Hanlan’s Beach: 80+ years of Resilience
On a sunny day in August, 1971, a group of queer people gathered for a picnic at Hanlan’s Point, a beach on the Toronto islands. Peter Zorzi, founder of Toronto Area Gays, described the participants as a “ragtag group sharing a sense of mission.” Others described this early gathering as a joyful occasion full of “youthful fooling around,” that involved building a gay and lesbian pyramid.
These “Gay Day Picnics” at Hanlan’s point were Toronto’s first iterations of Pride. Before the bathhouse raids of 1981, the burgeoning queer community gathered on the beach to celebrate simply being gay. In spite of the light-hearted spirit, these picnics were a form of rebellion in themselves.
As Cheri DiNovo, former MPP for ParkdaleHigh Park has pointed out, queer culture was booming in the 70s. Yet despite the influence on fashion and culture, society still largely rejected the gay community. As a result, the first Pride celebrations had to take place in the margins.
Since homosexuality had only been decriminalized two years previously, spaces for queer people to come together and find acceptance were rare.
MAY HIGHLIGHTS CANADA
Pride 2023 Festival Launch
On May 3rd, the LetsStopAIDS team attended Pride Toronto’s 2023 Festival Launch, hosted by the CN Tower’s Sky Lounge. Guests were the first to hear the official line up of exciting events and acts which are sure to make this year’s festival
On International Day Against Homophobia Transphobia & Biphobia this year, LetsStopAIDS had the privilege to speak at the Defenders of the 2SLGBTQI+ Human Rights Youth Conference, hosted by Pride Toronto at the MLSE Launchpad, in front of a huge crowd of bright young individuals.
Not Another Gay Dance Party
For the first time, LetsStopAIDS had the pleasure to partner up with Not Another Gay Dance Party! Members of the LetsStopAIDS team showed up with friends, and our big LED sign! Don’t miss the next one happening this June!
Saskatoon
May was a month for forming partnerships! These are some of the organizations we had the privilege to meet with!
MAY HIGHLIGHTS
GLOBAL
KWAZULU-NATAL, South Africa
In 2008, LetsStopAIDS started a programme in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa called “Spread Trees, Not AIDS.”
Kwazulu-Natal is a province in South Africa that has consistently had one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world, attributed to various factors: high levels of poverty, limited access to healthcare and education, gender inequality, migration patterns, and a lack of awareness and preventative measures. These factors contribute to the spread of the virus and hinder efforts to control the epidemic.
This past month, our Founder & CEO, Shamin, had the opportunity to travel back to KwazuluNatal to continue our work addressing 2 key issues- HIV/AIDS & environmental degradation.
London, United Kingdom
Next stop: London, UK!
We had the privilege to meet with both Equality Caucus and Africa Advocacy Foundation on our trip to the UK. We look forward to the involvement of both these organizations in the new LetsStopAIDS strategy towards better advocacy and empowerment for youth.
Georgetown, Guyana
For our final trip in May, LetsStopAIDS headed down south to Georgetown, Guyana, where we exchanged many progressive conversations with both The Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) and the National Aids Programme Secretariat (NAPS) of the Ministry of Health to plan for all the exciting events and possibilities for young individuals in Guyana.
IN THE NEWS
TRANS WOMEN AT HIGH RISK
A new study conducted in the United States shows that gender-affirming care can reduce the risks of HIV in trans women. The study,
results indicate high rates of HIV infection and premature death among trans women at the population level, as well as even higher
Dramatic increases in policing and insurance costs may force Pride Toronto to cut programming from this year’s festival. Policing costs have jumped 150% since last year, from $62,000 to $186,000. Toronto Police Services says the price hike comes from growth in the event’s size and a recent 14% pay raise for police officers rather than perceived security threats. Insurance costs have also risen by 300%, but the insurer declined to comment. Experts believe that
heightened violence towards queer communities across North America could be to blame for rising insurance costs. With Pride 2023 only weeks away, this astronomical spike in costs has left Pride Toronto scrambling to secure government funding. Pride executive director Sherwin Modeste calls the rates “ridiculous” and fears that local 2SLGBTQI+ artists hired for Pride will be left out in the cold if more funding cannot be obtained.
“We need to know that our governments at all levels take the lives of the queer community seriously."
A remote beach with little foot traffic and a historically liberal attitude towards clothing, Hanlan’s became a haven where queer people could freely be themselves.
That’s not to say that the queer community was trying to hide. In 1974, these “Gay Picnics” turned into an unofficial Pride Week, with mini parades that took place on the sidewalks of Toronto. A few years later, the infamous bathhouse raids of 1981 sparked the protests that ultimately led the city of Toronto to recognize Pride as an official celebration.
A lot has changed since the 70s. Today, many different kinds of people frequent Hanlan’s beach, but it still remains an important gathering point that queer groups fiercely defend. Just this year, the City of Toronto announced plans to build a permanent festival space on Hanlan’s point, a move that drew ire from the queer community. Many feared that they would be pushed out from yet another historically queer space. Yet thanks to Hands off Hanlan’s, a group that quickly organized around this cause, as well as the thousands of people who protested, the city dropped the plan.
