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Thunder Pride Gearing Up For National Conference

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The countdown is almost over for a national 2SLGBTQ pride conference virtually hosted by Thunder Pride.

One week is left until this year’s Fierté Canada Pride National Conference gets underway next Saturday and Sunday.

It was to be hosted in-person, but Chair Ashley Moreau says it was moved online once it became clear they couldn’t delay it until later in the year.

Moreau explains the theme this year is “Navigating Together,” with a focus on sharing strategies, resources and ideas.

While representatives from other Prides won’t be able to visit the city due to the pandemic, Thunder Pride hopes to give them a glimpse of the community by sending care packages of goods from local businesses.

“The point of bringing everybody to your town, and the point of bidding on hosting a conference of this size, is to be able to show off your town,” they say, “And to be able to bring people home and say ‘this is where we live, this is our cute, cozy little Pride, come and enjoy it with us.’”

Moreau notes that for the first time, attendees don’t have to belong to an established Pride group.

In previous discussions, Thunder Pride officials had aimed to gather over 200 delegates from across the country for the conference. It was named as host in 2019.

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Hundreds Flood Emo For Pride Rally

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A couple hundred people converged on Emo Saturday to protest the decision from township leaders not to recognize June as Pride Month.

Borderland Pride co-chair Douglas Judson says they’re blown away by the support.

“The opposition we were experiencing from leaders in the community didn’t reflect the community itself,” says Judson, “I think that that was borne out by the numbers we saw and the enthusiasm of the participants.”

He tells us that they received lots of push back ahead of time to the ‘Emo Ambush’, but that anyone would be hard-pressed to say anything negative of what actually took place.

When it comes to the makeup of those who came out, Judson, who serves on Fort Frances Town Council, explains that they came from all over the northwest including Dryden, Kenora and Thunder Bay.

Borderland Pride co-chair Douglas Judson speaks to Acadia News following the group’s ‘Emo Ambush’ protest.

“They wanted to be part of sending a strong message that our communities in the northwest are places where LGBT people can have a home for themselves…can move and be accepted (for who they are).”

He says that in the end their protest may not sway political decision, but that they might have just help the community.

“I hope that for young people in the community they look at this and they feel emboldened and empowered and have identified that there are allies and organizations and labour unions and community leaders around them that want them to thrive and be successful and cared for.”

He adds that he hopes it reminds people that we don’t need to take things we find unacceptable lying down thanks to the democratic society that we live in.

With files from Colin Redston.

(Provided, Borderland Pride)

(Provided, Borderland Pride)

(Provided, Borderland Pride)

(Provided, Borderland Pride)

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Town Hall Raises Inclusivity Issues In NWO

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Although Emo town council’s decision to not hold pride celebrations was not mentioned by name, the issue it raises of inclusivity was discussed heavily at a northwestern Ontario pride town hall.

There was plenty of participation, with many questions asked of local MPs and federal ministers.

Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP Marcus Powlowski started the online discussion off by sharing a story of growing up in Kaministiqua.

He said that when he was younger, anyone who was in any way not in the majority was treated differently by the residents of the rural community.

Health Minister Patty Hajdu shared how she recently co-authored a report on men’s mental health. She said she didn’t realize while she was writing it that she was coming at it from her own life experiences rather than a 2SLGBTIQ+ inclusive perspective.

Hajdu said she only realized, after speaking with others, that she shouldn’t have assumed the partners of men who grew up with toxic masculinity would be women.

Douglas Judson from Borderland Pride asked our two local MPs how we can help smaller communities “that may need to catch up” on inclusivity since they say they have traditional beliefs.

Powlowski said he wants to listen to the 2SLGBTIQ+ community and feels the internet has helped expand people’s perspectives around the world.

“Dryden and other small communities aren’t the same way as we were 40 years ago, we are a lot more cosmopolitan and have a lot more ethnic groups and LGBTQ members. We have come a long way being more accepting, and I think we need to continue to communicate and have some work to do,” Powlowski said.

Hajdu replied that it takes political courage to challenge a closed perspective.

“You have to have the courage to say ‘I disagree’ in politics when addressing systemic issues,” Hajdu stressed.

The health minister also said it is important to ask what it means to be a good ally, to ask others what they want from you and your position, and respecting the needs of individuals.

“Things are changing, but I don’t think they are changing fast enough. I represent small communities that are still in the ’70s and they are closed,” Hajdu said.

The health minister said rejuvenation and diversity need to take place in communities and organizations in northwestern Ontario.