Fort Macleod continues its celebration of diversity Saturday, Aug. 26 with Pride in the Park.
Pride in the Park is designed to bring the LGBTQ+ community and its allies together to show support, share resources, celebrate queer history, and have fun.
“Pride in the Park’s mandate is to be a visible representation of the LGBTQ+ community in rural Southern Alberta,” organizing committee member Jane O’Connor said.
“We also aim to plan a day where people of all sexualities and gender identities can enjoy some live entertainment and friendly faces and feel supported and accepted within their own town.”
Pride in the Park runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Centennial Park.
Organizers will make opening remarks at 10:30 a.m., followed by a welcome from Town of Fort Macleod officials at 10:45 a.m.
At 10:55 a.m. the history of Pride will be shared.
At 11:15 a.m. Poppy Pufter will give a Drag performance.
That is followed at 11:30 a.m. with a performance by singer-songwriter Charlie Navartrill.
At 12 noon First Nations fancy dancers Cieran Starlight and Lenn Crowshoe will perform.
At 12:30 p.m. someone from the LGBTQ+ community will share their personal story.
Poppy Pufter returns to the stage at 12:50 p.m., followed at 1:15 p.m. by a performance by the band Desert Orchid.
Singer-songwriter Ryland Moranz closes out the scheduled performances at 2 p.m.
There will be a market with vendors selling handmade jewelry, soap, accessories and more. There will also be a clothing exchange and people can bring clean, gently used items to participate.
Committee member Colin Walmsley said small towns usually don’t have the same support structures and resources for LGBTQ+ people as larger cities.
“Fort Macleod Pride exists to bring that community and our allies together and to show that it’s okay to be queer, and more specifically, that it’s okay to be queer in Fort Macleod,” Walmsley said.
O’Connor added that it is important to consistently work to make Fort Macleod an inclusive community that encourages diversity.
“I want to know that if youth decide to move away it is not because our town was too small-minded for them,” O’Connor explained. “I think it’s important that people who go away to train for careers and learn new skills want to (and feel comfortable to) return to Fort Macleod and help it grow.”
As society becomes more open-minded and accepting, Walmsley said, more people in the LGBTQ+ community are comfortable coming “out.”
“There are still a lot of people still in the closet,” Walmsley said. “This is often because they fear that their family or friends are going to react badly and they’ll become socially isolated or even homeless. Many queer people in Fort Macleod might not even know any other queer people.”
“Pride lets us show these people that there are other people like them in Fort Macleod, and that even if they feel isolated at the moment, there’s a community waiting for them on the other side.” O’Connor agreed.
“There are so many young people in rural communities that live in fear of being bullied, harassed, or assaulted,” O’Connor said. “If we can provide hope and community for someone that doesn’t regularly see pride represented where they live, maybe they will be a bit more comfortable being themselves.”
An increase in homophobic and transphobic displays in Canada and the U.S. in the past year make Pride in the Park that much more important.
“As homophobia has become increasingly unacceptable in general society, homophobes have shifted their attacks to transgender people and drag queens,” Walmsley said. “Fort Macleod certainly isn’t immune from this.”
“Pride in the Park is a great way to show support for those in our community who have recently been the target of hateful attacks, and demonstrate that there are still lots of people in town that love and support them, and will stand with them against hate.”
