June is celebrated as Pride Month in Canada. Earlier this month, a vibrant pride parade was organized at Meridian Square in Downtown Barrie. This event provided an opportunity for LGBTQ2S+ people from all races and backgrounds to celebrate their uniqueness, connect with like-minded individuals, and seek support from various organizations.

LGBTQ2S+ individuals, particularly children and their families continue to face significant challenges in today's society.

During the rally, we spoke with Nicole Norris of Georgian College and Daniela Chase of PFLAG Canada, who emphasized the importance of creating safe spaces and providing mental health and educational resources to support these communities.

“So we're committing to make sure that we have brave and safe spaces for LGBTQ+ students. However, they need to show up and have access to the education they need, so they can be successful and whatever career dreams they have,” Norris said. 

Chase said her organization “provides peer-facilitated support to family members, caregivers loved ones because often the journey for LGBTQ plus loved ones can be very fraught with a lot of negative narratives, etc. And there's really a lot of emotional burden that folks carry.”

Chase said that a child's decision to come out as LGBTQ is very much a child-led process. Therefore, it is important to be supportive. Express your unconditional love, be open and willing to learn, research and get information from credible sources, and reach out to organizations like PFLAG. She said connecting with other parents on a similar journey can also be helpful.

“We're here today, celebrating folks for exactly who they say they are and how they experienced themselves to be in the world. And I can't think of a web better way to go through life. I really can't,” he concluded.