Toronto’s 2SLGBTQ+ community might well be the most diverse in the city. After all, the community embraces every demographic, age group, gender, language, race, ethnicity and religion.
The experts at Pride Toronto know a thing or two about creating welcoming events. Toronto hosts one of the world’s largest annual Pride festivals, with more than 3 million people visiting every June from across Ontario, Canada, the US and internationally.
"Speak directly to the heart. Make guests feel like they’re walking into a warm hug.”
—Tania Morano, 2SLGBTQIA+ advocate and owner, Toastr Toronto
1. Use inclusive language in promotional materials
A clear event statement can help set the tone for a Pride-themed gathering, says Tania Morano, 2SLGBTQIA+ advocate and owner of event company Toastr Toronto. She co-produces the Giggles Pride Comedy Show with co-creator Adrienne Fish, taking place at the Yuk Yuk’s comedy club a few days prior to Toronto’s 2025 Pride parade.
Some organizers use a code of conduct to set expectations early. Morano suggests this adaptable phrase:
“This event is for 2SLGBTQIA+ women, trans, nonbinary folks and allies. Bring your best, authentic self. No racism, harassment, body shaming or bad manners. This is an opportunity to relax, celebrate and connect.”
Promotional visuals should also reflect the community. “Speak directly to the heart,” Morano suggests. “Make guests feel like they’re walking into a warm hug.
2. Ensure all touchpoints are safe and welcoming
It’s difficult to define what is a safe space for 2SLGBTQ+ guests because, “conceptually, safety is changing for our community. We can’t really define it. And while we don’t know when things can become unsafe [for an individual], we know when things can become uncomfortable,” Morano explains.
“It’s important that security, performers, waiters, bartenders, bathroom attendants—everyone—has a pulse on queerness and helps create an environment where guests can be themselves,” Morano adds.
“Toronto Pride offers themed spaces to help attendees enjoy the festival on their own terms.”
—Kojo Sherwin Modeste, executive director, Pride Toronto
Pride Toronto takes the safety of all participants and visitors very seriously, says executive director Kojo Sherwin Modeste.
”We work with City of Toronto departments as well as private security companies where the people are trained, not just in terms of understanding 2SLGBTQ+ issues, but also understanding cultural competency,” Modeste explains. “It's really about making sure that everyone who enters the space feels welcome. So, it might be a security guard who greets guests with ‘Good morning! How are you?’ That can make a huge difference.”
3. Create comfortable environments
Morano suggests creating low-intensity spaces, even in large venues, that feel welcoming but are quieter for when guests need a break. “Create opportunities where people can go if they’re feeling overwhelmed or tired,” Morano advises.
Pictures taken at any public event can end up on social media, so it’s important that guests are informed before they arrive. Pride Toronto puts up posters advising that photos and video may be taken and shared by other festival attendees, Modeste says. During Pride Festival Weekend, organizers make social media-free spaces available where photography and filming are not allowed, for example, in the Family Pride Zone.
Toronto Pride also offers themed spaces to help attendees enjoy the festival on their own terms. For example, Pride Sober Oasis is a welcoming space for guests who want to avoid areas where substances or alcohol are being consumed.
4. View your event with an accessibility and inclusivity lens
All of the Toronto Pride Festival main stages have accessible viewing areas and there are five such stations throughout the annual parade route, Modeste says. Festival attendees can borrow wheelchairs and walkers at no cost and the organization makes ASL interpreters and attendant care workers available to guests.
“This year, our volunteers will wear buttons saying ‘I speak Spanish,’ or ‘I speak French.’ This is something new for us because we want the festival to be more accessible to visitors from all over,” Modeste explains.
Modeste adds: “Another element has to do with entertainment and inclusion. Do any of your performers identify as trans? If you're planning to hire a drag queen, did you also consider hiring a drag king?”
Another way to look at accessibility, Morano adds, is affordability. If a planner is charging an entry fee for their Pride-themed event, try to find a balance between profit and a price that’s affordable for members of the community, Morano suggests.
5. Ask lots of questions when researching venues
During site visits, ask whether management has an inclusion statement, anti-discrimination policy or a code of conduct in place. Do they prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion in their hiring practices?
Pride Toronto expects the management teams of Pride Festival venues, AV, catering, entertainment and other services to take inclusivity training offered by one of its in-house experts.
“Ask questions. Has the venue ever hosted a Pride event? Are they considered a welcoming space? Is staff comfortable asking about pronouns so that they don’t misgender guests? Will they designate gender-neutral bathrooms for the event and are they comfortable flying the Pride flag?” Modeste says. “And for the planner, are members of the queer community part of the planning process?”
“I always encourage folks to come out to Church Street in the Gay Village where there are many venues, restaurants and amazing partners,” Modeste adds. “For example, The 519 has a huge ballroom for events.” City landmarks like the Royal Ontario Museum, CN Tower, Ripley’s Aquarium and Drake Underground also work closely with the community.
“Many Toronto venues are willing, able and happy to host your Pride event. Yuk Yuk’s even moved a show so that the Giggles Pride Comedy Show had a date during Pride Month,” Morano says. “Another example is the Allied Music Centre where the possibilities are endless—there’s a space for every occasion and there are people who can conceptualize and help planners from the bottom up.”
6. Tap into the community for expert advice
Toronto has a wealth of experts to help plan 2SLGBTQ+-friendly events, including Morano who’s been in the business since 2007 and offers consultation and planning services through Toastr.
Toronto is home to dozens of Rainbow Registered businesses, including Exhibition Place, several hotels, food tour companies like Culinary Adventure Co., and the city’s official destination marketing organization, Destination Toronto. To earn the Rainbow Registered designation, businesses must meet rigorous standards that help ensure 2SLGBTQI+ customers feel genuinely welcomed and included.
To earn the Rainbow Registered designation, businesses must meet rigorous standards that help ensure 2SLGBTQI+ customers feel genuinely welcomed and included.
Pride Toronto offers an affiliate events program that helps planners organize Pride-themed events anytime of year. And, as North America’s largest 2SLGBTQ+ festival, the organization maintains a large database of resources and vendors that planners can contact, including artists and performers.
“I also strongly recommend our Pride 101 training, which gives a history of the movement, so that people understand context—where this community is coming from and some of the challenges,” Modeste says.
