Pride Month – June 2024

This June, HWDSB will celebrate Pride Month – an opportunity to recognize and uplift the Two Spirit and LGBTQIA+ community.

Pride is a celebration of identity and belonging. It is a chance to come together, to share experiences, and to celebrate Two Spirit and LGTBQIA+ identities.

Pride is also a time of action. The movement was borne out of the Stonewall riots of June 28, 1969, when community members protested a police raid at the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in New York City. In Canada, the first large-scale protests for Two Spirit and LGBTQIA+ rights took place on August 28, 1971, when about 100 people gathered on Parliament Hill for Canada’s first Gay Liberation Protest and March.

As such, Pride is an opportunity to recognize, appreciate, and honor the courage and resilience that Two Spirit and LGTBQIA+ communities have shown over the years. It is also an opportunity to condemn the discrimination, hate, and violence that continues to be a reality in the daily lives of Two Spirit and LGBTQIA+ people – particularly those who also identify as racialized or Indigenous.

To kick off Pride Month, the Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag is being raised at the Education Center and all HWDSB schools. The annual flag raising is an opportunity to honor and celebrate students, families, staff, and members of our local communities who are of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, as well as allies. By raising Pride flags, HWDSB schools can symbolically show their solidarity with Two Spirit and LGBTQIA+ people, while recognizing there is still important, ongoing work to support human rights, equity, and inclusion of all identities.

Practices that support and empower Two Spirit and LGBTQIA+ communities help to create safer and more inclusive learning and working environments throughout the entire year. At HWDSB, we recognize our obligation to represent and affirm Two Spirit and LGBTQIA+ identities through curriculum implementation and school and system practices that promote safety, respect, acceptance, and inclusion for all.

Everyone – no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity – should feel safe at school and workplaces. At HWDSB, we are committed to making that happen.

Sincerely,

Paul Denomme (he/him)
Superintendent of Student Achievement, Equity, Mental Health, and Well-Being

Additional Resources for Students

• Speqtrum Hamilton – offers peer supports and community building for Two Spirit and LGBTQIA+ youth.
• Trans Lifeline’s Hotline – a peer support phone service run by transgender people for transgender and questioning peers. 1-877-330-6366.
• Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Youth Line – confidential, non-judgmental, and informed peer support. 1(800) 268-9688 | Text – 647-694-4275