Pride flags are back, but funding for queer services is drying up
As Pride Month returns, activist Myles Sexton says meaningful support for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities is harder to find. Queer-serving orgs lost 30% of donors since 2020.
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Pride flags are returning to storefronts this June, but the support behind them is fading, says Toronto activist and creator Myles Sexton.
Queer-serving organizations across Canada have lost nearly 30 per cent of their donors since 2020, according to data from fundraising platform CanadaHelps. This comes even as the cost of running crucial services—housing assistance, STI prevention, mental health support, healthcare—has climbed.
"Less crisis lines are being answered, more of the community-based support systems are not available because jobs will have to be cut," Sexton explained. The activist argues that many companies treat Pride as a seasonal campaign rather than a year-round commitment. "I think organizations need to go beyond just putting up a rainbow flag," Sexton said, calling for businesses to focus on educating staff, creating safer workplaces, and hosting community fundraisers.
With anti-trans rhetoric and hate crimes remaining a concern, advocates say the fight for 2SLGBTQIA+ equality is far from over.