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“NUPGE is proud to be a sponsor of the World Pride Human Rights Conference. We are also pleased to have such a large contingent of activists attending World Pride Toronto, as well as other Pride events across the country.” James Clancy, NUPGE National President.
Toronto (19 June 2014) — Some 30 National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) activists from across the country are gearing up for an exciting celebration of diversity and culture at World Pride festivities in Toronto. The events take place June 20 – 29 and are expected to have over two million people from around the globe showing their Pride.
Toronto, as the host city for this international gathering of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) communities around the globe, will also make history, as this will be the first time that the global Pride festival is held in North America. NUPGE Canada is excited to take part in many of the events that will be featured throughout this ten-day festival and international celebration incorporating activism, education, and the history and culture of global LGBTI communities.
NUPGE major sponsor of World Pride Human Rights Conference
One of the key events during the celebration will be the World Pride Human Rights Conference 2014 (WPHRC14), of which NUPGE is a major sponsor. The conference takes place June 25–27 at the University of Toronto. It will be a major international gathering of activists, artists, educators, journalists, policy-makers, students, and others engaged in LGBTI human rights around the world. The conference will also provide a unique opportunity for a global dialogue about LGBTI human rights, ranging from performances to presentations, from politics to policies, and from activists to academics.
“NUPGE is proud to be a sponsor of the World Pride Human Rights Conference,” noted NUPGE National President James Clancy. “We are also pleased to have such a large contingent of activists attending World Pride Toronto, as well as other Pride events across the country. We encourage our members from coast to coast to use all Pride celebrations taking place this month in Toronto and across Canada as opportunities to recognize the value of diversity and to build greater solidarity in support of human rights for all."
NUPGE activists will meet together Wednesday evening
NUPGE will be holding a caucus of its activists attending the Toronto World Pride events. The caucus will take place Wednesday evening, June 25, at the Ontario Public Service Employees Union's (OPSEU/NUPGE) Wellesley Street office. The caucus will provide NUPGE activists with an opportunity to meet each other, network, find out what's happening in other NUPGE components and get updated on activities.
World Pride 2014 Events
Besides the NUPGE Canada caucus, other key events taking place during the ten-day celebrations are:
- Canadian Labour Congress Gathering of Labour Delegates will take place from 7 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the OPSEU/NUPGE downtown office, 31 Wellesley Street. This social event will provide an opportunity to meet, greet and network with other labour activists across the country and internationally.
- Hot Canadian Breakfast will take place from 7:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. on June 25, 26 and 27 at the United Steelworkers Hall, 25 Cecil Street. Delegates will have a chance to discuss their experiences at the Human Rights Conference while enjoying a hot breakfast. It’s open and free to all trade unionists.
- Annual Trans Pride Rally and March will take place on Friday, June 27. Members of the Trans communities, along with their allies, will march in support of Trans rights and recognition. Participants are asked to meet at George Hislop Park, 20 Isabella Street, at 6:45 p.m. The march commences at 7 p.m.
- Annual Dyke March will take place on Saturday, June 28. This year, the march will start with a rally at Allan Gardens located at 19 Horticultural Avenue at 1 p.m. Marchers are encouraged to assemble at 12:45 p.m. Allies and other non-dyke identified members of LGBTI communities are encouraged to stand along the route and show their support for queer women and dyke communities.
- World Pride Parade will take place on Sunday, June 29 at 1 p.m. This year, the Canadian Labour Congress and its affiliates will be joining together to form one huge labour contingent, in what will most likely be the largest ever World Pride Parade.
A number of other events will be taking place during World Pride. The Labour Pride website posts these events and others as they emerge. A complete listing of all other events can be found on World Pride's website.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE