Building an Inclusive Toronto:
A Mayoral Forum on 2SLGBTQIA+ Inclusion
Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Time: 7 – 9 PM (Doors Open at 6:30 PM)
Location: MCC Toronto | 115 Simpson Avenue, Toronto
In-person and livestreamed
Join MCC Toronto and the Paul Austin Human Rights Centre for a public conversation with Mayor Olivia Chow and mayoral candidates Brad Bradford and Chris Alexander, moderated by Doug Kerr, Executive Director of Dignity Network Canada.
The 90-minute forum will ask what municipal leadership can do to build a Toronto where 2SLGBTQIA+ people can live openly, safely and with dignity, with discussion spanning community safety, housing and homelessness, affordability, accessibility, mental health, support for trans and gender-diverse communities, and human rights.
This is an opportunity to hear directly from those seeking to lead our city about how they will help build a Toronto where everyone can live openly, safely and with dignity.
With no registration, admission will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Please arrive early to secure your spot. Parking is limited. Attendees are encouraged to use public transit.
An ASL interpreter will be available on site.
Refreshments will be served in the Social Hall once the forum has concluded.
Submit a Question
What would you ask Toronto’s next mayor?
Help shape the conversation by submitting a question for consideration by October 7 at 5 PM. Selected questions will be posed directly to the candidates during the forum.
Why Here? Why Now?
The forum will take place in MCC Toronto’s historic sanctuary, where the world’s first legally recognized same-sex marriages were performed in 2001, helping set in motion the legal challenge that led to marriage equality in Canada.
Founded in 1973, MCC Toronto has been a spiritual home and force for change for Toronto’s queer, trans and allied communities. From protesting police brutality following the 1981 bathhouse raids, to providing sacred space and care during the AIDS crisis, establishing the Triangle Program for 2SLGBTQ+ students, and performing the world’s first legal same-sex marriages, MCC Toronto’s history is intertwined with Toronto’s history of queer resistance, community and progress.
The Paul Austin Human Rights Centre at MCC Toronto carries that legacy forward today, advancing human rights through advocacy, education, public dialogue and community engagement. Convening this forum is part of that work: creating space for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities to be heard, to hold leaders accountable, and to help shape a more just and inclusive Toronto.