05/17/2026
We call today IDAHOBIT 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 because on May 17th, 1990—only 36 years ago—the World Health Organization finally took homosexuality off the list of mental disorders. Within the lifetime of almost everyone here, we were labeled a "sickness." That is why this day exists. It was supposed to be the day the world admitted they were wrong and the healing began. But 36 years later, why are we still standing here fighting for the baseline of human safety?
People talk about Canadian "progression" like it’s a finished book. But the reality is that hate crimes have more than doubled. Su***de is a constant shadow for our youth. In Alberta, the government is reaching for the Notwithstanding Clause to override the rights of trans children. From Saskatchewan to New Brunswick, we are seeing a wave of legislation designed to out kids and erase our identities. We look at the U.S. and think "at least it’s not that bad," but we are importing that same hate in Canadian packaging. They traded the lab coats of 1990 for the legislation of 2026, but the goal is the same: to tell us we don't belong in public life.
And let’s be even more real: that weight isn't shared equally. Our Black, Indigenous and People of Colour siblings are fighting a system built to exclude them twice over—facing the highest rates of violence while being told to wait for a "reconciliation" that never seems to reach this circle. If our progression leaves the most marginalized among us behind, it isn't progression—it’s a PR stunt.
We're not here to celebrate a date from 36 years ago. We're here for the person who had to check over their shoulder before walking into this gathering today. We’re here for the people who aren't here because it wasn't safe for them to show up. Our progress isn't measured by a flag; it’s measured by how we protect the most vulnerable among us.
"Good enough" was never good and definitely was not enough. The real and true story of our community today is one of survival—and we are done just surviving. It is time to speak up.
