HONOURED POSITIONS AND GROUPS
CHARITY OF CHOICE
Canvas Programs is a thriving Toronto-based charity that provides empathy-based education on 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion and consent in schools, community spaces, and workplaces. Our arts-inspired programming has reached over 50,000 people, creating spaces where 2SLGBTQIA+ people can live authentically, survivors of sexual violence are believed, and youth have the tools to form safe, caring relationships. Canvas’ education is essential in combating the current rise in homophobia and transphobia.
international grand marshal
Pau González Sánchez is a trans masculine community leader and advocate for LGBTQI+ rights in Panama. He is the co-founder of the country’s first transmasculine group (Hombres Trans Panamá) and the first Association of Family and Friends of LGBTQI+ People (PFLAG-Panamá).
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he led efforts from civil society to document human rights violations suffered by the transgender population in Panama due to binary quarantine measures.
For the past 6 years, he has led, jointly with allied lawyers and CSOs, strategic litigation efforts for the recognition of gender identity rights in Panama. In 2024, he filed a complaint against the Panamanian state with the IACHR, arguing that the legal requirement for a medical-legal examination to change gender markers on official documents constitutes cruel treatment equiparable to torture that violates human dignity.
Pau has represented Panama globally, including in the Human Rights Campaign’s Global Innovators Program, and presented at the UN Human Rights Council through RFSL’s Rainbow Advocacy Program.
Currently, Pau works as real estate agent, property manager, and consultant for the National Campaign for Free and Equal of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. He also coordinates the Archive Project of the Historical Memory of Transmasculine and Trans Men in Latin America, which aims to document the lives and stories of trans men over 40 years old.
For the first time ever, Pride Toronto is excited to announce that we have four Trans ambassadors proudly representing Pride 2025! The time is now. In light of the challenges faced by our Trans siblings, we stand united—fully committed to supporting the trans community this year and beyond. Introducing our Trans ambassadors:
CATTLEYA SAGE KEB
TRANS AMBASSADOR
Cattleya Sage Keb is a proud transgender woman dedicated to advocacy, education, and inclusivity. Transitioning later in life has come with challenges, but she remains committed to raising awareness about trans rights and healthcare accessibility. With two business degrees and a mental health certification, she worked at Casey House on a trans health initiative funded by WAGE, identifying and addressing barriers in the healthcare system. She is also creating a documentary about her lived experience to further trans visibility and support future generations.
Fae Johnstone
A Champion for Queer and Trans Rights
Fae Johnstone is a leading advocate for queer and trans rights in Canada, with over a decade of activism. As Executive Director of Queer Momentum, she mobilizes advocates nationwide. A frequent voice in Canadian media, she has been featured in major publications and campaigns, including Hershey’s International Women’s Day initiative. Fae co-owns Wisdom2Action, a consulting firm advancing 2SLGBTQIA+
inclusion. Recognized with numerous awards, she continues to drive social change.
Follow her on Instagram @Faedingaway.
PePPER ESPIN
TRANS AMBASSADOR
Originally from Irapuato, Mexico, Pepper Espin (they/them) is a non-binary opera singer and peer support specialist. A former countertenor in Mexico City, they discovered their trans identity while studying performing arts. After surviving a transphobic attack in 2021, Pepper sought refuge in Canada, where they rebuilt their life. They now work in harm reduction and peer support while performing as a Drag Opera Singer in Toronto festivals. In 2024, they were granted protected person status, continuing their mission of advocacy and artistic expression.
LULA ABDO
TRANS AMBASSADOR
Lula Abdo (she/her) is a Yemeni trans advocate and community leader supporting trans and non-binary newcomers. As the Arabic Trans Power Project Coordinator at ASAAP, she provides essential resources and support. Lula’s journey from persecution to empowerment began with her asylum in Canada in 2019. Despite challenges, she built a new life through activism and work in the culinary industry. Her advocacy spans 519’s TPOC Project, Fife House, and MSSP, ensuring trans individuals receive healthcare, housing,and community support. Lula is a beacon of resilience and empowerment.
pride toronto ambassadors
Two-spirit ambassador
As seen on Canada’s Drag Race Season 3, Chelazon Leroux is Layten Byhette’s stage name. Chelazon (she/he/they) is a two-Spirit Dene First Nations Multidisciplinary Artist. Chelazon’s artistic pursuits include Drag, stand-up comedy, and social media content creation.
Chelazon uses her Indigenous identity—as a status member of Buffalo River Dene Nation (Treaty 10) and family ties to Fond Du Lac First Nation (Treaty 8)—as the foundation for her creative works. Chelazon is best known for her Auntie persona and TikTok posts. Chelazon uses her social media influence to educate and entertain audiences worldwide.
