As the buds turned to blooms, reminding us that with dark always comes light: Pride month returns again!

Celebrating the 2SLGBTIA+ community, Pride has always been about resistance. Resistance against the stigma that disallows people from embracing who they are. These stories of resistance have brought us to where we are today. 

Pride has evolved over time. The fundamentals have stayed the same, but how folks’ celebrate is diverse - like the people in the community. 

I remember my first Pride month. I wasn’t comfortable sharing my identity with everyone quite yet, so I purchased a Pride gift for myself. A necklace with two silver moons attached to each other from the bottom of one, to the top of the other. The quiet symbol for bisexuality that I had researched so that I could have my own Pride that month, even if it was still a private victory. 

Pride is all about evolution, and that’s what makes stories of Pride so powerful. Any good story takes its character through ups and downs, forks in the road and moments of epiphany where our hero sees things more clearly than before. 

What has grown to be my favourite part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community is their welcoming of personal evolution. We know we’re never done evolving and despite the challenges that come with change, we aren’t afraid. We know that there are so many beautiful versions of our identity, our relationships and our love to come. 

You may be wondering “why Pride matters” if the community it celebrates is already full of joy and love. While this may be true for many, it’s not true for all. And in the words of Stonewall Riots activist Marsha P. Johnson, "No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us."

While there is so much elation to come from self-acceptance and belonging in the community, it is an unfair and dangerous journey for many to embark on. Statistics Canada reports that hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation spiked by 69% in a single year (from 2021-22) and have soared by 388% between 2016 and 2023. How can a space filled with love and acceptance be feared and hated by so many? 

In Canada, three provinces have recently introduced laws and policies that restrict the rights of Transgender people, setting a dangerous precedent for this fear-mongering to manifest into devastating realities in this country. Transgender and gender-diverse individuals already face higher rates of depression and suicidality than the cisgender population in Canada. 

Pride month is more important than ever. As much as rainbow crosswalks, flag raises and celebratory parades showcase acceptance and love in its most colourful form, we must advocate for more. 

We must amplify the stories of our friends in the 2SLGTBQIA+ community: the leaders we have learned from in generations past and our emerging wise voices. The stories of our Two-Spirit neighbours. We must not witness the beauty of their narratives without also screaming at the top of our lungs for their safety and human rights.  

Storytelling is for everybody: it allows us to resonate with experiences that aren’t ours but that we share lessons and healing with. This month and every month, Unsinkable is proud to be able to share stories of powerful 2SLGBTQIA+ narrators and artists as they bring us along their journeys of evolution.  CTA

Liv Miller, she/they (Unsinkable Storytelling Co-Facilitator & Community Champion)