Celebrating Pride Month at Got Your Back: Advocating for LGBTQIA+ Individuals with Developmental Disabilities
June is Pride Month—a time to celebrate the strength, diversity, and resilience of the LGBTQIA+ community. At Got Your Back (GYB), we proudly stand with our LGBTQIA+ members, staff, and families. But Pride at GYB goes beyond flags and celebrations. It’s a deep commitment to ensuring that all people, including those with developmental disabilities, are seen, supported, and empowered to be exactly who they are.
Why Pride Matters at GYB
The intersection of queerness and disability is often overlooked in mainstream conversations. Many of our members live at this intersection—and they deserve to feel proud, safe, and loved.
People with developmental disabilities are frequently excluded from conversations about identity and sexuality. There’s a longstanding, harmful assumption that folks with disabilities are either asexual or incapable of understanding gender and sexual diversity. That couldn't be further from the truth. Our members are thoughtful, expressive, and capable of deep relationships, and many are discovering and exploring their identities just like everyone else.
At GYB, we create space for those explorations—with dignity, safety, and affirmation at the core.
What Advocacy Looks Like
Advocating for LGBTQIA+ individuals with developmental disabilities means doing the work every single day, not just in June. Here’s how we live that out at GYB:
We Ask, We Don’t Assume
We ask about pronouns and names. We respect identities. We support folks in choosing how they want to express themselves.We Provide Representation
Whether it’s through inclusive books, discussions, visuals, or events, we make sure our community can see people like them in positions of strength, love, and pride.We Educate Constantly
Our staff receive training on inclusive language, trauma-informed care, and how to have conversations about identity in accessible, age- and developmentally-appropriate ways.We Talk About Rights
Understanding your rights is a critical part of self-advocacy. We teach about consent, healthy relationships, and personal boundaries—whether in friendships, family settings, or romantic relationships.We Celebrate Loudly
Pride is a celebration, and everyone is invited. We host inclusive Pride events that consider sensory needs, emotional safety, and the support some members may need to fully enjoy the experience.
How You Can Help
If you’re wondering how to be a better ally to LGBTQIA+ individuals with developmental disabilities, here are some practical steps:
Believe Them
When someone tells you who they are, believe them. Even if their communication looks different from yours.Create Safe Spaces
Make room for people to express themselves without fear. That could mean using visual aids, supporting with words, or simply listening.Challenge Ableism and Queerphobia
Don’t let jokes, slurs, or exclusionary practices slide. Call it out when you see it—kindly, firmly, and with purpose.Support Organizations Doing the Work
Support programs like GYB that uplift queer voices in the disability community. Volunteer. Donate. Share our mission.Educate Yourself
Read stories written by people who live at the intersection of LGBTQIA+ identity and disability. There are countless resources—use them.
Final Thoughts
Pride Month reminds us of how far we’ve come and how much further we still need to go. At Got Your Back, we believe in building a world where every person, regardless of ability, gender, or sexual orientation, feels safe, respected, and empowered.
We see you. We support you. We’re proud of you.
Happy Pride, from all of us at GYB.
#Pride2025 #GotYourBack #GYB #GYBToronto #GYBFamily #InclusionMatters #LGBTQIA #DisabilityPride #CYCP
