Is it a little early for a Pride Month post? Maybe just a tad… but we have so many things coming up for all ages in June that we can’t keep it to ourselves and we want to make sure everyone knows about them. And besides, is it ever too early or too late to celebrate and acknowledge our 2SLGBTQIA+ citizens? I think not!

So what do you have to look forward to as we get into June?

Well, since this is a blog for grownups, I’ll start with the grown-up program. On Wednesday, June 3rd, 6:30pm at the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre branch, we are once again hosting Queerative Doodling. This year we’re partnering with McMichael Canadian Art Collection to help our attendees learn about the role of art in queer culture and history, and they will get the chance to be a part of that legacy while creating their own vision boards. This is a registered program with limited spaces, and you can sign up for it on our Eventbrite page here.

For teen programming we have the Merch Maker: Pride in a Jar program on Thursday, June 4th, 6:30pm at the Pierre Berton Resource Library. We’ll be creating a welcoming environment for teens in grades 7-12 to spend time with their friends or meet new friends while they stretch their creativity making mason jar mugs. As with the Doodling program space will be limited for Pride in a Jar and registration is required, which you can find here.

We are honored once again to welcome performers Fay and Fluffy to the Civic Centre Resource Library on Sunday, June 14th at 1pm for Reading is Fabulous! This year our guests will help us kick off our annual Summer Reading Club with a presentation and a book talk. No registration required on this family-friendly and older-kid-friendly celebration of books, not to mention there’ll be lots of laughs and fun.

And new this year, we have another family event called the Pride Month Puppet Show. This will be held on Saturday, June 27th, 2pm at the Bathurst Clark Resource Library.

Let me give you a description of the event straight from my friends who have created this original, musical story. “Meet Pip and friends, and the wonderful array of their colorful shadows! At first they’re nervous because their shadows change colors with how they feel. They try to hide it. But with the help of Miss Glimmer Starlight and their friends, everyone sees how special their colour-changing shadows are! Audience will enjoy this sweet and colorful puppet show, which celebrates being yourself and loving who you are. After the show, everyone’s invited to keep the positive energy and creativity going at our special mini Pride Puppet Show drawing board. And always remember, ‘Love is something we all share, and all are welcome here!'” No need to register for this program either, just come on by on the 27th.

Last but certainly not least, we have a wonderful opportunity throughout the month of June to highlight queer history for our teens and anyone interested in learning more. This year, we are hosting the Student and Youth LGBTQ2+ Activism Exhibit. The exhibit is presented by The ArQuives, an organization whose mandate is to “acquire, organize, and preserve materials in any medium by and about 2SLGBTQIA+ people in Canada.” They are one of the largest independent 2SLGBTQIA+ archives in the world and the only one in Canada operating on a national scale.

This exhibit features a variety of media, including buttons, posters, photographs, and more, to showcase the work of 2SLGBTQIA+ activists aged 29 and under from the 1970s to the present. Visitors will find posters for youth groups, pamphlets with health information, pages from zines, calls to action, and much more. It offers a powerful snapshot of our country’s history and the voices of its young changemakers. Plus, we’ll have a button making station set up along with the exhibit.

So June is shaping up to be a fabulous month! Please ask our staff if you have any questions at all. When you’re looking through our What’s On magazine and all of our different programming, look for the current pride flag (like the one in the image below) to find what we’re offering. Happy early Pride everyone! Stay tuned for more as we finally land in June.