Keita, 30, immigrated from Sierra Leone to Edmonton with his family when he was 12. When he was 18, he moved to Toronto — home of one of the largest LGBTQ2 communities in the country.
Keita is disappointed that pride is cancelled this year, but he’s glad to see it’s happening during a time of increased discourse around anti-Black racism — something he’s experienced first-hand in the LGBTQ2 community.
“That this broader conversation about anti-Black racism is ongoing during the month when Pride typically occurs is quite fitting,” said Associate Professor Jen Gilbert at York University’s Faculty of Education.
“Pride actually began as a protest against police violence, led by Black and racialized trans women,” Gilbert said. “While we might be missing the parade and the parties, there is a way in which the current protests around the world against police violence have a lot to do with what Pride stands for.”