Toronto kicks off Pride Month with raising of Progress Pride flag at City Hall

TORONTO, June 1, 2022 – Today, Mayor John Tory officially proclaimed Pride Month in Toronto and raised the Progress Pride flag at City Hall for the month of June. He was joined by members of Toronto City Council; Sherwin Modeste, Executive Director, Pride Toronto; and Grant Gonzalez, Co-Chair, Pride Toronto. The Progress Pride flag will also be raised at the North York and Scarborough Civic Centres for the month of June, as well as at the East York, Etobicoke and York Civic Centres for the day on June 1 to kick off Pride Month.

The Progress Pride flag is an adaptation of the rainbow flag. In 2018, Daniel Quasar, a graphic designer adapted the design of the rainbow flag by adding five additional colours: light blue, light pink and white to represent the trans community, and brown and black to represent the marginalized People of Colour and Indigenous peoples. The colour black is also meant to represent those living with AIDS and those no longer with us.

“Pride Month is always a time for celebration, joy and inclusivity. Every June, I am proud to stand at City Hall and proclaim Pride Month in Toronto and to raise the flag. It is a perfect representation of our city’s values – its diversity, its celebration of diversity, its commitment to respect and inclusion. As Mayor, I am proud to support pride and our 2SLGBTQ+ community. I encourage Torontonians to attend the various events throughout the month and celebrate Pride, which is back in full swing and in-person for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Mayor John Tory

This is the first year of in-person Pride celebrations in Toronto since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2022 Pride Festival runs from Wednesday, June 1 to Sunday, June 26, culminating in a Pride Parade that honours Pride’s history, highlights Toronto talent and fosters community. The annual festival is a vibrant celebration of Toronto’s diverse 2SLGBTQ+ communities. The City of Toronto encourages residents to participate in one of Toronto’s largest annual cultural events. More information is available at PrideToronto.com .

“Pride Toronto is very excited to join the City of Toronto in this year’s Pride 2022 Flag Raising. It has been two years since we were able to come together with the City officials to commemorate Pride Month. June 1 will kick-start a full month of programming leading up to the annual Festival Weekend on June 24, 25 and 26.”
– Sherwin Modeste, Executive Director, Pride Toronto

The Mayor’s proclamation and more information about key milestones for Toronto’s 2SLGBTQ+ community is available on the City’s Pride Month webpage.

SOURCE City of Toronto

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