Egale Canada's Pride Campaign Seeks Canadian Support Against Rising Hate

With an alarming rise in incidents of violence directed towards the 2SLGBTQI community, Egale Canada’s Pride campaign has taken on a very different tone this year. #MyPrideWontUnravel defiantly and unapologetically calls on Canadians to stand up to this rising tide of hate.  

At the core of the campaign is the striking visual of an unravelled Pride flag - with exactly 6,423 individual threads painstakingly removed - one for every anti-LGBTQI+ protest or  hate-fuelled social post Egale tracked in Canada, from just the first three months of 2023.  

The campaign launched with a 60 second film, featuring three prominent members of the queer community - Drag Queen/activist Scarlett BoBo and dancer/choreographer  Hollywood Jade of Canada’s Drag Race fame, and trans comedian Al Val - all viscerally reacting to the unravelled flag while sharing their own experiences with hate.  

“People think Canada is immune to this type of bigotry and hate, but sadly we’re not...” said Allen Kwong, group creative director at TAXI, the agency behind the campaign. “It’s  difficult to see a symbol of our community being torn apart. But that’s exactly what’s happening. We hope it makes people uncomfortable. We hope it makes people angry. And  most of all, we hope it inspires action.”  

“Long before Pride was a celebration, it was a protest for the right to exist. It’s now 2023, and 2SLGBTQI people are still fighting against hate. If left unchecked, Pride will be pulled apart, one thread at a time,” added Mike Richardson, associate creative director at TAXI.  

The campaign includes TV, OLV and radio, as well as out of home and digital support. Egale has also provided shareable social assets that can be downloaded and used in support of the campaign using the hashtag #MyPrideWontUnravel.  

If we included every act of violence and unreported threat, there wouldn’t be any flag left to fly. A summary report, bound by the threads of the flag, is being sent to lawmakers, calling on them to create safe spaces for the 2SLGBTQI community. The unravelled flag will be on display at events across Toronto, starting at Toronto’s Labour of Love on June 10th.