Toronto-based publisher and media company Pink Triangle Press (PTP) has launched a new awards program honouring prominent 2SLGBTQIA+ media figures with a charitable twist.

The inaugural gala, which takes place Thursday (Nov. 7) and is hosted by drag artist Priyanka, will recognize five media champions who have all nominated charities in a pay-it-forward awards format.

This year’s champions include Halifax-born actor and producer Elliot Page, with the Calgary-based trans-support charity Skipping Stone; Fredericton-born tenor Jeremy Dutcher, with 2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations; and Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, with pflag Canada.

Rounding out the champions are Beauceville, Que.-born ice hockey player Marie-Philip Poulin, with the You Can Play Project; and Latoya Nugent, an activist and Rainbow Railroad’s head of engagement, who’s championing the 519’s charity Among Friends.

“The focus of the event is the charities,” PTP CEO and executive director David Walberg (pictured left) tells Playback Daily. “The champions are examples of people in the queer community who have done well in their fields. I think it’s good for the community to see that there are people who are doing well and who’ve had success.”

Each charity will receive a base donation, in addition to receiving the proceeds from the Pink Awards gala. Donations will be raised during the event, which includes a silent auction.

To further raise awareness, PTP is working with queer creatives on a content series, which will be distributed through its publication Xtra Magazine and social media channels. The content series will include a documentary on the event itself, as well as individual videos on the champions and their charities.

The filmmakers involved are Montreal’s Amelia Moses, Toronto’s Polina Teif and Tyler J. Sloane, B.C.’s Nickolaos Stagias, L.A’s Grant Kobayashi and New York-based Harry Zernike.

PTP also selected OCAD University graduate student Kainat Ahmad to design the Pink Awards statues.

Managing director Jennifer McGuire (pictured right) says future iterations of the Pink Awards could potentially recognize queer representation on screen. However, the findings from its inaugural Pink Papers – published last June – showed that the industry has a long way to go in that respect, with about two-thirds of industry members saying 2SLGBTQIA+ representation in film, TV and video games in Canada is lacking.

“It is something that we might look towards in the future, because what better way to show the Canadian screen industry what’s possible and what it can aim for then to lift up a best in class example of queer representation,” says McGuire.

In that respect, PTP also carefully considered which charities to amplify for its first year, providing a list of community-focused charities for the champions to consider, while also giving them the agency to present the other options.

In the case of Page’s charity, Skipping Stone, McGuire says PTP wanted to ensure an Alberta-based charity was represented as legislation in the province continues to target gender-diverse groups. Last week, the government introduced three bills: one prohibiting doctors from providing gender-affirming treatment for children under 16; another requiring parental consent for children under 16 to change their pronouns in school; and the third banning transgender athletes from female sports divisions.

“There’s definitely been an increase in anti-queer rhetoric and there’s an increase in anti-queer initiatives in North America, but in Canada as well,” says Walberg. “We thought that the time was right to try to help change the narrative and public conversations around queerness. The community deserves a chance to celebrate what’s going well and create our own narrative going forward.”

Images courtesy of Pink Triangle Press