A coalition of Ontario Pride organizations are calling on the province to urgently work with them to develop a proactive safety plan to beat back a rising tide of anti-LGBTQ hate.
Leaders from five Pride organizations, from Thunder Bay to Ottawa, say that without more support and consistent levels of funding, their Pride festivals will struggle to survive against what some call unprecedented levels of hate.
North Bay Pride's Jason Maclennan says an "alarming surge in hostility" led the group to treat next month's Pride event as a protest, not a parade, echoing the festival's historical roots. He says after getting about $109,000 from the province last year, the festival received no money this year, citing provincial budget cuts to a festival grant program.
The groups were joined by NDP MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam who earlier this year tabled a private member's bill that would, if passed, 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. Statistics Canada data shows police reported 491 hate incidents across Canada last year targeting sexual orientation, more than double the annual average over the previous 10 years.
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