Despite severe lockdowns that resulted in many in-person events turning into online events, the Trudeau government issued $12,021,707 worth of grants to dozens of non-profit organizations in order to fund Pride events between 2020 and 2022.

The grants ranged from a few hundred dollars to over $500,000, according to Access to Information documents obtained by “Run with Life” blogger Patricia Maloney.

Vancouver Pride Society received a total of $128,100 in 2020 despite holding no in-person event.

Another Vancouver group, Pride in Art Society, received $102,200 to hold its 11-day Queer Arts Festival, which was held remotely due to lockdowns, during the first year of Covid. Calgary Pride received $102,500 and similarly held its Pride events online. Pride Toronto received the same amount for its Virtual Pride festival in 2020. 

The government’s exuberant spending spree did not stop even as lockdowns and mandates were lifted and in-person events resumed.

Pride Toronto received an additional $99,800 once its in-person parade resumed in 2022. In the same year, the group also received over $30,000 from the Youth Summer Jobs Program and $60,000 to fund a “2-Spirit Pow Wow.”

In 2022, Vancouver Pride Society received $98,800 for its pride parade and an additional $90,400 for its Vancouver Winter Pride Week, which was held in person. The group also received a further $450,000 under the Western Diversification Program.

According to the Government of Canada website, the aim of the Western Diversification Program is to make “strategic investments in initiatives with not-for-profit organizations that enhance and strengthen the economy of Western Canada.”

The largest grant was given to Métis rights group “Women of the Metis Nation,” which received $734,340 in 2022 for a program titled “Metis Two-Spirit Pride: Protecting and Celebrating 2SLGBTQQIA+ Individuals.”

Vancouver group Fierté Pride Canada (FCP) received $600,000 under Canada’s “Equality for Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression” Program in 2022.

In 2023, Montreal Pride received $272,100 for a podcast “Together for All.”

Grants were given to numerous organizations in Ontario, B.C, Quebec, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, Yukon and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Many organizations received multiple grants year after year.

“The objective of the Equality for Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression Program is to advance social, political and economic equality with respect to sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression,” writes the Government of Canada website.

Eligible organizations can only receive funding for “time-specific projects including partnership building, capacity building, and applied community research.” The site specifies that funding is not given to “ongoing activities such as operation or administration.”

Last week, Liberal cabinet ministers, including Women and Gender Equality and Youth Minister Marci Ien, hosted an all-ages drag show after the government raised the progress pride flag on Parliament Hill. 

“Drag is a vibrant and diverse form of art, it’s about expressing yourself and pushing boundaries,” said Ien. “From timeless glamour to cutting-edge creativity, their energy is truly unforgettable.

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