Pride Month 2026: Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario Wellington-Guelph Outreach & Support

June is Pride Month, and Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario (YWHO) Wellington-Guelph is excited to be engaging with our community at several local events:

• Palmerston – Pride in the Park: June 7

• Guelph Summer Pride: June 7

• YMCA Pride Bench Painting: June 13

• Fergus – Out & About Banner Painting: June 15

Pride Month is a meaningful time for our outreach efforts, offering space both to celebrate and to reflect.

For us, Pride is an opportunity to acknowledge the ongoing mental health impacts of stigma, discrimination, rejection, and isolation experienced by many 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals. It is also a time to honour the joy, resilience, belonging, and care that continue to flourish within 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.

2SLGBTQIA+ youth are significantly more likely than their cisgender and heterosexual peers to experience anxiety, depression, substance use challenges, and suicidal thoughts, often as a result of discrimination and stigma. Trans and nonbinary individuals, in particular, face disproportionately high levels of harassment, violence, and exclusion, which can have lasting effects on mental health and overall well-being.

At YWHO Wellington-Guelph, we are committed to creating safe, inclusive, and affirming spaces where all young people feel seen, supported, and connected to care.

Some of the ways we support 2SLGBTQIA+ youth include:

• Out & About group programming, offered twice monthly in Wellington County, alongside Out Squared, a weekly Guelph-based collaboration with Out on the Shelf

• Providing Gender Affirming Kits, the upcoming Glam + Go program (coming soon), and expanded 2SLGBTQIA+ programming and supports, thanks to grants from Centre Wellington and other organizations

• Continued staff training and education to strengthen our ability to create inclusive environments and provide affirming, knowledgeable care

Through these efforts, we strive to ensure that all young people feel welcomed, valued, and empowered during Pride Month and throughout the year.