Fierté Sudbury Pride held their first ever Pride Vigil in Memorial Park on July 10, as part of Sudbury Pride Week.
Dozens showed up to the park to hear stories of struggles, success, and overcoming obstacles, while paying respect to those who lost their battle.
"We're here to mourn the loss of our community members who died to violence, suicide, or HIV and AIDS," said Fierté Sudbury Pride communications coordinator Hez Bird. "We in the LGBTQ2S community have made huge strides in gaining more rights and acceptance but we still have a long way to go."
In Ontario, 43 per cent of transgender people have attempted suicide, in many cases as a result of being exposed to violence, oppression and discrimination.
"Despite the adversity, we keep fighting," said Bird. "We keep pushing against hate, advocating for rights, supporting each other, and above all else, hoping for change."
A number of speakers shared their stories with those in attendance, including Eric Cashmore, who has been living with HIV for more than 10 years.
Cashmore spoke of his time living in Toronto, homeless and mixed up with drugs and losing his sense of self. He shared his story of getting involved with community service organizations and giving back to youth who were struggling with the same things that he had.
"I think the moral of the story is anyone can do whatever they want to do," said Cashmore. "Drug use doesn't define you, HIV doesn't define you, being queer or trans doesn't define you, you define you and just know that nothing can get you down unless you allow it to, and that's the key to a happy life."
