The beginning of August is Pride Season in Greater Vancouver, a time when 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals and allies come together to spotlight the resilience, celebrate the talent and recognize the contributions of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. Advocacy groups like the Canadian Bar Association’s Sexual and Gender Diversity Alliance (SAGDA) exist to address the needs and concerns of 2SLGBTQIA+ legal professionals while also creating professional development programs and resources on legal issues relating to sexual orientation and gender identity. The Law Society’s inclusive language guide also provides a glossary of terms and helpful tips for working with gender-diverse clients and colleagues.
If you’re looking for other ways to celebrate and support the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities this month, visit What’s On Queer BC’s event page, which includes community Pride parades, film screenings, craft markets and more. We’ve also included a roundup of events, books and resources below. To access more resources and learn more about the history of Pride in Canada, see the Government of Canada's website.
Events:
August 1 starting at 5 pm — Vancouver Trans March (begins at Trout Lake)
August 2 starting at 11 am — Vancouver Dyke March (begins at McSpadden Park)
August 2 from 3 to 10 pm — North Shore Pride at the Pier
August 3 at 1 pm — Vancouver Pride Parade (begins at Concord Pacific Place)
August 9 from 11 am to 5 pm — Langley Pride Day
August 16 from 3 to 9 pm — New West Pride
August 17 from 11 am to 4 pm — Delta Pride Picnic
Books and other resources:
- A History of My Brief Body by Billy-Ray Belcourt — Belcourt’s stunning memoir explores the preciousness and precariousness of queer Indigenous life, drawing from his early experiences on the Driftpile Cree Nation and expanding to examine the legacy of colonial violence in Canada.
- We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib — A triumphant memoir of forgiveness and family, both chosen and not, We Have Always Been Here is a rallying cry for anyone who has ever felt out of place and a testament to the power of fearlessly inhabiting one's truest self.
- I’m Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya — A powerful reflection on gender, fear and the societal expectations of masculinity and femininity.
- Johnny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead — Whitehead’s award-winning debut novel follows a protagonist navigating life beyond the reservation, highlighting the intersections of Indigeneity and queerness in a world that often seeks to erase both.
- The Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion created a 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion guide, which includes a variety of English- and French-language resources ranging from films and TV shows to books and online content.
- Advocacy groups across BC such as QMunity, Sher Vancouver, the ARC Foundation, Northern BC Queer Connection and the Vancouver Pride Society put on events, develop educational programming and raise funds year-round to help support 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals and communities and advance equality in the province. For a full list of advocacy groups, see the Government of Canada’s website.
