2SLGBTQIA+ communities face disproportionately high rates of anxiety, depression, suicidality, and barriers to affirming mental health care due to discrimination, stigma, and systemic inequities. At the same time, queer and trans communities have cultivated powerful traditions of resilience, creativity, and collective healing. Thriving, Not Just Surviving is a panel conversation that brings these realities together—examining the ongoing challenges while centering the joy, connection, and cultural knowledge that sustain 2SLGBTQIA+ wellbeing. Grounded in lived experience, community expertise, and mental health practice, this panel explores what thriving looks like for queer and trans people beyond survival. Through discussion of joy as a mental health practice, trauma and healing, chosen family, cultural expression, and sustainable activism, panelists will highlight both the systemic forces impacting mental health and the community-led strategies that foster belonging, resilience, and care. The session reframes mental health as a shared responsibility rooted in solidarity and collective flourishing rather than an individual burden. This conversation aligns with Halifax Pride’s commitment to education, equity, and celebrating the depth and diversity of 2SLGBTQIA+ life. It invites participants into a strengths-based, culturally informed dialogue that honours both the realities and the brilliance of queer and trans communities. Presented by the Healthy Minds Cooperative