This strong show of solidarity through rapid organizing demonstrates the power of queer resilience today. Away from the crowds of families and tourists, on a point that overlooks the open water, with the city in the background, Gay Picnics will continue
VOLUNTEER FEATURE
This is our star volunteer feature for this month’s newsletter! Everyone, meet Zara, a Community Outreach Coordinator and Peer Educator!
Zara has been a volunteer with LetsStopAIDS for over a year and a half, and has taken on multiple roles to help us out, including traveling to Montréal for the AIDS2022 Conference last July.
Zara has always had an interest in sexual health education and promotion, due to the limited knowledge exchange and access within her community. Her mission is to increase accessibility of information for all those who seek it.
In her free time Zara likes to watch different kinds of TV shows, scroll through Twitter, and cook!
WHAT TO EXPECT
LetsStopAIDS is doubling up in size. Our space will be twice as big, bringing double the energy and double the excitement this year!
There’ll be lots of LetsStopAIDS merchandise available to everyone! We’ll even have a fun social media Red Mic Interview for all you social media stars. Come for high energy, good vibes, or just to try out our very popular limbo!
2023 THEME
CHROMA UNITY.
Bringing together all the individual colours of Pride to symbolize inclusivity and togetherness.
SNEAK PEAK
Vagina Bean Bag Tos
Dildo Ring Toss
Limb
Red Mic Serie Merchandis & more!
SIP SYNERGY
PRIDE MONTH RESTAURANT FUNDRAISER
This Pride month, LetsStopAIDS has made it’s first restaurant partnership with Storm Crow Manor.
At LetsStopAIDS, we envision a world with zero new HIV infections and positive outcomes for those already living with HIV. This year, $3 from every drink purchased during Pride Month will go to support efforts in mobilizing young people in the HIV/AIDS response.
“ORANGE RHAPSODY”
Is this real life? Or is it just fantasy? No escape from mixology.
Aperol
Lemon Juice
Taste: Orange Creamiscle
UPCOMING EVENTS IN CANADA
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Okanagan Pride week & festival
All across Kelowna
jun 02 - jun 11
Surrey pride
Jun 24
ONTARIO
NOT ANOTHER GAY DANCE PARTY
Rivoli Toronto, 334 Queen St W
Jun 03
YORK PRIDE
56 Charles St, Newmarket, ON L3Y 1S7
Get Saucy with Diana Sauss JUN 16 - Jun 17 | 3PM EST
Victoria PRIDE Festival
Downtown Victoria
Jun 29 - jul 09
Civic Plaza, Surrey Edmonton
Cirillo’s Academy, 118 The Esplanade, Toronto, ON
June 24 | 6PM - 9:30PM EST
ALBERTA
pride
jun 23 - jun 24
EQHP Walking Tour
#1 Sir Winston Churchill Square Edmonton, T5J 0R2
jun 23 - jun 24
SASKATCHEWAN
Regina Downtown 1822 Scarth St #200, Regina
jun 02 - jun 11 jun 17
Winnipeg Morden Park, Morden
May 26 - jun 04 JUN 10
Between 24th St and Spadina Cres, Saskatoon
UPCOMING EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD
North America
LA PRide in the park
LA State Historic Park, 1245 N Spring St
Jun 10 - Jun 11
Disneyland After Dark: Pride Nite
1313 Disneyland Dr, Anaheim, CA
JUN 13 - JUN 15
NYC Pride
Greenwich Village, New York
JUN 25
South
AMerica
BOGOTA Pride
Parque Nacional Cl. 7 #38-1, Bogotá, Colombia
JUN 29 - JUL 02
São Paulo Gay Pride
Museum of Art of São Paulo, C8QV+CJ Bela Vista
JUN 07 - 11
EUrope
LONDON PRIDE
Portland Place to Whitehall, London, England
JUN 30 - Jul 02
CSD Berlin Pride
Berlin, Germany
Jun 22
Paris GAY Pride
Place de la Concorde, 75008 Paris, France
Jun 24
Rome Gay Pride
Piazza della Republica
Jun 10
Rotterdam Pride
Willemsplein 3016 DR
Rotterdam, Nederland
Jun 03
Madrid Orgullo
Atocha Station - Plaza de Colón
Jun 23 - JUL 02
AFRICA
PRIDE IN LAGOS
Lagos, Nigeria/ West Africa
JUN 12 - JUN 18
Asia
Chennai Rainbow Pride
Rajarathinam Stadium, Tamil Nadu, India
JUN 25
Circuit festival asia
Pattaya City, Bang Lamung District , Chon Buri, Thailand
JUN 23 - JUN 25
Australia
Gold coast pride
Macintosh Island Park, Main Beach Parade, QLD JUN 03
Darwin Pride
46 Woods St, Darwin City
JUN 24
OUR FRIENDS
MEDIA PARTNERS
