A new Canadian awards celebration aims to do more than just honour queer celebrities and on-the-ground leaders: the Pink Awards want to make a tangible difference in Canadian queer communities. The inaugural celebration, which will be held in Toronto on Nov. 7, 2024, features prominent LGBTQ2S+ celebrities and activists, known as “champions,” who will be paying it forward by honouring Canadian “changemakers”—community organizations and individuals that are making a difference in their communities—with monetary awards.
“There’s nothing really like it in this space,” says Daniel MacIvor, playwright and creative development consultant for Pink Triangle Press, which is putting on the celebration. (Pink Triangle Press is the parent company of Xtra.) “The idea was to uplift—to look at who’s doing good work in the community, for the community and in the world—and then pay it forward. So we’re shining a light on not only the champion but also the changemaker, the charity that’s doing the work in the community.”
At the event, which will be held at the Globe and Mail Centre, champions will present awards to their selected charities, which will be revealed at the event. Champions appearing at the awards include actor, writer and producer Elliot Page; professional hockey player Marie-Philip Poulin; activist Latoya Nugent and musicians Rufus Wainwright and Jeremy Dutcher. The 2024 Pink Awards will be hosted by drag pop superstar and Canada’s Drag Race winner Queen Priyanka.
“This is about recognizing and celebrating LGBTQ2S+ people and organizations that bring positive change in our communities,” says David Walberg, executive director and CEO of PTP in a press release. “Our mission at Pink Triangle Press is to inspire people to engage and make change, and we are committed to telling their stories and recognizing their contributions, culminating in a celebratory evening of pure queer joy. Our champions, all incredibly accomplished, are paying it forward—sharing their time, talent and profile to make sure that we all know more about these charities and their powerful commitment to our communities.”
McIvor says that the ultimate goal of the event is to uplift positive queer and trans stories and figures—which is more important than ever in a time of rising anti-LGBTQ2S+ sentiment. “These are organizations that are deeply meaningful and important to the community,” he says. “By framing positive energy, and positive stories, we can help, hopefully, to start to have an effect.”
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