Queer joy was in abundance during the inaugural Pink Triangle Press (PTP) Pink Awards on Thursday.
Organized by PTP, the evening saw stars, community members, charity representatives and activists gathered at the Globe and Mail Centre for a perfectly pink affair to celebrate 2SLGBTQ+ resilience, excellence and joy.
“It’s a real coming together of queer and trans talent… to celebrate [and] to promote positive change and to support five charities who deserve to be seen and supported,” PTP Managing Director Jennifer McGuire told Queer & Now ahead of the show.
Hosted by Canada’s Drag Race winner Queen Priyanka and Etalk Reporter and iHeartRadio Correspondent Shannon Burns, the Pink Awards honoured 2SLGBTQ+ activists and changemakers nationwide.
“There are a lot of unsung heroes in the community,” David Walberg, executive director and CEO of PTP, told Queer & Now on the pink carpet.
“Politically, we’re seeing right now, certainly with the election in the United States just the other day, but also in Canada, a real scapegoating of queer people,” Walhberg said. “We really wanted to take back the narrative and talk about real people and real organizations who are making a real difference.”
Ahead of the show, selected champions including Polaris Prize-winning artist Jeremy Dutcher and activist Latoya Nugent, chose five 2SLGBTQ+ charities to present with awards to recognize their contributions to the community.
Nugent works as the head of engagement at Rainbow Railroad, a charity supporting 2SLGBTQ+ people fleeing persecution in their home countries due to their sexuality or gender identity. The activist awarded The 519’s program Among Friends with a Pink Award. The popular program supports queer refugee claimants settling in Canada after fleeing persecution in their home country.
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PFlag Canada, a decades-old organization that provides resources to both 2SLGBTQ+ people and their loved ones, was presented with a Pink Award by Canadian artist Rufus Wainwright.
Dutcher presented an award to charity 2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations, an Ontario charity that advocated for the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being of two-spirit people.
Meanwhile, on behalf of Canadian hockey superstar and Montréal Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin, Schitt’s Creek actress Emily Hampshire presented an award to the You Can Play Project, an organization promoting 2SLGBTQ+ inclusion in sports.
Hampshire says there couldn’t be a better time for an award show to honour the queer community.
“It’s about visibility, and putting visibility on charities. I didn’t even know about all the charities being awarded tonight. So, that’s even amazing, to let people know what’s out there.”
“When you see someone being your secret self in the world, you feel like you don’t have to hide anymore, and you can be yourself, too.”
A Pink Legacy Award was presented to iconic activist and philanthropist Salah Bachir by Mathieu Chantelois of the Canada Media Fund, to recognize Bachir’s decades of advocacy for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
In addition to award presentations, the show featured soulful, moving performances by Katie Tupper, Rufus Wainwright, and Jeremy Dutcher, as well as a handful of videos explaining the work of the chosen charities.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow was in attendance, speaking to the crowd about the long-fought battles for 2SLGBTQ+ rights and freedoms, and the progress made by the queer community. Chow also acknowledged the work that still needs to be done to achieve true equality and promised to continue being an ally for the community from her position as mayor.
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Following this, Priyanka thanked the mayor for her support, before calling on her not to allow developers to turn the spaces that are currently home to The Village’s queer bars into condos – an ongoing concern amongst 2SLGBTQ+ community members and residents of the neighbourhood.
CONCERNS ABOUT 2SLGBTQ+ RIGHTS
Despite being a night of celebration, it was clear that this week’s election results south of the border have 2SLGBTQ+ community members concerned.
“The world got a lot more difficult for 2SLGBTQIA+ people this week,” Walberg said in a statement.
“As we brace ourselves to fight more backlash, we recognize the need and the importance of creating a space where we celebrate our own as we truly are,” the statement continues.
This sentiment was echoed by Wainwright, who lives stateside.
“As you can tell recently from the [American] election… queer people are an instant target,” Wainwright told Queer & Now.
The musician says that it’s time for people to stand up against the discrimination and hate facing minority communities.
“As we’ve learned recently from the American election, there’s a huge amount of people out there who just are not, you know, I wouldn’t say [are] against [us] necessarily, but who aren’t on our side,” the musician explained. “We have to bridge that gap.”
“It’s also so important now to support our community and be a force for decency, really, and be up there fighting for a better world.”
Canadian creative powerhouse Elliot Page agrees, telling Queer & Now that queer spaces like the PTP Pink Awards are crucial for the community.
“We’re actively, legally conspired against and dehumanized, and to have these spaces to allow individuals to be their full selves, to know they’re not alone, to be there for one another,” Page said.
“I know community is most certainly what has saved me and allowed me to thrive. So, yeah, all I can say is, it’s imperative.”
ELLIOT PAGE & SKIPPING STONE
Page presented the very first Pink Award to Alberta charity Skipping Stone. The organization works to support trans and gender-diverse individuals across that province by doing the heavy lifting associated with navigating the world as a trans or gender-diverse person, so they can focus on thriving.
Explaining why he chose Skipping Stone for the Changemaker Award, Page told Queer & Now that as a young person growing up on the east coast, he would have benefitted from the resources provided by Skipping Stone.
“I didn’t really have anywhere to go. So, to know that a place like Skipping Stone exists. You know, that gives me hope for the future.”
Skipping Stone Managing Director and Co-Founder Amelia Newert told Queer & Now that the work the charity does is more important now than ever before, with what has been dubbed anti-2SLGBTQ+ legislation being tabled in Alberta.
“I feel… given everything that’s going on, to have an organization be a beacon of hope and a gathering place for people to be able to come together, and for people to know they’re not alone is really important,” Newert explained, adding that being the recipient of a Pink Award has given the charity the chance to reflect on the positive impact Skipping Stone has had for trans and gender diverse people in Alberta.
Speaking on the importance of having events like the PTP Pink Awards that elevate representation, Co-Founder and Executive Director Lindsay Peace says that they often hear from youth who say they don’t see themselves represented in media.
“They don’t see themselves in the world, and it’s so important for kids to see themselves existing, and, you know, thriving, not just surviving, but thriving in the world,” Peace explained.
She also shared a message for 2SLGBTQ+ young people concerned about ongoing events on either side of the border that impact the rights of our communities.
“We’ll fight it and we’ll win, and it’s going to take a while, and I know it’s going to be hard, but ultimately, we’re going to fight this, and there’s no way that we won’t win.”
Page also shared some words of advice for 2SLGBTQ+ people who are not comfortable living their truth.
“Really love yourself, and if you have any sort of discomfort or shame that’s affecting you, holding you back, I really want you to know that that shame is not yours, it’s theirs.”
“You are extraordinary and amazing. Hold onto yourself and know who you are, it is going to be OK. The act of liberation isn’t linear, we are facing a big backlash,” Page said. “I do believe in the end, queer and trans liberation and love will win.”
