Who we are

The Bill 7 Award is directed by a Board of Trustees made up of two organizations; Supporting Our Youth at the Sherbourne Health Centre, and the Lesbian and Gay Community Appeal.

Supporting Our Youth (SOY – www.soytoronto.org) is a unique dynamic community development program that has been creating opportunities for lgbtt youth and adults in Toronto to build an inclusive, welcoming community together for nearly 7 years. SOY creates healthy arts, cultural and recreational spaces for young people; supports youth in building skills and developing capacities; and increases youth access to adult mentoring and support.

SOY was originally established in 1998, with support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and Central Toronto Youth Services. SOY’s programs have continued to expand and evolve over the years, as a result of the incredible support SOY has received from the hundreds of individuals who have volunteered thousands of hours of time and expertise, and the significant financial support it has received from foundations and project funders, and the generosity of community members, groups and businesses.

In September 2004, SOY became a program of the Sherbourne Health Centre, a community-based health centre with a mandate to provide services to marginalized groups in south east Toronto, including lgbtt people, newcomers and immigrants, and homeless people. A volunteer Community Advisory Committee continues to provide consultation and support to SOY.

The Lesbian and Gay Community Appeal Foundation (LGCA – www.lgca.ca) was founded in 1980 by a group of people who believed that the community would support the advancement of lesbian and gay projects, artists and organizations within Toronto. Individual artists, writers and organizations were often rebuffed when they attempted to get funding for lesbian and gay projects from traditional sources. Consequently, many were spending most of their time fundraising and were unable to achieve their goals. While no organization is allowed to be totally dependent on the Appeal for operational costs, the project-specific funding available from the Appeal strengthens existing and future lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender organizations and our cultural and artistic growth. It has always been the mandate of the Appeal to fund projects which equally benefit the lesbian and gay male communities. The Appeal has also expanded its mission to include support for bisexual, transgendered/transsexual and two-spirited (gay aboriginal) communities.