Halifax flag raising marks International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia

Fighting phobias: Flag raised in solidarity Hate crimes against LGBTQ2S+ communities are on the rise across Canada – giving International Day Against Homophobia a sense of urgency.

A group gathered Wednesday at Grand Parade Square in Halifax to rise the multi-coloured Pride flag representing strength and solidarity on the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.

“It’s so important to give representation and visibility as much as we can right now,” said Cynthia Sweeney, the Pflag chapter lead for Halifax.

The province has seen recent acts of hate involving Pride flags in the areas of Spryfield, Tantallon, and Lawrencetown.

Acts of hate toward the LGBTQ+ community has been on the rise across Canada. Over the last five years, the country has been a 64 per cent increase of hate-motivated incidents, especially toward the transgender community.

Connor Sampson, originally from Spryfield, attended the flag raising. He said the recent incident in Spryfield showcases that events like these need to happen.

“Pride flags are being torn down, defaced in and around our community. So I think it’s equally important to recognize those but to provide examples and opportunities like this where we’re celebrating a flag going up.”

To mark the day, Halifax Mayor Mike Savage read a proclamation recognizing International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia and offered his support.

“Sometime we think we’ve come a long way on issues like this. We had a big debate over same-sex marriage almost 20 years ago,” Savage explained. “We’ve seen steps forward, but there is hatred in our community.”

While the flag flies, supporters hope to see lasting change on the ground.

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