Thank You.

August 12 2025 | Hamilton, Ontario

Hello fellow community members,

I am writing on behalf of Pride Hamilton to sincerely say, thank you.

This year, our theme of Reclamation, Unity, and Healing was seen and felt. From supporting other local organizations and communities, to our event at Pier 4, to our inaugural Drag Brunch at Hamilton Stadium. 2025 saw more than a 250% increase in interactions and an attendance of nearly 15,000 people - despite the intense heat.

I would like to thank our donors, sponsors, and partners: TD Bank Group, City of Hamilton, Meridian Credit Union, KPMG, CHCH, Rainbow Health Ontario, Hamilton-Wentworth Elementary Teacher’s Local, United Way, Legend 102.9, Energy 95.3, Green Storage, Scotiabank, The Coalition of Racialized Workers, International Village BIA, Black Fly Beverages, Collective Arts Brewery, Venmo Media, Tourism Hamilton, Dundas Valley School of Art, Hamilton Child and Family Supports, Fierté Canada Pride, and AbsoLIVE.

To our Drag Race alum Jaylene Tyme, Tynomi Banks, Suki Doll, Scarlett Bobo, and Season Five Winner - The Virgo Queen: thank you for being here and showing Hamilton your craft!

To all the musicians and vocalists, Tony Will, Lucas Silveira, J3M, Wild Black, Jocelyn June & The Bugs, Gayly Forward, T. Thomason, R. Flex, Absolute Treat, Just Amsterdam, Jupiter Allan, Monstrosa, Melissa Dutch, Jesse James, Dynesti & Lexxicon: thank you for showcasing your musical prowess.

Karma Kameleon, my co-host, our Programming Coordinator, my friend, and sister: thank you for your unwavering support and professionalism.

Jess C., our Stage Manager, my friend, thank you for another year of a smooth operation and keeping things punctual. Your skills deserve recognition! I would just like to shout-out Pride Hamilton for the fact that because of this organization, we met and became friends.

Kamilla Flores Kameleon: great work hosting a Pride show! I sought a host, looked through the applicants, and thought it best to give you the opportunity, given the growth I have witnessed from your early days to now. I wish you nothing but the best!

I would like to take a moment to recognize DJ Mar for spinning Saturday and Sunday; and DJ Rose for her last-minute contribution.

Thank you to every dancer, Drag Queen, King, and Thing that showed up and showed out! There were various forms of drag from all over Canada that landed in Hamilton to turn it out on that stage: Bolo Tie Line, Eshe & Steel City Slither, Travis Tee, King Indee Kameleon, El Experimento, Dickson, Elixxirr, Molly Kewl, Kappelia Kameleon, Lavender Skyes, Poison, Dustiny Love, Kiena Dior, Jessie James, Miss Conduct, Conjunctivitis, Calypso Cosmic, Margaux Rita, Nico Lavender, Xtacy Love, Kasha Czech, Sir Lady Nickx, Noella DeVille, Chimaera, Aria Doll, Star Doll, Dahlia Doll, Dulce & Devine Darlin; as well as shout-out to D’Scribe the Poet.

We appreciate every vendor that showed up to be a part of this event and make it something special! Thank you for sharing your businesses, your hopes, your dreams, and your kindness.

To the elected officials that came to say a few words, Mayor Horwath, Councillor Kroetch, MPP Lennox; but also to meet the community, MP Danko, MPP Shaw: thank you for taking the time to be present for your constituents. We would like to wish Ward 8 Candidate Lohifa Pogoson-Acker all the best as we prepare for the by-election. Thank you for coming to show support.

Chris Hannah, Cody and the AbsoLIVE team: thank you for yet another gorgeous stage and incredible operation!

Steve Kieran, Mack & the Createof team: thank you for the incredible footage and captured moments - - Pride Hamilton looks forward to sharing your work!

Thank you, Chris K., for the incredible website design and maintenance that helped make our outreach that much better!

