Rainbow Collective of Thunder Bay President Jason Veltri and Thunder Pride Chair Scotia Kauppi - Acadia Broadcasting File

Leaders from Thunder Pride, Rainbow Collective, and Loud Woman Collective met with Thunder Bay – Atikokan MPP Kevin Holland to discuss support for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

The organizations have concerns with the lack of support from Holland and his office.

The visible example of the lack of support was Holland’s social media post for Pride Month compared to every other notable day or event he has commented on.

Respect and inclusivity are the foundations that build bridges of understanding and harmony.
On this day, June 17th, let’s create a world where everyone feels valued, respected and included.

— Kevin Holland (@KHollandMPP) June 17, 2023

Compared to an event held on the same day.

The event that was months in the planning is finally here. Happy to participate in the 8th annual Thunder Bay Mining Days down at the marina. A huge thank you to all the organizers for bringing this together once again. pic.twitter.com/tBGpFcpfYI

— Kevin Holland (@KHollandMPP) June 17, 2023

The organizations are seeking a commitment from MPP Holland to be visible and engaged in supporting the 2SLGBTQIA+ community., with the hope to work with Holland as they move forward.

Jason Veltri president of Rainbow Collective explained the next steps for the organization “The plan right now is that we have to continue our advocacy work as organizations of Thunder Pride, and Rainbow Pride, and Loud Woman Collective,we need to continue education, and that is going to be a key fundamental.”

Scotia Kauppi chair of Thunder Pride agreed and added that action must be taken against misinformation, that is negatively impacting the community.