Why some feel Peel’s 2SLGBTQ+ community needs more Pride events to not rely on Toronto’s celebration

Julia Bertola, the founder and communications lead of Caledon Pride, said that when she was a teenager, there were no programs for 2SLGBTQ+ folks locally that she knew of. As a result, she struggled a bit to “find any kind of confidence” and decided not to come out of the closet back then.

Queer organizers in Peel have had issues developing a local scene, partially because it’s in the shadow of Toronto. Toronto has a robust 2SLGBTQ+ village, a variety of scenes outside of that village and one of the biggest Pride celebrations on earth. However, the absence of a local scene doesn’t help some queer people in the region.

“I couldn’t go to Toronto Pride because I would have to get rides from my parents, or people’s parents. My parents would have to know where I am,” said Bertola in a phone interview.

“Having more in town services I think would do a lot more,” she added.

Thanks to Bertola, Caledon now has its own Pride celebrations, and today she helps to organize a variety of events during Pride month. You can find some of the events here.

Caledon isn’t the only one. There are a slew of online events all month long in Brampton and Mississauga as well.

Problem is, if you organize it, queer people won’t necessarily come.

“It’s very difficult to get people to support because we’re so close to Toronto,” said Sonya Shorter of the disbanded Pride Committee of Peel, in a phone interview. “They don’t actually feel like they need it. If there isn’t a bar to go to in Brampton, oh no big deal, we’ll just go down to Toronto.”

When it comes to Pride month, the region used to have it in July. This year, Peel regional council changed it to June without consulting with the queer community. It now lines up with Toronto’s Pride.

Shorter explained that Peel Pride was held in July to “stay separate from Toronto” in order to develop a community in the region.

According to a news release by the region, “in February 2021 a resolution passed in Regional Council stating Peel Pride month be moved from July to June to be in alignment with the Greater Toronto Area.”

In the release they mentioned that Pride was in July “to avoid competing with Toronto’s June Pride events,” but said that it “created confusion among many residents.”

Bertola doesn’t believe that Caledon Pride is competing against Toronto’s. Her aim is to “make your home a lot more accepting so that you feel like you can have both.”

“I think it’s this cool thing that if you’re able to participate in Toronto Pride and then come home and do your own thing,” she said. “It shouldn’t be one or the other. I feel like everyone should have a little bit of both.”

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: We thought it was important to focus on Peel’s 2SLGBTQ+ community for Pride month this year and the issues that matter to them, including the importance of having more localized Pride celebrations.