About 300 people gathered at Grand Parade in Halifax to mark the third annual International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia on May 17. The theme of this year’s event was homophobia in sport.

Michael Gillis, Dal Allies’ Peer Ally, spoke about the work that Dal Allies has been doing to raise the issue of sexual diversity and gender diversity within the athletics community at Dal.

Gillis, who is originally from Cape Breton, told the crowd that he was happy to report that about 100 people had gathered in Cape Breton for an event there. There were also events in Truro and in Antigonish. 

Representatives from all three levels of government also spoke at the Rally.

Scott Brison, Member of Parliament for King’s-Hants and the first gay MP to get married, used the opportunity to attack Immigration Minister Jason Kenney’s decision to exclude the words equality and gay pride from Canada’s Citizenship guide.

“My message for Jason Kenney is simple. As a Minister you may be able to cut equality and gay pride out of your conservative citizenship guide, but you cannot cut equality and gay pride out of the hearts of Canadians,” he said.

The rally also included several performances. Café DaPoPo performed a piece with a positive message about speaking out.

Haunting voices could be heard from the crowd saying “speak” and “voice.” It concluded with the troupe’s actors meeting on the stage and telling the crowd, “Find your voice. Be visible. Speak out.”

The final performance was by the Youth Project’s “queerleading” squad, called the “Queerios.”

Clad in green, and doting rainbow pom-poms, the group of 20 or so youth performed several cheers, including a number of ‘call and answer’ cheers.

“When we say QUEER, you say PROUD. Queer! Proud!” They cheered.

For more photos of the rally, check out Laura Bee's photo essay.