The 2022 Toronto Pride Parade drew hundreds of thousands of people on Sunday, marking the return of in-person festivities for the annual LGBTQ+ celebration since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Global Citizen joined the march in support of the LGBTQ+ community and to call on the federal government to make a new financial commitment to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria this year.
Alongside Global Citizen, Results Canada and ONE Campaign marched with drag artists Rachael Temptation, Bekka Blake, Ella Mayo, Rubi Strange, and Cherie Zaad with a clear message for the government: It’s time to step up and commit $1.2 billion over three years.
Since its founding in 2000, the Global Fund has served as a critical resource for LGBTQ+ communities in the more than 120 countries it invests in. The organization has contributed to a 54% drop in new HIV infections and helped save 44 million lives from the deadly diseases, particularly in low-income countries where health care systems are lacking.
Toronto PrideParade
Jordan Devon, Global Citizen's Digital Campaigns Manager in Canada, and Laura Kelly-Hunter from Results Canada speaking to a passerby about the Global Citizen coalition campaign booth at the Pride Toronto Community Fair.
Toronto PrideParade
A passerby poses for a photo after stopping at Global Citizen's booth to learn about the coalition campaign to secure a 1.2billion dollar commitment to the Global Fund from Canada.
Toronto PrideParade
Global Citizen's coalition had a booth at Pride Toronto Community Fair on Sunday June 26, 2022. The campaign had a series of actions participants could take at the booth, such as tweeting at Canadian leaders to then signing petitions.
Toronto PrideParade
A woman visits the Global Citizen, Results Canada, and ONE Campaign booth, who organized at the Toronto Pride Parade in support of the LGBTQ+ community and to call on the government to make a new financial commitment to the Global Fund.
Toronto PrideParade
Global Citizen's Jordan Devon, Digital Campaigns Manager in Canada, and Laura Kelly-Hunter from Results Canada pose for a photograph at the community fair in Toronto, Canada, on June 26, 2022.
But the COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on the fight against the AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria epidemics. The Global Fund’s Results Report 2021 revealed significant drops in TB treatment, HIV prevention outreach, and HIV testing compared to numbers before the pandemic.
“Despite the horrible toll COVID-19 has taken, the pandemic presents us with a chance to build a better, more equitable and healthier world,” Peter Sands, executive director of the Global Fund, said in a September 2021 press release. “Together, we have changed the trajectory of HIV, TB, and malaria and we are determined to continue to do so.”
Other advocacy groups that participated in the event included the Grandmothers Advocacy Network, Plan International Canada, Prevention Access Campaign, TB PPM Learning Network, and Stop TB Canada.
The Global Fund’s 2022 goal is to raise US$18 billion to save 20 million lives and get the world back on track to achieve the target of defeating AIDS, TB, and malaria by 2030. The fund holds a replenishment conference every three years to raise funds. Its seventh replenishment conference will take place in the US in the second half of this year.
Marchers with Global Citizen, Results Canada, and ONE Campaign call on Prime Minister Trudeau to commit $1.2 billion to the Global Fund over three years, at Toronto Pride in Toronto, Canada, on Sunday, June 26, 2022.
Canada has been a strong supporter of the Global Fund since 2002. The country has invested nearly CA$3.6 billion and US$100 million to date, making it the sixth biggest government donor. In 2019, Canada pledged $930.4 million for the period of 2020 to 2022, representing an increase of close to 16% from 2016.
Join Global Citizen in urging the Canadian government to contribute its fair share of $1.2 billion over the next three years to the Global Fund. Meeting this goal will be crucial to ending the AIDS, TB, and malaria epidemics by the end of the decade.
“Fight for What Counts”: Banners and posters urge the Canadian government to help fight AIDS, TB, and malaria, at Toronto Pride in Toronto, Canada, on Sunday, June 26, 2022.
Just outside the march route, drummers help rally support for the Global Fund — and its critical resources for LGBTQ+ communities — at Toronto Pride in Toronto, Canada, on Sunday, June 26, 2022.
“We must remember! The AIDS epidemic continues!” Marchers lead the group through the street at Toronto Pride in Toronto, Canada, on Sunday, June 26, 2022.
(L-R) Drag artists Bekka Blake, Rubi Strange, Rachael Temptation, and Ella Mayo hold signs from Global Citizen, Results Canada, and ONE Campaign in support of the Global Fund at Toronto Pride in Toronto, Canada, on Sunday, June 26, 2022.
Drag artist Cherie Zaad holds a sign with the message #EndAIDS at Toronto Pride in Toronto, Canada, on Sunday, June 26, 2022.
Drag artist Rachael Temptation at Toronto Pride in Toronto, Canada, on Sunday, June 26, 2022.
Drag artist Bekka Blake at Toronto Pride in Toronto, Canada, on Sunday, June 26, 2022.
Drummers help the procession march and chant with Global Citizen, Results Canada, and ONE Campaign in support of the Global Fund at Toronto Pride in Toronto, Canada, on Sunday, June 26, 2022.
Drag artists Ella Mayo, Rubi Strange, and Cherie Zaad lead the procession at Toronto Pride in Toronto, Canada, on Sunday, June 26, 2022.
Drag artists Ella Mayo and Rubi Strange pose with signs in support of the Global Fund with Global Citizen, Results Canada, and ONE Campaign at Toronto Pride in Toronto, Canada, on Sunday, June 26, 2022.
Marchers sport colors showing LGBTQ+ pride and allyship as they call on the Canadian government to commit to ending the AIDS epidemic at Toronto Pride in Toronto, Canada, on Sunday, June 26, 2022.
Marchers pass through the intersection of Bloor and Church Streets in Toronto, Canada, on Sunday, June 26, 2022, calling for support for LGBTQ+ communities and the Global Fund and showing the importance of access to HIV treatment.