LGBTQ organizations from throughout the province say they need the government's help to combat a rising wave of hate in Ontario.
Statistics Canada found that police-reported hate incidents across the country targeting sexual orientation doubled last year from the annual average over the past decade.
Representatives from pride groups across Ontario, speaking at a virtual presser hosted by the NDP on Thursday, called on the Ford government to sit down with them and come up with a plan for increased, ongoing funding for the front-line volunteers dealing with these threats.
Every day, the queer community hears "horrible things, like we're not natural, don't belong, freaks, sinners, disgusting," said Scotia Kauppi, the chair of Thunder Bay's Thunder Pride Association. "And then even worse, being accused of horrible acts such as rape and pedophilia. Who deserves this simply for existing?"
This kind of hate is often thought of as an American problem, but it's not, Kauppi said. She brought up the recent stabbing at the University of Waterloo gender studies class.
"We don't see this level of violence normally," she said. "This is unprecedented."
North Bay has swapped its annual parade for a march for equity due to an "alarming rise" in threats, said Jason Maclennan of North Bay Pride.
Julie Nobert-DeMarchi of Timmins Pride said she's had to create a security plan for the first time in 10 years. At a recent drag event beset by protesters, volunteers created a "wall of love" and played music to drown them out, but the organization still had to cancel a show that was in an open space.
"Instead of focusing on providing a fun and safe environment, we had to shift our attention to crisis planning," she said.
"This cannot be the new normal," said Toby Whitfield, the executive director of Capital Pride in Ottawa.
Timmins Pride needs help to fulfil its mandate of providing services to communities spanning an area the size of Great Britain, Nobert-DeMarchi said.
"We are volunteers who receive no funding or support from our provincial government," she said.
The ask of the government is "really easy," Maclennan said: sit down with the communities to come up with a plan — "not have a bunch of, I'm sorry, a bunch of old white straight men sit around a table and decide what is best for the 2SLGBT community or marginalized voices."
The offices of Premier Doug Ford, Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy, and Tourism, Culture and Sport Minister Neil Lumsden didn't respond to a request for comment but earlier this week a spokesperson for Michael Ford, the minister of citizenship and multiculturalism, issued a statement on threats to pride events by saying there is "no place for hate in Ontario."
"No one should live in fear for being who they are and loving whoever they choose," said Mark Pelayo. "Ontario is proud to be home to a vibrant 2SLGBTQQIA+ community. Our government has and will continue to combat hate and discrimination in all its forms to build a stronger and inclusive society for everyone, including 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities."
He added that 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations can apply for the government's $25.5 million anti-hate security and prevention grant, which has been "redesigned and expanded to ensure additional organizations can benefit and more safety and security measures are covered."
Pride events provide a solid return on investment, the representatives said.
"So this is not an ask for a handout. This is an ask for an investment, whereby ... the returns are three-fold, fourfold, 10-fold," said Pride Toronto executive director Kojo Modeste, who added that his organization's taxable income this year was over $260 million.
"We pay our taxes," Kauppi said, noting that the area her organization serves is the size of France. "We work (in) and love Ontario, we build tourism, we build community, we build funding and income for our cities."
Americans from nearby states often come to Canadian events because they feel safer here, Kauppi said. There was an increase last year for Toronto Pride's event, Modeste said.
"And if immediate action is not taken, those gains will be lost at the snap of a finger," he said.
Kristyn Wong-Tam, the NDP's critic for 2SLGBTQ+ issues, said the government should pass their private member's bill that would give the attorney general power to temporarily establish community safety zones around venues hosting LGBTQ events and levy hefty fines for harassment and hate speech.
Wong-Tam said they've tried to sway government MPPs by talking to them in the halls after question period, but to no avail.
It was a common sentiment among the pride groups.
Local PC MPP Vic Fedeli and Premier Doug Ford "ignored" North Bay Pride's calls, while the city's mayor and Nipissing—Timiskaming Liberal MP Anthony Rota have met with the group, Maclennan said.
“True leaders answer this call and neither have done this," he said.
Kauppi said it's been the same thing in Thunder Bay with Thunder Bay—Atikokan PC MPP Kevin Holland, who she said has "ghosted" requests for meetings and hasn't shown up to flag raisings and other Pride events.
Nobert-DeMarchi of Timmins Pride said local PC MPP George Pirie walked in the parade, but "there's been no engagement from his office with our Pride community to do any work or to move anything forward."
Modeste said he met with Bethlenfalvy, Lumsden and Citizenship and Multiculturalism Minister Michael Ford, but nothing came of it but a funding decrease.
That, too, was a common experience among the pride groups.
Before, organizations could apply for up to $200,000 through the Experience Ontario tourism grant, but this year the maximum was $125,000, Modeste said.
"And unfortunately, some of our smaller organizations, our smaller prides, were completely removed from that," he said.
Maclennan said North Bay Pride got $109,000 in 2022 through Experience Ontario, but nothing this year.
Other organizations are still chasing invoices from previous years, Wong-Tam said, alleging the government is playing a "shell game" with funding.
—With files from The Canadian Press
