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POSTED

February 1st 2021

News

March 2024

MEDIA ADVISORY: The 519 to march to Toronto City Hall for LGBTQ+ refugee rights on April  

November 2023

TDoR 2023: Statement from 2Spirit, trans, and non-binary youth / Déclaration des jeunes bispirituels, trans et non-binaires

September 2023

The 519 Board of Management Candidates 2023/24

July 2023

Notice of Annual General Meeting 2023

Call for Nominations – The 519 Annual General Meeting 2023

May 2023

[Media Advisory] The 519 Presents 'Enough is Enough!' a panel discussion addressing anti-2SLGBTQ+ hate

Pride 2023 at The 519: Upcoming Programs and Events

Green Space Festival 2023: Neighbourhood Information

[Media Advisory] Toronto’s queer and trans communities to protest against anti-2SLGBTQ+ hate on International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBT)

March 2023

Trans Day of Visibility: How can we commit to being visible allies?

[Press Release] The 519 to Honour Esteemed Author John Irving with Ally Award

International Women's Day 2023: Women, Life, Freedom

February 2023

Re: Sentencing of Colin Harnack in murder of Julie Berman

December 2022

The Trial of Julie Berman

In Solidarity with Ontario's Drag Performers

November 2022

City of Toronto, The 519, and Homes First Society announce Toronto’s first dedicated shelter for 2SLGBTQ+ adults

In Solidarity; A Community Vigil Honouring Colorado Victims and Survivors 

In Solidarity with Club Q

Public Statement on Trans Day of Remembrance (TDoR) 2022

September 2022

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Status For All: Letter to PM Justin Trudeau and Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Sean Fraser

The 519 Board of Management Candidates 2022/23

August 2022

Notice of The 519 Annual General Meeting 2022-23

[Press Release] 2SLGBTQ+ communities release Media Reference Guide as a tool for more inclusive journalism

June 2022

Call for Nominations – The 519 Annual General Meeting 2022-23

World Refugee Day: Support LGBTQ+ Refugees Every Day

Green Space Festival 2022: Neighbourhood Information

Green Space Festival announces 2022 lineup: a Pride-weekend party in support of 2SLGBTQ+ communities

Pride 2022 at The 519: Upcoming Programs and Events

Still We Rise: Black History Statement by The 519 Black Collective

The 519 Black Collective is proud to deliver our first public statement in February, traditionally celebrated as Black History Month.

Let us ask the very prudent questions: what is being celebrated as Black history, what is being recognized? Is it our rich culture and history, or our continued struggle to survive? We the Collective reject the idea that a month is enough to tell our story, that Black history should be relegated to a cold winter month. Being Black isn't something that happens in February.

Black folks have been writing rich history with our souls, blood, and tears for centuries. As Black queer people, in particular, the fractures in our connections to ancestry — to who we are and where we come from, have both deep roots, and profound impacts. Black History Month is sheer tokenism, created to appease White guilt. The 519 Black Collective plans on working shoulder to shoulder to ensure that our voices and those of our ancestors are heard. We are power. We are magic.

In this month, we take the opportunity to talk about today, the place we find ourselves at in this moment in history. Black people have begun to wake up and realize the ‘trickery’ we have accepted for a long time. We believed we were liberated. We believed we were included. We believed we were truly emancipated. The reality is, we remain hated, misunderstood, excluded, and enslaved. Globally as Black people, we have found ourselves confronted with deep-seated racism and hatred for our very existence; our very survival as a race is simultaneously challenged and yet a testament to our fortitude and resilience.

The 519 Black Collective realizes that it begins with us, each of us, to come together, to see, to be the change we need. To our siblings – Black and Indigenous communities and people of colour; we see you, and we love what we see; a readiness to fight against the injustice we all face.

World, we are woke!


The 519 Black Collective:

The 519 Black Collective was formed in July 2020 by the Black staff members of The 519 after the murder of another black person, George Floyd in Minnesota, USA. These staff members felt the need to take up space to confront and advocate against anti-Black racism, and promote equality and equity for all Black people, specifically Black 2 Spirited, queer, and trans communities.

Mission Statement of The 519 Black Collective:

The 519 Black Collective, descendants of the African diaspora, is committed to the wellbeing and liberation of Black 2 Spirited, queer, and trans people. Using our voices and lived experiences, we hold space, confront anti-Black racism, and dismantle systemic oppression. We educate, inform advocacy, and provide leadership while restoratively grieving, healing, and affirming our Blackness. We are committed to shaping strategies within The 519 that lead to lasting change for generations to come.​

If you wish to know more about The 519 Black Collective, write to TheBlackCollective@The519.org.

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