Reflecting on MAX Ottawa’s 2019 Pride Experience

MAX’s pride theme this year was: Be You! BE UNIQ! Selected by our volunteers, the goal was to encourage folks to express their own uniqueness, talents, and flair! After all, it’s those things that make being a part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community so much fun.

UNIQ! was also the theme of our signature Pride event that took place on Wednesday, August 21st held on the TELUS rooftop terrace. We encouraged everyone to dress to express as we shared our message of health and wellness for guys into guys. We also showcased our 2019-2022 strategic directions plan and video. 

MAX Ottawa was proud to host, sponsor, and participate in several community events. Thank you, not only to MAX Ottawa’s volunteers but all the organizers and volunteers who donated their time and energy to make this year’s festivities as safe and inclusive as possible. We even had time to make an appearance at Montreal Pride with our friends from Capital Pride. 

During Pride Week, MAX’s staff and volunteers interacted with nearly 3000 people and actively engaged over 400 of them. We supplied almost 3,000 condoms and 300 safer partying supplies. These included our new GHB and booty bumping kits as well as our injection, inhalation, and safer snorting kits. 

Thanks, Mat! 

Mat Adams was our 2019 Summer Outreach Worker. MAX is forever grateful for his hard work and intelligent insights that helped us have a successful Pride Season. He wanted to share with our community members:

“As this is my last week working with MAX, I wanted to take some time and thank all the amazing staff and volunteers at MAX for making me feel welcome and supported. This was an opportunity I had been seeking for a while and it was more than I ever expected. I learned and grew so much in the 10 weeks I was here. It is an experience I will never forget.

I hope to continue to be a part of MAX as a volunteer and look forward to seeing everyone in the future.

Thank you again, to the max!”

We wish him all of the best in his future endeavours!

Pride Highlights!

Check out some photos and our Pride video

Safer Sex and Partying Kit Party! Pride Edition Wednesday, August 14th

Odawa Two-Spirit, Trans, and Gender Diverse Community March Saturday, August 17th

MAX Ottawa Presented: Be UNIQ! Wednesday, August 21st. Special thanks to TELUS who hosted us on their rooftop terrace.

TD Block Party at Landsdowne Park, August 21st

Re-Building Community Discussion, Thursday, August 22nd Organized by the Just/Act committee of Ottawa Senior Pride Network

Queer and Beers at Mill Street Pub, August 22nd

Drag & Balls Charity Softball Event for Bruce House Saturday, August 24th

Community Booth Days, Saturday and Sunday, August 24 and 25th

Capital Pride Parade Sunday, August 25th

Next Steps…

Pride season is not just a great time to celebrate. It’s also a time to reflect on our past leaders and history, discuss current-day issues affecting our lives, and dream of a brighter future. MAX Ottawa is working hard every day for guys into guys to achieve MAXimum health and wellness and working with allied organizations to do the same for our entire 2SLGBTQ+ family. 

Make sure to keep the momentum of Pride all year: Sign up to volunteer, participate in our various programming, and make sure to apply for our Community MAXimizer programs throughout the year!