Y We're Proud: YMCA Celebrates Pride 2015
"Progress is the product of human agency. Things get better because we make them better." --Susan Rice
Pride is the time of year when we celebrate all kinds of diversity in the global village we call home. We don costumes, we welcome friends far and near, we remember those friends no longer with us, we speak out against injustice and for equality--but most of all, we reflect just how far we've come.
According to the Collier's English Dictionary, "progress" is the process of gradually improving or getting closer to achieving or completing something; it can also mean to move over a period of time to a stronger, more advanced, or more desirable state.
Indeed, the notion of "Pride" in Toronto has made much progress; the first Pride celebrations were a series of picnics on Centre Island and Ward's Island, starting in the 1970s (inspired by the Stonewall Riots in NYC and the Canadian government's decriminalization of homosexual acts for consenting adults over 21 in 1969). Today, Pride Toronto is one of the largest pride celebrations in the world, with over 1 million people attending from Toronto and around the world.
The Y has also made significant progress over the years when it comes to serving those in the LGBTQ2S community. In the 1970s, the Toronto Central Grosvenor Y launched its Positive Living Program, which served HIV-positive individuals by offering alternative health therapies and other support services. Though the program ended long ago, its impact still lives on in those who participated in the program. Fast forward to 2015, where we have not only integrated Pride values into own own, but have recently made a significant milestone in our Sprott House centre, which is the first transitional housing facility for LGBTQ2S youth in Canada. We're so proud to be serving where needed in our city, and Sprott House, opening this summer is one of our best ways of doing just that.
So why are we proud?
We're proud because we know where we came from, and we have big dreams and plans for where we're going. We're proud because we can serve whomever asks for help to the best of our ability. Most of all, we're proud that we can call everyone, regardless of who they are, where they come from, or who they love, part of the Y family.
Throughout the month of June and select days in July, we're hosting our 2015 YMCA Pride Speaker series, whose theme this year is "LGBTQ2S Youth: Breaking Down the Barriers". We're happy to have Jeanette BIair, I. Alex Abramovich, Lesley Mcmillan, Eric Mejorado and various young members of the LGBTQ2S community discuss the issues surrounding LGBTQ2S youth in our city. It's absolutely FREE for everyone, and open to the public! See below for dates, times and locations. See you there!
For more information about the YMCA of Greater Toronto, please visit http://ymcagta.org
