Pride Month

Here at Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario (YWHO) Guelph Wellington – The Grove, we are proud to stand with Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning, intersex and ace, plus (2SLGBTQIA+) communities.

For Pride this year, YWHO Guelph Wellington – The Grove’s focus is on visibility, access, equity, and survival. The Grove is a safe space for youth ages 12-25 to access a variety of resources and supports all under one roof. Our Youth Outreach Worker, Nic, works closely with 2SLGBTQIA+ youth to co-create programs that reflect their unique experiences and needs through Out + About.

Out + About, The Grove’s 2SLGBTQIA+ Working group, came to be through conversations and collaborations with the young people we see each day. Self-named by our youth, Out + About meets bi-weekly to celebrate and gather with those who identify as a part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ umbrella community and its allies. Out + About plans events, participates in fun 2SLGBTQIA+-centered programming, and puts youth voices first in how The Grove can be a safe, supportive, and inclusive space. As a member of this group, youth provide feedback and help plan various programming and Pride events with The Grove.

The feedback we hear from our young people is that YWHO Guelph Wellington – The Grove is a welcoming and inclusive space and having Out + About as an option helps to create opportunities for connecting with other 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, having a space to explore and be without fear of judgement or having to explain oneself, and to connect with 2SLGBTQIA+ facilitators with lived experience.

With over 250 attendances to the program since September 2024 across Guelph and Wellington County, it is clear that spaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth are so important in every community.

Out + About also collaborates with other 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations, such as participating in Pride in the Park with Minto Pride and showcasing a 2SLGBTQIA+ Youth Art Exhibit with Guelph Pride at the Guelph Main Branch Library. Additionally, Out2 [“Out Squared”] – a partnership between Out + About and Out on The Shelf to continue to provide space for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth – is making its way to The Grove’s Woolwich Street Hub in the near future!

These partnerships remind us that Pride is and always has been a community effort. Pride was and continues to be both a celebration of identity and authenticity as much as a protest and reminder that the 2SLGBTQIA+ community has always been here, and will continue to always be here.