The planning for Pride 2025 began at the end of 2024, when the committee secured a booth for the 2025 Toronto Pride street fair (held in multiple locations across the GTA between June 26th and June 29th). Sophia explains that, while CMHA Toronto marched in the parade two years ago, the Pride committee decided to take a different approach this year. “The big shift was wanting to interact with the community. Being in the parade, we don't get to chat with community members, but with a booth we get to be there for three days. With all the foot traffic that comes through, we get to talk about CMHA Toronto and all the work that we do.” 

As a member of the Toronto Community Crisis Service and the 2SLGBTQ+ community, Sophia knows firsthand how important representation is to connect with CMHA Toronto clients: “When you have someone with lived experience connect with individuals, it has a greater impact.”

This truth works similarly with respect to the composition of the Pride committee. Sophia said that clients are members of the committee, and that there will be client volunteers staffing the CMHA Toronto Pride booth. “We really value that experience and life story and everything that comes with their experience, because it gives a different light for us to view different issues.” 

The activities the Pride committee has organized for June have been intentionally designed to appeal to the interests and unique needs of staff, allies, and clients.  

At Pride poster workshops, one held at Pathways in Scarborough and another at Routes in the west end, clients have been creating artwork to express what Pride means to them. These posters will be displayed at the CHMA Toronto booth during Pride weekend. “People have so many different ways of expressing Pride. I really enjoy artwork or creative events, because sometimes we can express more in our artwork than in our words,” Sophia said.  

She added that the poster workshops open up a space where people can engage in deeper conversations about identity or other issues. “It's known that when you're doing an activity, it's easier to talk about some concerns than it is in direct, face-to-face conversations. And of course, members of our Pride committee are trauma-informed and can have those conversations and navigate them in a way that's safe for all. We’re able to stay back and see if there's anyone who wants to follow up or chat one-on-one after.” 

The Pride committee has been proactive in identifying areas where they can play a role in educating and raising awareness around 2SLGBTQ+ issues with clients and staff alike. A staff survey last year, which asked about people’s comfort levels in having conversations around sexual orientation and sexual identity, revealed that staff wanted more training and led to the development of lunch-and-learn sessions during this year’s Pride month.   

A staff-only trivia night is one event that promises to be a fun way to learn, raise questions, and have conversations. Sophia is hoping to use the artwork that clients created in the poster workshops to show how different people view Pride and to stimulate discussion during trivia night.  

Sophia notes that it’s one thing to have the information but another to actually put learnings into practice. The committee is also aiming to host staff lunch-and-learns more regularly throughout the year starting in September. These sessions will cover a variety of topics with the goal to support people to “have those conversations after you have the knowledge,” she said.  

Another popular activity that has been running in June is the Pride Movie Mingle. “It demonstrates the creativity and expression of 2SLGBTQ+ creators and shows that there is space in this world, thankfully, to create. There’s representation of 2SLGBTQ+ identity in mainstream media, art and culture,” Sophia said. The show being screened is Somebody Somewhere, created by and starring comedian, actor, singer, writer, and cabaret performer Bridget Everett. 

Sophia reflected on the importance of CMHA Toronto’s support for the 2SLGBTQ+ community – and for its deep commitment to issues around identity, diversity, equity and inclusion overall. She said that it’s essential for the organization to intentionally create an environment where members of different identities know they will be accepted and safe.   

She recounted the example of a client who was navigating their sexual orientation journey and felt comfortable enough to share that with a member of the Pride committee: “We were able to connect him with different CMHA Toronto services, and also external services geared towards the community. At some point, he accepted himself and came out to his case worker.”