We Belong Campaign

March 2010 to September 2012

PFLAG Canada-York Region celebrates the start of Our Public Awareness Campaign!
The funding for this specific campaign was generously granted by The Ontario Trillium Foundation.

The project is meant to stimulate discussion, interest, questions, even shock and promote respect for diversity and instill a sense of pride in people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. In the GTA we still face bashings, killings, harassment and suicides.

An attack on a gay person is an attack on all of us. Through a network of 78 chapters across Canada , PFLAG volunteers are contacted every day by frightened adolescents and by angry, fearful, ashamed parents.

In addition to the project, PFLAG Canada-York Region has speakers available for organizations, corporations, community groups, schools, churches and clubs.

According to Statistics Canada, one-third of teenage suicides are due to sexual orientation and 40% of street kids have been kicked out of their homes because of their sexual orientation.

There is a need to address the broader LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Transsexual, Two Spirited and Questioning) community. Within that we portrayed as much diversity as possible - linguistically, culturally as well as various identities around sexuality, sex and gender.

We did specifically include a photo of a trans woman, a transguy and some people of ambiguous gender, however people read gender in different ways. We also included someone with a disability. The shapes of the photos as presented give the impressions of a mosaic in which a diverse group of people interconnect to make the entire presentation, representing the community.

The top six languages in York Region were used: English, Chinese, Italian, Farsi, Tamil, Russian.

These Billboard and Transit Shelter ads
were displayed throughout York Region from late Summer 2010 through early Summer 2011
Posters and Post Cards have been sent to Schools throughout the Region for the 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 school years
Library displays including our campaign materials were also created for early Summer 2011 and 2012

Comments from the public sent in to us so far:

"I believe this is an important step in raising awareness and reducing the suffering caused by ignorance in mainstream rural Ontario."

"I think that the posters look great and it's a wonderful step forward in the education process. Good job!"

"As someone is both trans and queer, I think every little bit of awareness-raising helps! And what you've done is PHENOMENAL! Thank you."

"I have to tell you that these ads are absolutely brilliant! The selection of models, the use of different languages, the clarity and size of the text, and the in your face kiss which will bring attention and generate discussion. Fabulous! Well done! This is money well spent."