Duane Hicks
The Gay Straight Alliance at Fort High is aiming to hold a Fort Frances “Pride” event here next year, and will start getting the word out to the community about it during “Mall Day” next Thursday (June 29).
Sam Pearson, health educator with the Northwestern Health Unit, has been meeting with the FFHS GSA during its Friday lunch hour meetings for the past several weeks to start planning for an event next year.
“We decided for this year to tag along to an event that already has a high attendance, so that we can raise awareness and give people the chance to get involved for next year if they choose,” Pearson told the Times.
The FFHS GSA will have a booth set up at the Northwestern Health Unit office (396 Scott St.)
The group will be handing out flags, bracelets, lanyards, and other “Pride” swag, as well as providing information as to what the GSA is all about, noted Pearson.
They also will be handing out rainbow-themed snacks and spreading their “pride” throughout the downtown, she added.
“We will have the tandem bike decorated in rainbow colours, and the GSA will be touring up and down Scott Street to share their message and show their support for the LGBQT community,” Pearson said.
“We are hoping that by having this smaller event this year, we will gain some more support from the community and be able to form a planning committee to have a larger event next year,” she reasoned.
Pearson and the GSA group would love to have more people sign up.
Anyone interested in joining the planning committee may contact her at 274-9827.
Other Northwestern Ontario communities have been getting on board with “Pride” events in recent years.
Kenora is holding its third-annual “Pride” event on June 23-25, including a Queer prom, “Pride” march and barbecue, a “Two-Spirit” celebration, pancake breakfast and more.
Dryden held its first “Pride” event on June 10.
Perason said hosting a “Pride” event “is a way for people from all walks of life to come together to support equality and raise awareness, acceptance, and to help improve the lives of those who identify as part of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Queer, and Two-Spirited (LGBTQ2S+) community.”
“This kind of support is extremely important in small towns so that everyone feels like they are safe and loved in their community no matter how they identify,” she stressed.
“People tend to believe smaller communities are less accepting of people who are anything other than heterosexual, and we are aiming to prove that wrong,” added Pearson.
