June 2024 Diversity Calendar

Download the June Diversity Calendar

In June, we celebrate and remember:

• Pride Month: a vibrant and inclusive celebration that honours the 2SLGBTQI+ community (two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex), their history, achievements, and ongoing struggle for equality, acceptance, and human rights. Pride Month is a joyful and colorful display of love, unity, and resilience, with events and activities that promote inclusivity, educate the public, and celebrate the diversity of sexual orientations, and gender identities.
• Deafblind Awareness Month: designed to help Canadians develop an understanding of, and a comfort with, the people in their communities who are Deafblind and experience challenges with communication, access to information, and mobility. This year’s theme is “Growing Understanding,” as education is the key to nurturing understanding, awareness, and empathy.
• Filipino, Italian & Portuguese Heritage Month: an opportunity for us to learn more about the diverse culture and history of Filipino, Italian, and Portuguese communities in Canada, as well as to acknowledge the many achievements and valuable contributions of people of such origins who, throughout our history, have done so much to make Canada the country we know and love.
• National Indigenous History Month: an opportunity to learn about the unique cultures, traditions and experiences of First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Although these groups share many similarities, they each have their own distinct heritage, language, and spiritual beliefs. It’s a time to honour the stories, achievements and resilience of Indigenous Peoples, who have lived on this land since time immemorial and whose presence continues to impact the evolving Canada.
• Intergenerational Day on June 1: a celebration of the mutual benefits of building relationships across generations.
• Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 7: always celebrated during the octave of Corpus Christi or 19 days after Pentecost Sunday. The Sacred Heart of Jesus represents his divine love for humanity, demonstrated most tangibly by the sacrifice of his life for our sins. (Catholic, Christian)
• Belongathon on June 8: Karis Disability Services is hosting community outreach events across several locations in Ontario and Saskatchewan to raise awareness and funds for people with developmental disabilities.
• Action Anxiety Day on June 10: a national awareness and education day to help people learn about anxiety, reduce stigma, dispel common anxiety myths, create awareness of evidence-based resources, raise funds to support programs, and underscore the importance of prioritizing mental health in our society.
• Shavout on June 11: a Jewish observance of the giving of the Torah, the biblical laws of Judaism, from God to the nation of Israel. (Judaism)
• World Blood Donor Day on June 14: every year countries around the world celebrate WBDD to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood.
• Father’s Day on June 16: a day to celebrate and honour fathers, as well as fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society.
• Eid al-Adha on June 16: also known as the Feast of Sacrifice, is symbolic of the lessons of sacrifice, devotion, and willingness as told by the story of Prophet Ibrahim. As one of the most important holidays in Islam, every year, Muslims celebrate by gathering with family and loved ones to pray, showing gratitude for life’s blessings, sharing festive meals, and providing food to those in need. (Islam)
• International Day for Countering Hate Speech in June 18: hate speech is: “any kind of communication in speech, writing or behaviour, that attacks or uses pejorative or discriminatory language with reference to a person or a group on the basis of who they are”. The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on promoting inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue and tolerance in countering discrimination, xenophobia and hate speech; and calls to increase efforts to address this phenomenon, in line with international human rights law.
• World Refugee Day on June 20: a day which recognizes the rights of forcibly displaced persons be it refugees, asylum seekers, or Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and to remind the public that refugees can contribute to society and that every action counts in the effort to create a more just, inclusive, and equal world.
• National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21: a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.
• Canadian Multiculturalism Day on June 27: celebrating Canada’s diverse cultures as well as the country’s commitment to equality, democracy, and mutual respect.