Dufferin County to host event on 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusivity this Pride Month

June 12, 2025 · 0 Comments

Join Dufferin County this June for a free, educational and meaningful conversation on improving 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusivity in Dufferin County and beyond.

In collaboration with the Equity Events Working Group, Dufferin County will be hosting “Don’t Rain on My Parade: Combatting 2SLGBTQIA+ Hate, Celebrating Community, and Taking Action Towards a More Inclusive World” in recognition of Pride Month.

This free community event will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25 at the Monora Park Pavilion.

Speaking from broad professional, personal and educational experiences, keynote speaker Prasanna Ranganathan will explore notions of identity and connection with a view to creating community, shattering stereotypes and combatting the rampant hate and discrimination that 2SLGBTQIA+ communities face worldwide. With a blend of personal stories, human rights considerations and inclusion best practices, Prasanna will underscore how we can, individually and collectively, create workplaces, organizations and civic spaces where 2SLGBTQIA+ community members not only feel safe, but included, valued, respected and celebrated.

“Dufferin County Council has proclaimed June Pride Month in Dufferin County to spotlight and celebrate the contributions of Dufferin’s 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. County Council invites our residents and stakeholders to join us in recognizing and celebrating Pride Season this summer, and encourages everyone to join us at this meaningful event to learn how we can create inclusive spaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities,” said Janet Horner, Warden of Dufferin County.

Registration is required for the event here. Register online at eventbrite.ca/e/dont-rain-on-my-parade-community-conversation-tickets-1397240075679.

Prasanna Ranganathan is a documentary producer, human rights lawyer, diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and belonging (DEIAB) consultant/advisor, speaker, author, correspondent, writer and arts columnist.

Proudly claiming his identity as a racialized, queer person with a disability (blindness), Prasanna is a board member of the Disability Screen Office and a past board member of Inside Out (the largest LGBTQ2+ film festival in Canada).

Prasanna is a seasoned speaker, providing the annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) inclusion and accessibility workshop, speaking at the TIFF Industry Conference, delivering anti-bias and accessibility training to the Sundance Institute, and serving as a Guest Lecturer at the University of Southern California Annenberg Inclusion Initiative on inclusive storytelling.

“Dufferin County is excited to host the Don’t Rain on My Parade Pride event in collaboration with the Equity Events Working Group this month! Our team is committed to starting conversation and driving change, so that our residents can learn more about Dufferin’s diverse communities. We look forward to learning more about how we can create a more inclusive world for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities this Pride season, together,” said Sonya Pritchard, Chief Administrative Officer of Dufferin County.