Five years ago, on July 15, 2021, Advocacy Canada launched in Kelowna, B.C., with a mission to foster unity by promoting understanding and acceptance of sexual and gender diversity within the community. Now, five years later, we are honoured to have reached thousands of people with our message of support, community, and inclusion. 

“Having the chance to connect with other queer people has allowed me to develop a network I didn’t know I was missing. I am so grateful for Advocacy Canada for providing these opportunities.”– Advocacy Canada Program Participant 

Since its inception, we have reached thousands of people through programs, events, advocacy initiatives, and community-building opportunities designed to foster safety, belonging, and inclusion.

Notable highlights from our work over the past five years include: 

• Annual 50+ Pride events to support queer seniors in the community, 
• Annual Trans Day of Visibility and Trans Day of Remembrance events to create safe spaces for connection, 
• Weekly Rainbow Men’s Coffee Meetups to reduce social isolation amongst queer men, and 
• Public rallies to support trans rights and drag story time, demonstrating our commitment to inclusion. 

While progress has been made, shifting political and social climates demonstrate the need for connection, support, and advocacy remains more important than ever. That is why we are launching the 5×5 Challenge, a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign designed to engage supporters across the community.