Rugby Canada Celebrates Pride Month
Community
The month of June is Pride Month and marks the beginning of Pride Season in Canada. To show our support and allyship with the 2SLGBTQI+ community in Canada, Rugby Canada continues to work to make rugby an inclusive and welcoming sport for all.
The month of June is Pride Month and marks the beginning of Pride Season in Canada. To show our support and allyship with the 2SLGBTQI+ community in Canada, Rugby Canada continues to work to make rugby an inclusive and welcoming sport for all. This includes initiatives through our Community Rugby Fund and highlighting our inclusive 2SLGBTQI+ rugby clubs in Canada.
In 2023 and 2024, priority was given to the rugby clubs, schools or community organizations that applied for the Community Rugby Fund with applications focused on enhancing inclusion, diversity and equity specifically within the 2SLGBTQI+ community.
Since the Community Rugby Fund began in 2021, Rugby Canada has funded a total of 13 projects that focus on inclusion over the past four years, including four applications from a few of Canada’s inclusive rugby clubs, the Toronto Rainbow Griffins, Ottawa Wolves and Halifax Rugby Club. Learn more about the Community Rugby Fund HERE.
Pride Season is a term that refers to the wide range of Pride events that take place over the summer (June to September) when 2SLGBTQI+ communities in Canada and allies come together to spotlight the resilience, celebrate the talent, and recognize the contributions of 2SLGBTQI+ communities.
Historically, Pride gatherings emerged from the first large-scale protests for 2SLGBTQI+ rights. In Canada, the first demonstrations took place in Ottawa and Vancouver in 1971. By 1973, Pride events were held in several Canadian cities, including Montréal, Ottawa, Saskatoon, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg.
Click below to view a variety of educational resources and to learn more about Pride Month and Pride Season in Canada.
Additional Information, Resources and Content:
- Find your nearest Inclusive Rugby Club
- International Gay Rugby (IGR)
- Video - Advancing 2SLGBTQI+ rights for over 50 years
- Canada’s Federal action for 2SLGBTQI+ Communities
- Information and resources related to the Government of Canada's work to improve equality for 2SLGBTQI+ communities
- Pride Season Digital Toolkit