Pride Toronto is excited to announce that thanks to the generosity of our Virtual Pride sponsors, we will be distributing an additional $40,000 to the 220+ LGBT2Q+ local artists who participated as part of the Virtual Pride Festival. This funding is incremental to the original programming fee provided to these artists from Pride Toronto.
Pride Toronto experienced an estimated $1.5 million in lost revenue from our initial projections as a result of the pandemic in 2020. Though the financial impact to the not-for-profit was substantial, it is the urgent needs of the LGBT2Q+ community members that are the top priority.
“All financial stability went out from under us with the cancellation of the physical Festival. We are incredibly grateful to all of the partners who continued to support us through one of our most difficult operational years yet. The future of the Festival is still uncertain but we need to do whatever we can to support those most impacted now.”- Amber Moyle, Director of Sponsorship & Strategy
The entertainment and tourism sector has been hit the hardest by the pandemic and will take the longest to recover. Until that happens, thousands of LGBT2Q+ artists and entertainers are facing uncertainty for the future. This additional funding is being distributed to assist the 220+ Virtual Pride participating artists however Pride Toronto acknowledges that it is not enough to help make a substantial impact during this time.
The LGBT2Q+ communities are disproportionately challenged during this difficult time. Egale Canada completed a national study surrounding the impacts of COVID-19 on Canada’s LGBT2Q+ communities and the following are some of the issues faced by the uniquely vulnerable LGBT2Q+ communities during this pandemic:
52% of Canada’s LBGT2Q+ households have faced lay-offs or reduced employment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as compared to 39% of overall Canadian households.
LGBT2Q+ individuals face higher risks of mental health issues due to the effects of discrimination and social determinants of health, this applies especially to LBGT2Q+ individuals who are unable to access their support networks during this time of physical distancing.
Thank you to all of the partners who made this possible through your commitment to Pride Toronto and the communities we serve.
VIRTUAL PRIDE IN REVIEW
In alignment with the City of Toronto’s restrictions, Pride Toronto’s physical 2020 Festival was cancelled. This left a number of uncertainties that had to be quickly addressed. We understood the impact the cancellation would have both financially and emotionally for the communities we serve. It also left us grappling with our own financial uncertainty as were facing a massive loss in Festival revenue as well as a potential drop in sponsorships.
On May 1, 2020, we announced the first-ever Virtual Pride Festival. We set out unsure of our financial backing and hoped to produce 10 virtual events featuring 50 local artists.
We are incredibly proud to announce that throughout June, we produced over 100 unique virtual events, featuring 220+ LGBT2Q+ local artists! We surpassed our goals thanks to the hard work of our staff, volunteers, artists, curators, board, major cultural partners, and sponsors.
VIRTUAL PRIDE FAST FACTS
1 | Virtual Pride |
3 Days | Festival Weekend Programming |
3 Weeks | Stay Home Saturday Programming |
5 | Major Cultural Partners |
10 | Repeating Weekly Series |
10 | Special Events |
12 Episodes | Black Queer & Trans Excellence Series |
15 | Number of Community Consultations |
19 | Party Collectives |
21+ | Visual Artists Supported |
40 | Total Weekly Series Events & Episodes |
40+ | Volunteers |
46 | Online Parade Contingents |
52 | Official Pride Toronto Sponsors |
70 | Online Vendor Portal Participants |
101+ | Unique Calendar Items |
129+ | Total Programming Hours |
220+ | Local LGBT2Q+ Artists |
82% | BIPOC Artists |
545 | Attendees for Anti-Oppression Training |
1200+ | Volunteer Hours |
$30,000 | Donated from Pride Toronto to Black Queer & Trans and LGBT2SQ+ Causes |
55,000 | LIVE – Virtual Pride Online Parade Viewers |
