Today is International Day of Pink, a day we stand in solidarity with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in the continued fight for equality and acceptance. The theme this year is Represent, and when we wear pink today, we’re reminded that we represent equality, diversity, inclusivity, solidarity, kindness, courage, acceptance and much more.
The idea for International Day of Pink was sparked 15 years ago in Nova Scotia when high school students David Shepherd and Travis Price saw a student being bullied for wearing a pink shirt. Shepherd and Price showed their support for the student by encouraging everyone at their school to wear pink the following day.
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This initiative inspired some individuals at Jer’s Vision (now the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity), who went on to found International Day of Pink (IDOP). Since then, millions of people across the globe show their support by wearing pink on the day each year.
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Daily Hive caught up with a few of IDOP’s 2SLGBTQIA+ speakers. Martin Boyce, who was at the Stonewall riots in 1969, told us about his experience there.
“The riot was a surprise, even to us participants. All the street knowledge and wisdom we had gained in NYC was put to use! Even one night of freedom was better than the way we had lived.”
The Stonewall riots (sometimes referred to as the Stonewall uprising) were a series of spontaneous demonstrations by members of the gay community in New York City. The riots were considered a major turning point that transformed the gay liberation movement. Boyce has an upcoming tour to share his story, and we also highly recommend picking up a copy of The Stonewall Reader.
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Despite how far we’ve come as a society, our genders and sexualities are still not widely accepted, and weāre still prone to extreme homophobia and bullying. We asked Sharon Blady, the first queer Manitoban Health Minister, about how we can take care of our mental health.
“I wish there was a short answer, but I am not about to gaslight my community with talk of yoga, long walks, healthy foods, and bubble baths. Those are all helpful at times, but they don’t result in the systemic change we need for long-term well-being,” she said.
“Looking after our individual mental health can be challenging, but it is even harder for those experiencing marginalization, stigma, and trauma. We end up doing not only personal work but also advocacy for our equitable existence while expected to educate others ā that’s a lot of heavy lifting ā and it takes an even greater toll on our mental health,” Blady, a mental health advocate, healthcare consultant, and public speaker, continued.
As a start, Sharon recommends that we “be compassionate to our own exhaustion, trauma, and frustration and that of our fellow community members. We can build supportive, validating relationships and communities to look after each other.” Despite how hard it can be, she also recommends asking for help when you need it.
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We also spoke to Dr. Rev Cheri DiNovo. A tireless LGBTQ advocate for more than forty years, Cheri made history in 2001 by performing the first legalized same-sex marriage in Canada.
“I was delighted that the marriage I performed between two women of colour by reading the bans in our church was made legal by Ontario. Sadly, the government then said they’d take away my licence and I needed to get a lawyer and called the CBC. Within the year, the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriages should be legal. Yet it was an unsettling year. Despite it all, I was so honoured and delighted and would do it all again in a heartbeat.”
DiNovo also led the first Banning Conversion Therapy Bill and the first Trans Rights as Human Rights Bills in Canada. She’s the author of two books, The Queer Evangelist: A Socialist Clergy’s Radically Honest Tale and Qu(e)erying Evangelism: Growing a Community from the Outside In (which won the 2005 Lambda literary award).
International Day of Pink has also partnered with Voss Events to give you a chance to win tickets to the official Canadaās Drag Race Tour. Hosted by Queen of the North, Brooke Lynn Hytes, and your favourite queens from Season 2, tickets for shows across the nation are up for grabs. You can enter the competition here.
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It’s important to remember that discrimination takes many shapes, whether itās based on race, age, disabilities, gender, or sexuality. While progress has been made, discrimination still persists.
There are many ways to support the organization and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. We ask that you consider sharing the work and mission statement of International Day of Pink, wearing its merch, donating to the cause, and joining the movement in any way you can.
Stand with us today to continue the fight for equality and acceptance.
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