Our pride is political this year and every year

Press Release

June 5, 2025

In every movement, there are moments when we celebrate and there are moments when we fight.

This year, for pride season, we recommit to the crucial fight for 2SLGBTQIA+ rights, alongside of and on behalf of rainbow community Steelworkers. This is core to our work as trade unionists, as we work together to defend human rights, gains made over decades of struggle and the safety and wellbeing of all queer, trans, gender-diverse and Two-Spirit peoples.

Over the last three years in Canada, rainbow community members’ safety, rights and survival has come under threat by politicians, anti-2SLGBTQIA+ hate groups, threats of violence and actual violence. There are those who intentionally mislead with the goal of dividing us. Steelworkers will not be divided. We understand that each of our rights as workers are tied to each other. Whether it be along the lines of race, religion, gender, gender-identity, gender-expression, sexual orientation, ability, age, immigration status or income – we will not be divided. Instead, we will hold politicians and employers accountable for ensuring the safety, respect, access to health care and services and opportunities to all rainbow community members.

This pride season, we are thinking of 2SLGBTQIA+ Steelworkers and their loved ones in the United States who are living through a nightmare. The U.S. President has directed his administration to eradicate and erase rainbow community history – a history of taking on seemingly insurmountable challenges, fighting and winning. Trans and gender-diverse peoples’ right to exist has come under threat and in many places, people are living with real and worsening threats to their basic safety. This is utterly unacceptable and against our values as a union.

Over the past year and a half, our union has launched a successful National Steel Pride Working Group, made up of 2SLGBTQIA+ rank-and-file members and staff from across Canada to find ways to better represent and advocate alongside rainbow community Steelworkers and their loved ones. You can find some recent resources here, including our Steel Pride poster, the 2025 pride calendar, the pride merchandise store and much more.

We urge all USW local unions to get involved to support pride events in your community and neighbouring communities. If you haven’t ever attended pride with your local union and want to find out how – here is a primer on how to get involved.

We are one union, one strong and diverse union and we are all better off when each member can show up as themselves and feel safe. Thank you to our 2SLGBTQIA+ members for leading this fight for our union and for local union leaders, activists and allies for showing up each day in acts of solidarity.

ILR5