The Justin Trudeau-led Government of Canada has announced that one month is not sufficient for the celebration of LGBT pride, and that the festivities will be extended to cover the whole season.
“1 month isn’t enough to celebrate Pride in Canada!” declared his Twitter-verified ‘Free to be me’ account, an official account of the Government of Canada, alongside an emoji rainbow, gay pride flag emoji, and transgender flag emoji.
“#PrideSeason takes place from June to September with local events across the country celebrating the resilience and spirit of #LGBTQ2 people in Canada. Follow us as we highlight Pride celebrations all summer long!” the account added, alongside a digital poster exclaiming “HAPPY PRIDE SEASON!” with a Canadian maple leaf logo stylised in the colours of the new Black Lives Matter and trans movement compliant LGBT flag, incorporating black and brown stripes and the colours of the transgender pride flag.
Canada’s LGBTQ2 Secretariat, which the ‘Free to be me’ account links to, had already celebrated an “International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOTB)” in May, and is committed to”work[ing] across federal public service to support the integration of LGBTQ2 considerations into the everyday work of the Government of Canada.”
The Secretariat explains on its website that the term “LGBTQ2” refers to persons who are “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Two-Spirit” — the last of these being a somewhat loose term for native American Indians who identify “as having both a masculine and a feminine spirit”, according to the Re:searching for LGBTQ2S+ Health group of “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, Two-Spirit, and queer (LGBTQ2S+) and ally researchers”.
The LGBTQ2 Secretariat has previously issued an official Apology to LGBTQ2 communities to sexual minorities “harmed by federal legislation, policies and practices that led to the oppression of and discrimination against two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in Canada.”