Thank you to every single volunteer who showed up, not just for Pride Hamilton, but also for the community. Volunteer work can often feel thankless, but your efforts and contributions were instrumental in ensuring the success of our event.

To the Sodexo Live! team who supported not only at the Park, but also at the Drag Brunch: from the bottom of my heart, thank you! Alex, Ash, JP, Erin, Emily, Kristin, Brad, Roseann, Sarah and Mike, James & Morgan would be so proud as they watched from above.

To Alyson, Vice-Chair and Director of Operations here at Pride Hamilton: thank you. This was your first Pride as part of the Board, and you kept things organized and smooth. We spent countless hours texting, talking, emailing, and attending meetings to get things into place and ensure the safety of the attendees and performers.

I would also like to thank the Board of Pride Hamilton for the collaborative work and contributions to this year’s success. Some of you had your first Pride with the organizations, but that didn’t stop or intimidate you! As we continue to grow, we seek more community members - especially more marginalized ones - to share their wisdom and experiences to ensure we have not only representation for others to see, but also representation from various walks of life to make things more equitable, inclusive, and accessible.

Daniel & Noel of Kiki Party: thank you for being our Official After Party! We hope to maintain this partnership and create even more safe spaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ folks.

NaWalka Geeshy Meegwun and Nathan M.: I am honored to have provided you both space to do a traditional welcome for Jaylene Tyme to your ancestral lands - - that moment was incredible and historical. Part of Reclamation, Unity, and Healing is welcoming our Two-Spirit and Indigenous siblings into the spaces that we are not only in, but also have been pushed out of. There were multiple tears shed while mouths were agape at the power of your voices and drums. You and the ancestors filled that stage and touched so many of our hearts and spirits.

Reclamation, Unity, and Healing isn’t a theme specific to one year. This will be an ongoing journey of empowerment and support. With the pride movement having political roots, it makes sense to integrate more of that into our programming. A rally seems important, especially in spaces where opposing / hate groups have gathered. Could this include a march? That will be determined.

More work with Two-Spirit / Indigenous Elders and organizations will continue.

A greater emphasis on representation and inclusion for Non-Binary & Trans, Youth, Rainbow Seniors, Sober, Racialized, People Living with Disabilities, sexual health & education continue to be priorities for myself and Pride Hamilton. The goal is not to make our programming Toronto-, Montréal-, or Vancouver-2.0, but it is to make this organization and its offering sustainable, accessible, and safe. As we expand, this will be an even greater undertaking and that means we will need more voices at the table; as well as physical, mental, and financial support. Imagine how much further ahead we could be if instead of shunning each other for our differences, we celebrated them. What if we spoke up for others, rather than against them? I have so much hope and desire to see this community be better, stronger, safer, more inclusive, and supportive than it has ever been.

We are all valid, we all belong. Your journey, your experiences, your existence - - it all matters. You may be a role model without even realizing it. Someone could be looking up to you, aspiring to follow in your steps. Open doors for them the same way Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Storme DeLarverie, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, Barbara Gittings, Jamie Lee Hamilton, Douglas Stewart, Jim Egan, Alec Butler, Joshua LeClair, and countless others did for us to be able to get to where we are today.

Let’s lift each other up when the world tries to knock us down. Let’s amplify the voices of the unheard. Those of us with privilege: I ask that you use it to knock down walls and make space for the equity-deserving. I ask that as a community, we look outside of our own existence and dive deeper into accessibility, inclusion, and representation. Every single day our siblings around the world continue to face and/or live in fear of abandonment, persecution, assault, and/or death. For the most part, we have privilege living here in Canada (I see you, Alberta) that protects our minds, bodies, and employment; but there are millions across the globe that don’t have those protections and flee their families and communities seeking asylum elsewhere. When you use your voices and platforms to speak on genocide, war crimes, and human rights violations around the globe, remember that similar issues persist in Canada.

I thank you for your time and would like to remind you that Pride is every single day that we exist; the protest continues. I am proud of the resilience I see.

With Solidarity,

-Kiel Hughes x Sasha Fienix

Pride Hamilton | Chair | Director of Events