Theo Tams Brings Together 2SLGBTQ+ Canadian Musicians on Soulful Charity Single

Canadian artists are pushing back on homophobia and raising funds for the 2SLGBTQ+ community this Pride Month.

The new single "This Little Light," penned by Canadian Idol winner Theo Tams and performed by over 20 2SLGBTQ+ musicians, credited as The Rainbow Collective, is a soulful ode to living your truth and resisting hate.

Tams originally planned to release the song as a solo artist, but instead reached out to musicians across the country, bringing together artists from a wide range of genres, backgrounds and experiences. Pop singer Tafari Anthony, singer-songwriter Iskwē, Canada's Drag Race winner Priyanka, and jazz musician Micah Barnes are just a few examples of the deep bench of Canadian talent featured on the track.

The release is accompanied by a video that stitches together clips of many of the performers, surrounded by candles and lights of their choosing, holding up signs with hurtful and hateful messages the artists have heard over the years.

All proceeds from the single will go to longstanding Toronto community centre The 519, supporting its Pay It No Mind Fund, which distributes emergency financial support to racialized Two-Spirit, trans and non-binary community members. The song aims to stand against rising anti-2SLGBTQ+ legislation across the globe and in Canada.

"We are up against some of the scariest legislature and proposed bills that we have seen in decades and all of this threatens not only our happiness but our safety as well," says Tams. "This song is an anthem, it is a message, it is a declaration, for every person who has ever felt silenced and pushed to the fringe of our society simply for being who they were meant to be."

The single is the latest example of Canadian artists speaking out against policies like Alberta's planned rollbacks of 2SLGBTQ+ education and health care. Pop duo Tegan and Sara criticized the legislation when accepting the Humanitarian Award at the Junos in March, and in April over 400 artists signed a letter, spearheaded by the Tegan and Sara Foundation, against anti-trans policies.