Two famous locals will be the Ambassadors of Pride for this year's Windsor-Essex Pride Fest.
The Pride Fest announced that Craig Ramsay and Gisele Shaw will be the Ambassadors of Pride.
Ramsay, an international fitness expert, author, and winner of CTV's The Amazing Race Canada, is a proud 2SLGBTQIA+ community member and advocate.
Shaw, IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts Division star, and a contestant for this year's CTV's The Amazing Race Canada, publicly disclosed on live TV in June 2022 that she is transgender.
An Ambassador of Pride is an individual who dedicates their time and energy creating a world that is more equitable, diverse, and inclusive.
While this year's Ambassadors operate on the international level, both call Windsor-Essex home.
Ramsay says he feels blessed to have grown up in Harrow.
"When you grow up in a small town, you know everything about everyone, and most people knew I was gay and supported me before I even understood and embraced it for myself. So, this is just a thrilling dream-come-true for me to be able to represent my community in this manner."
He says Windsor-Essex is a loving community, and he wants to see everyone thrive as happy individuals.
"We cannot be happy unless we live in a society where we all are allowed to simply, authentically, be in love. And I'm married to someone of the same sex, we co-parent a 12-year-old with my husband's sister and her wife, and we are raising a child of faith who identifies as a straight boy, and respects all people."
He adds that pride to him is a celebration of how far the 2SLGBTQIA+ community has come.
"And an opportunity to remind our allies that we need them and their support to help us achieve and sustain our equal rights. And I'm going to be working with communities in Windsor-Essex County over the next few weeks preparing for people to just simply celebrate how far we've come, yet how far we have to go."
Ramsay, says his message to those who are fearful to identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ is they are loved, cared for, and included.
"That's why we have so many letters, and numbers, and exclamation marks in our community title, it's because you are welcomed. A lot of times, the people that are speaking out against this and they are parents say of youth that identify or feel like they might be a part of the community, we're there to hold your hand, we're there to be patient, and support where you might not have support in your life."
Windsor-Essex Pride Fest's time and energy is spent producing inclusive and safe events, initiatives, and programs throughout the year and the festival it holds every year, which is one of the largest in the region, will run from August 2 to August 13.