As global dignitaries prepare for the G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, advocates are urging government officials to take meaningful steps toward advancing LGBTQ2S+ rights. The summit is scheduled for next week, marking 50 years since the first G7 summit, which was held in Rambouillet, France, in 1975. Additionally, June is recognized as Pride Month across Canada, further underscoring the importance of the discussions set to take place.
Pride7, an affinity group comprising independent, non-governmental individuals, focuses on developing policy recommendations aimed at promoting and protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals among G7 member states. Last month, Pride7 collaborated with two Canadian civil rights organizations—Egale Canada and the Dignity Network Canada—to host a summative event in Ottawa. This gathering convened over 100 leading LGBTQ+ advocates and experts to strategize and propose actionable policies for G7 officials.
During the summit, participants emphasized the urgent necessity for intersectional approaches to tackle global challenges, urging G7 governments to exemplify leadership in safeguarding the human rights and dignity of LGBTQIA+ individuals. Representatives from Pride7 stated in a press release, “G7 commitments to democracy, human rights, and sustainable development cannot be fulfilled without addressing the systemic barriers and violence faced by LGBTQIA+ communities.”
The policy recommendations from this gathering, known as the Pride7 2025 Communiqué, are centered on four core themes: upholding democracy, strengthening legal frameworks, advancing human rights protections, and promoting economic sustainability. The recommendations also highlight the importance of humanitarian action, climate resilience, gender justice, and health equity.
Helen Kennedy, executive director of Egale Canada, emphasized the ongoing threats to 2SLGBTQI rights, stating, “Even in the world’s most advanced economies, 2SLGBTQI rights are under threat. Rising hate, disinformation, and policy rollbacks show that progress is not guaranteed. G7 leaders must take this seriously—by listening to LGBTQIA+ voices, adopting the Pride7 Communiqué, and recognizing Pride7 as an official part of the G7 process.”
Pride7 was initiated in Japan during the 2023 G7 Leaders' Summit, and since then, the group has been advocating for recognition as an official civil society engagement entity within the G7 framework. They expressed, “Recognizing Pride7 as an official engagement group is not symbolic—it is a necessary step toward ensuring that the perspectives, expertise, and lived realities of LGBTQIA+ people inform global decision-making at the highest level. Just as Women7, Civil7, and Youth7 are consulted and included in G7 processes, so too must LGBTQIA+ voices be heard and meaningfully engaged.”
As Pride7 prepares to present its 2025 communiqué to the Government of Canada and other G7 leaders next week, they remind G7 officials that millions across the globe, in both G7 countries and elsewhere, continue to face persecution based on their identity. The forthcoming discussions will be pivotal in setting the tone for future international commitments to LGBTQIA+ rights and protections.
