June is Pride month, a time to celebrate the diversity and many contributions of 2SLGBTQ+ communities across Canada. Pride month also reflects on the obstacles 2SLGBTQ+ people face – and continue to experience – in our communities and in the workplace. The work is not over.

The Halton Children’s Aid Society is committed to creating a safe, inclusive and welcoming workplace for everyone. Pride month reminds us all to reflect on the spaces we occupy and the system of which we are a part. Child welfare agencies operate under the historical context of white supremacy, colonialism and heteronormative ideals of family rearing. The current legacies of these historical contexts result in inequitable outcomes experienced by the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

Today we mark the painful anniversary of a horrific act of hate-motivated terrorism that occurred in London, Ontario. On June 6, 2021, four members of the Afzaal family were killed and a young boy was left without a family. The Afzaals were very active in London’s Muslim community.

Hatred, racism and discrimination have no place in our world. This anniversary is a tragic reminder that Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism – and all forms of racism – are real and continue to exist in Ontario and in Canada.

The Halton Children’s Aid Society (Halton CAS) remains steadfast that we all must play a part to keep our communities safe. We must speak out against issues of hate, violence, racism and discrimination when they occur. No one should ever live in fear because of their faith or their identity.

To the Muslim communities in London, Halton Region and across the country, Halton CAS stands in solidarity with you.