$450,000 investment to protect LGBTQ Canadians and improve the community’s relationship with the criminal justice system…
Finance Minister Bill Morneau recently announced that the federal government is providing Pride Toronto with nearly half a million dollars to preside over an initiative to improve safety for LGBTQ Canadians and address the relationship between the community and the criminal justice system.
“For too long, the LGBTQ2 community has encountered injustice from various institutions in our society in ways that have prevented people from living their lives more fully and contributing their strengths to our country,” said Morneau while making the announcement at The 519.
The investment is being made as the Bruce McArthur case winds its ways through the courts. Although Morneau – who is also the MP for Toronto Centre – did not mention the case by name, he did note that the funding comes on the heels of “violent murders” in the city and that “the groups in this riding have led the way in demanding meaningful change.”
Criticism over the handling of the McArthur investigation has been a contributing factor in Pride Toronto’s rocky relationship with the police over the last two years. However, it seems both sides are keen on moving forward with Pride Toronto lifting the ban on uniformed officers marching in the parade and inviting police to apply to participate in next year’s festivities. Now the organization is poised to take the lead on $450,000 in federal funding to help improve safety and security for LGBTQ communities across the country.
“This money will help us begin to start the process of understanding how we start to talk about these things, how it is we start to communicate them to the wider Canadian public, and certainly and most importantly, how we find solutions to addressing some of these concerns,” said Olivia Nuamah, executive director of Pride Toronto.
Watch part of Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s announcement here:
JUMOL ROYES is a Toronto-based writer/PR & communications strategist with a keen interest in personal development and transformation. Follow him on Twitter @Jumol.
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