Her goal is to utilize her responsibilities as a Two-Spirit multimedia artist to bring Two-Spirit’s historical role into the modern world; and to educate and entertain audiences worldwide on the experiences, stories, and beauty of
Indigenous identity.
BI+ AMBASSADOR
Jasper Bryan (he/they) is a bi and genderqueer expressive arts therapist, facilitator, artist, and children’s book creator. A strong advocate for the
bi+ community, they co-founded Getting Bi+, Toronto’s only expressive arts therapy group for
bi+ individuals. Jasper integrates art and mental health to empower others and has volunteered with the Bi+ Arts Festival while supporting queer clients of all ages. Passionate about creativity,
they love glitter, rollerblading, and rainbows.
Learn more at queerarttherapy.com or on Instagram @queerarttherapy.
dyke ambassador
I am a Black African lesbian, a survivor, and an advocate. In 2019, I fled my home country to escape violence and persecution. Arriving in Canada as a refugee was both terrifying and freeing, but step by step, I built a life I’m proud of.
As a Registered Practical Nurse with global healthcare experience, I’m now pursuing my Nursing degree to deepen my impact. Healing is an ongoing journey—through therapy, community, and hope. Despite challenges, I hold onto the belief that better days are ahead.
As the 2025 Lesbian Ambassador, I stand for those who feel unheard, especially young Black African LGBTQ+ individuals, showing them that it’s possible to rise above hardship and live authentically. I believe in the power of care, empathy, and human connection.
No matter where you are on your journey, know this: You are worthy. You are strong. You are never alone.
BIPOC AMBASSADOR
BIPOC Executive Search Inc. is an executive search firm that serves as a catalyst for systemic transformation. Committed to dismantling barriers that marginalized communities face when pursuing positions of leadership—which they believe is an absolute must in their collective quest to realize true systemic change for the 2SLGBTQI+ community—BIPOC Executive Search centres its work on the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA). By partnering with organizations that share a vision of inclusive leadership and organizations that they’ve been able to educate, they’re paving the way for a future where equity is not aspirational but a lived reality. The firm opened its doors in 2020 and was founded by Jason Murray—a Black cis male who is part of the 2SLGBTQI+ community. The firm is comprised of 14 team members, with over one-third identifying as part of the 2SLGBTQI+ community and approximately 85% being part of the BIPOC community.
Newcomer Ambassador
Hale Nouri, a transgender woman from Iran, spent seven years as a refugee in Turkey before resettling in Canada. Her lived experience
fuels her advocacy for marginalized communities.
As a Support Coordinator at the Trans Power Project under ASAAP, she empowered transgender individuals and supported those affected by HIV/AIDS. Now a Settlement Worker, she assists Middle Eastern newcomers in their journey toward stability. Committed to social justice, Hale envisions a world where dignity, opportunity, and well-being are accessible to all.
SOBER AMBASSADOR
My name is Sharath Iyengar, a gay man in recovery. Writing these words reflects a long journey of self-acceptance. I moved to Toronto from Bangalore in 2021, carrying the weight of a conservative upbringing, childhood trauma, and struggles with substance use tied to my identity.
I turned to alcohol and cannabis to cope, but denial and self-sabotage led me to rock bottom when my partner left. Recovery has been challenging, but I’m grateful for the support of ACT, CAMH, HassleFree Clinic, and HQ. Through activism
and volunteering, I’ve found purpose,
resilience, and hope.
JULIE LASSONDE
Francophone ambassador
Français
Julie Lassonde (elle/iel) est une avocate de justice sociale, une médiatrice, et une artiste de la performance. Iel est engagée dans sa communauté en tant que personne bisexuelle/queer francophone, y compris à travers FrancoQueer. Elle a contribué au développement d’un programme pour les personnes francophones 2ELGBTQIA+ nouvellement arrivées au Canada et d’initiatives pour les personnes trans, non-binaires, bispirituelles et intersexes. Ayant près de vingt ans d’expérience de travail à l’élimination de la violence entre partenaires intimes, iel continue à sensibiliser la communauté 2ELGBTQIA+ à cette réalité.
English
Julie Lassonde (she/they) is a social justice lawyer, a mediator, and a performance artist. They are involved in their community as a bisexual/queer Francophone, including through FrancoQueer. She contributed to the development of a program for Francophone 2SLGBTQIA+ newcomers to Canada and of initiatives for trans, non-binary, Two-Spirit and intersex people. With close to twenty years of experience working to eliminate intimate-partner violence, they continue to raise awareness about this issue within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
