighbours. This month and every other month, we have an obligation to uplift our communities that have for too long had their voices diminished.

During Pride Month, we celebrate the strength, achievements and diversity of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. With continued discrimination, it is vital to come together and show the beauty and talent of this community while advocating for a more inclusive future for all. Let’s use Pride Month to ensure that the 2SLGBTQIA+ community is seen and heard, so that our friends in future generations, who too often face barriers in letting their true selves shine, might see themselves represented as leaders and role models in their community. That’s what Pride is all about.

The parades are fantastic and the community spirit is inspiring, but most importantly, it’s a chance for us to make everyone feel welcome. Pride Month is a time to reaffirm our support of the community, which has long been an integral part of who we are. Let’s raise our voices so others might see them and feel safe. To all my friends, happy Pride, be safe, be happy and always be yourself.

I share the member opposite’s deep distress by those vile comments from that public officeholder.

I think one of the messages that was celebrated by all parliamentarians at Pride is the context of words and actions. I think we must hold ourselves to higher standards, because young people and students at our publicly funded schools are looking up to us—particularly our school board trustees.

When this issue arose, I commented on and condemned it, saying, “To draw a parallel to a universally reviled symbol of hate and fascism is disturbing. We need our members, our trustees, our elected officeholders to do better in standing up for human rights for everyone and that includes, most especially, the LGBTQ community who’s facing some of the highest rates of violence and bullying in our schools.”

I have asked every school board in Ontario—public and private, English and French—to celebrate Pride and the universal message of acceptance and love for all, and I expect them to do so this month.

We just heard these remarks from our friends and colleagues across the way. I assure the member in the clearest terms, we have directed and expect publicly funded schools to celebrate Pride meaningfully and symbolically and to stand in solidarity.

Every child must be safe. It is our expectation that every child will be safe in a school, and I’m prepared to work with all members across party lines to ensure that children feel affirmed, respected and safe in a publicly funded school.