#ImmigrationMatters in Vancouver and Squamish, British Columbia – Bringing joy and belonging to queer communities

Tabitha McIntyre moved to Canada in 2018 with the goal of “living their best queer life.” Not only are they succeeding, but they’ve also paved the way for countless others from the 2SLGBTQI+ community to do the same.

While Tabitha is a long-time volunteer with the Vancouver Pride Society (and now a director at large on its board), their true legacy is Pride Squamish, which they helped found in 2019. After a local 2SLGBTQI+ advocacy group shut down, Tabitha stepped up to fill the gap and helped create the Pride event.

The one-day festival debuted that fall, kicking off with a Pride flag-raising at the municipal hall.

“Having the flag in a prominent place of power was huge in terms of visibility for the community,” says Tabitha. “For me personally, when I see a Pride flag, it gives me a sense of reassurance and acceptance.”

The success of the inaugural festival was fuelled not only by Tabitha’s energy, but also by community support. “We got a lot of businesses involved, and it was cool to work and connect with not only the queer community, but also our wider community and allies,” says Tabitha.

After a few successful years, Tabitha stepped down as president of Pride Squamish in 2021 and moved to Vancouver, where they now work as general manager of the Queer Arts Festival. Squamish continues to invite a queer youth to raise the flag each year.

“It’s sort of a welcoming gesture to say, ‘This is your stage, your platform, your world now,’” says Tabitha.

In 2020, when most events were cancelled because of Covid-19 restrictions, Pride Squamish organizers launched a “Paint the Town Rainbow” initiative, encouraging people and businesses to decorate their patios and windows. Three years on, Squamish is still “painting the town rainbow” for Pride.

All of this was an unpaid passion project for Tabitha. “There was many an hour at the kitchen table in the summer whilst my roommates were going out to lakes and rivers. It was all consuming, but worth every minute.”

Catherine Trueman met Tabitha when Pride Squamish was first coming together and her son, James, was coming out as trans. She credits Tabitha’s welcoming spirit and contagious positive energy for bringing people together.

“They’re in it for the good of the community, not for the kudos,” says Catherine.

Madison Holding, co-executive director at the Vancouver Pride Society, describes Tabitha as funny, down-to-earth and compassionate.

Tabitha has recently noticed growing anti-trans rhetoric in Canada, but is buoyed by community support. “People have turned up and stayed strong. There’s no space for this hate here, and people are coming together to shut it down.” Always a trailblazer, this year, Tabitha convinced a recreational softball league to let players select they/them pronouns when registering for teams. The league also updated its website to use more inclusive terminology.

“Now, a team of folks who haven’t traditionally been welcomed on the sporting landscape get to hang out and play ball in the park,” says Tabitha.

But the highlight of their work has been the chance to create community.

“When you meet people who are like you—and this goes for any community—it gives you a sense of belonging. I love seeing the absolute joy in people’s faces when they are embracing life together. It often makes me cry because I think to myself, look how far this community has come.”

Building bonds and visibility for the 2SLGBTQI+ community are twin achievements that Tabitha is proud of—and they plan to keep at it.

Immigration profile: Vancouver and Squamish, BC

Quick facts:

• Immigrants represent 41% of Vancouver’s population.
• According to the 2021 Census, Squamish’s population has grown by 22% from 2016, with 20% of the population represented by immigrants.

Did you know?

• According to Statistics Canada, an estimated 1 million people in Canada are 2SLGBTQ+, representing 4% of the Canadian population aged 15 years and older.
• Out of more than 30.5 million Canadians aged 15 and over, one in 300 people identify as transgender or non-binary.