It is Pride month in
Ontario, and as a leader in human rights and equity issues, ONA is a leader
among unions in celebrating Pride.
Pride events stem
from an incident in 1969, when lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and
questioning persons rioted following a police raid on the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich
Village neighborhood of New York City. The Stonewall Inn was a gay bar which
catered to an assortment of patrons, but which was popular with the most
marginalized people in the gay community. The Stonewall riots are generally
considered to be the beginning of the modern gay rights movement, as it was the
first time in modern history that a significant body of lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender (LGBTQ+) people resisted
arrest. Most Pride events take place around June to commemorate the Stonewall
riots.
On Sunday, June 25, Pride events will be held in Toronto and other cities to celebrate
LGBTQ+ culture. Events will also be held across the province during the summer
months.
As nurses and
healthcare professionals, we know that LGBTQ+ workers and patients may feel
invisible and unable to fully express themselves in their workplaces and their
communities. Pride celebrations promote self-affirmation and expression,
acceptance, acknowledgement and respect in the community. These activities also
give members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender, Intersex,
Queer, Questioning, and Two-Spirit communities the opportunity to celebrate
diverse histories, experiences, backgrounds and the progress they have made.
Pride expresses the efforts of diverse member communities to build a larger
community that is inclusive of all.
The Ontario Nurses’
Association is proud to recognize and support the diversity of our members and
staff, and to join in the fight against discrimination based on an individual’s
sexual orientation and/or gender identity. ONA believes in everyone’s right to
dignity and equal treatment on the job.
We are committed to
making our members’ workplaces safe and respectful for lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender (LGBTQ+) people. Please join with ONA to support and show
solidarity with our LGBTQ+ members who experience discrimination or harassment
and enforce their rights.
Please join us and
other allies in celebrating Pride 2017. For a complete list of local Pride
celebrations, please visit http://ofl.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017-05-25-OFL-Pride-Events.pdf.
ONA is committed to
being an inclusive and equitable organization that recognizes membership
diversity. Visit as www.ona.org/pride to learn about the
work being done by our Human Rights & Equity Team, contact team members, and
to access valuable resources.
