Allyship town hall shines light on importance of allies supporting LGBTQ community

Being an LGBTQ+ ally can take many shapes and forms, and Thursday'sPride Month event will look into what being an ally looks like in the Thunder Bay community.

Rainbow Collective of Thunder Bay will host an Allyshiptown hall consisting of a panel of local LGBTQ+ allies discussing how peoplecan support the city's queer community.

These events areimportant to elevate ally voices, especially now "at probably one of the most critical times in the gay and trans rights movement," explainedJason Veltri, the event's organizer and president of the Rainbow Collective of Thunder Bay.

"The message we're trying to convey here is taking specific individuals from different backgrounds who are dedicating and living allyship either outwardly or to us what we see as allyship, what they see as normal, actual behaviour that should be done in everyday life."

The panel will be on how allies and the LGBTQ+ community can better work together, Veltri said.

"This year, we're taking the approach that even though our theme is you belong,the hidden theme, so to speak, is allyship and how does allyship matter in your day, and how can you be a better ally to queer, trans, interspirit communities today."

There has been a growing number of violent incidentsand protests directed against people within the LGBTQ+ community across Canada, particularly over the past three years. Between 2020-2022, Canada experienced a 64 per cent increase in hate crimes targeting individuals based on their sexual orientation, according to the latest available data from Statistics Canada.

Panellist wants to 'be a part of something so important'

Panellist Carolyn Karle said she was honouredthat Rainbow Collective of Thunder Bay asked her to be a panellist for the Allyship Townhall. She added that she is excited to learn more about the LGBTQ+ community while there.

"I'm older than a lot of younger people, and I don't understand a lot of [the queer community]," said Karle."So I'm kind of in the process of learning a lot. So I feel that I just want to be here. I want to be a part of something so important"

Karle added that she tries to be a good ally by keeping an open mind.

"People need support and to feel loved and cared about and not all this stigma attached to things and let people live their lives the way they want to be. I think just being open to it is a very, very supportive approach."

WATCH | People in Thunder Bay explain what Pride means to them:

What does Pride mean to you? Here's what people in Thunder Bay have to say

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Thunder Bay kicked off its Pride events in style. CBC's Marc Doucette spoke with members of the 2SLGBTIAQ+ community about what it all means to them.

As the founder of the DEK Foundation, a non-profit organization offering drug addiction and mental health support, Karle said it's important to talk about mental health when talking about the LGBTQ+ community.

"I know that people numb their feelings when they're not accepted and when they experience trauma, so we're all hopeful that people can be much more open about mental health," said Karle.

"I know I've heard of many stories where folks are trying to hide the fact that they are gay or choosing something very different, and they're not accepted. So they turn to substance to sort of numb the pain. So I think there's a lot of hate. I think we need to really come together with some love and understanding."

Veltri emphasized that the Allyship Townhall is open to allies and the queer community. He said Rainbow Collective of Thunder Bay wants allies "to come, listen, engage and have a conversation" while acknowledging that the town hall is still a Pride event.

"We do want our community to come and partake and ask these allies how they're going to do more. There is a bit of an opportunity for folks to ask these panellist questions on how they see moving the needle even further within their respective fields that they come from."

The Allyship Townhall will occur at the Roots Community Food Centre at 7 p.m.