Thank You for Making 2024 So Amazing!
HAMILTON, ONTARIO | August 19 2024
The Pride Hamilton Board of Directors would like to thank all those who both supported and attended our event on August 10, 2024.
We are proud to announce that our event was mostly a success. While there were some folks who had a wonderful time, there are some who had difficulties. Those incidents are seen as a learning moment for us on how to continue to improve accessibility and inclusion. We apologize for the upsets caused during folks trying to enter and the miscommunication regarding food and beverage that was permitted. Your concerns were heard and will be addressed with the respective organizations.
We want to thank our Community Partners, both ArcelorMittal Dofasco and Hamilton Public Health. ArcelorMittal Dofasco has done a lot of work internally to support their 2SLGBTQ+ employees and have recently partnered with Pride Hamilton to increase accessibility support. They also provided event support with Team Orange, an internal volunteer roster. This partnership is more than just a single day as accessibility, inclusion and safety are ongoing initiatives amongst 2SLGBTQ+ folks and the broader Hamilton community. Thank you, Hamilton Public Health, both for your work and contributions. We are working together to provide safe access, and confidential resources to sexual health clinics. This includes support, testing and vaccinations.
Thank you to our larger sponsors & funders: City of Hamilton, Bounce 102.9, CHCH TV, Canadian Heritage-Canada Arts Presentation Fund Program, TD & Green Storage, KPMG, RBC, Scotia Bank, Blackfly, MERIT Brewery & Clifford Brewing. A special thank you to Level 10 Hair Studio who provided gender-affirming haircuts to guests during our event!
Thank you to the broader businesses and BIAs in the Hamilton area that provided funds to pull off this event. Special thank you to the Dundas Valley School of Art, Little Rebels and ColourPOP Face Paint who were great supports for the Child & Youth area.
To each and every vendor who came out to sell amazing one-of-a-kind items, share your art, provide resources and/or services, thank you.
A special thank you and shoutout to every artist who stepped on the stage to showcase their talents. These talents were representative of the various identities and intersections of the Community, both in Hamilton and abroad. Thank you, Icesis Couture, Silky Nutmeg Ganache, Chelazon Leroux and Suki Doll for their contributions and welcoming presence both on stage and to those during the Meet & Greet. The efforts to keep both backstage & on-stage smooth and safe were much appreciated, thank you Diva Productions & DJ Mar You held down the stage all day! To the team at AbsoLive, you provided us with another amazing platform to showcase talent. Thank you for your professionalism, cooperation and dedication leading up to and during our event.
During the opening remarks, we invited Nathan Thaontaske Muir, Kanien’kehaken, an Indigenous Leader to open our event. They spoke of our Two-Spirt, Two-Heart kin and how they have been gathering and doing work around reclaiming ceremony, through ceremony. Also, that very soon they will be calling out for those who feel they need that be it for healing or something different. We are both honoured and grateful that this happened as we are working to do more to prioritize representation, diversity, equity and inclusion.
Lastly, I would like to thank every volunteer, coordinator, board member, government official, City employee, and community leaders who were both instrumental in the success of the event both visibly and behind the scenes. We pulled off the largest Pride event Hamilton has had in years, possibly ever. There were folks of different ages, abilities, identities, ethnicities, and more. Pride Hamilton’s work is not complete and there is still so much room to improve the experiences and strengthen this community. There were attendees from different cities, different countries and different continents, but the important factor is that they were all welcome. It isn’t perfect, but I will ensure that we continue to do our best to make space and amplify voices.
My goal is not to rival Toronto but to build an organization and events that are focusing on Hamilton, the people, the communities, the shared experiences and the future. Pride is every day that we exist. It is not confined to a day, week or month. While we are leaps ahead of where we were in June 1969, the 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s, our rights and freedoms are challenged continuously; the work is not finished. We need to take up space the same way everyone else does. We deserve more, we deserve better. Hopefully sooner than later, 2SLGBTQIA+ folks won’t “need” to go to other cities and places to feel welcome, heard and seen because it will happen here in Hamilton, the city many of us call home.
Our strength as individuals rivals that of steel. Imagine how strong we will be when we come together as a community, as a city as people and focus on the issues that affect us here at home.
I welcome those who wish to work towards these initiatives to get involved with Pride Hamilton, just imagine the possibilities.
—Kiel Hughes, Chair
Pride Hamilton Board of Directors
Remember. Educate. Remind. Empower
