A group shot of the participants in the 2015 Belleville Pride in the Park at Zwick’s. (Photo: Michael J. Brethour)
The 2016 Chair of Belleville Pride says seeing Justin Trudeau become the first sitting prime minister to take part in a Pride Parade on Sunday, speaks volumes to acceptance and solidarity.
Hundreds of thousands turned out for 36th annual event in Toronto that unites and empowers people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.
Gilles Charette beamed at seeing photos of Trudeau, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Toronto Mayor John Tory side by side in Canada’s largest pride parade. He said it shows just how far society has come as far as mainstream acceptance goes.
Belleville Pride committee member, Eric Hargreaves said after the massacre in Orlando where 49 people were gunned down at the Pulse night club, he’s impressed with the coverage he saw. He added everyone including Trudeau looked like they were genuinely having fun.
The inaugural Trans-gender parade was held on July 1 with the annual Dyke March following on Saturday.
During the parade on Sunday, members of the group Black Lives Matter held a sit-in part way through the parade, stopping it from moving forward for about a half hour until Pride organizers agreed to a list of demands.
The list includes nine demands that range from banning police floats in future parades to increasing funding for spaces for racialized communities.
Hargreaves explained he didn’t see a lot of problems with it as Toronto Pride Week has not been without its share of controversy, referring to the evolution of Pride.
The festival began in 1970 as a series of picnics at Hanlan’s Point and Ward’s Island where participants brought signs and banners and used the small gathering as a public display of gay solidarity. In 1974, Toronto held its first Pride Week and despite garnering no official recognition from the city the event grew into a march in support of gay rights to Queen’s Park.
It would be on February 5, 1981 that Toronto’s Pride Week would reach its turning point. During the Toronto bathhouse raids dubbed “Operation Soap,” 306 men were arrested, made to stand in the streets in only towels, and many were named and outed in the media. This was the largest mass arrest in Canada since the 1970 October crisis. The raids were defended by the city and the police under “bawdy house laws.” In a display of significant unrest, 3,000 people marched in protest, shutting down Yonge and Wellesley streets. The event marked a major turning point in the history of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in Canada; the raids and their aftermath are today widely considered to be the Canadian equivalent of the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City.
On its 25th anniversary in 2005, newly appointed Toronto police chief Bill Blair became the first chief of police in the city’s history to personally take part in the parade marching alongside city officials.
Charette told Quinte News he’s not sure excluding Toronto police would be the wisest decision as the event has always been about promoting inclusivity. He touted the strong relationship Belleville pride has garnered with city police. He said it makes him smile when he sees officers participating in the many activities from wearing colourful Pride attire to hula hooping.
While both Charette and Hargreaves are very proud of the decades of progress made, they agreed there is still much work do be done going forward.
They both encourage members of the LGBT community to continue to be visible and proud.
Charette said he would like to see more allies speak up when they see injustice, particularly in matters of government and law.
Hargreaves who is also an active member of the youth support group Say OutLoud said he’d like to see more positive spaces for the local LGBTQ2 community but also greater ease at integrating what they do.
Both Charette and Hargreaves are hoping for a large turnout at this year’s Belleville Pride festivities.
The week of events gets started on July 16 with a Pre-Pride Disco Themed Party at the Belleville Pub from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.
Tuesday July 17, features a wine tasting event at Huff Estates in Prince Edward County. (The County has also declared Pride Week from July 17 – 23)
On July 18, the Hastings Prince Edward Public Health and HIV/AIDS Regional Services are hosting a men’s clinic from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. where they will be offering free and confidential sexual health information and services.
Paint your Pride is happening on July 18 at 54 Bridge St. East from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
This is an open art opportunity, to come and be part of the community and paint your pride. Canvasses, art boards, paint, brushes and markers provided.
Donation of $5 per person goes to Belleville Pride.
The Belleville Pride in the Park is Saturday beginning with a parade that starts at the Belleville Fairgrounds at the corner of Sidney and Bridge Streets at noon.
The parade will follow Sidney Street where those walking will enter Zwick’s Park from the foot of Sidney Street. Vehicles will proceed along Dundas Street to the parking area at Zwick’s Park (there’s no pedestrian access along Dundas Street near Zwick’s Park).
There will be music, entertainment, food and games at Zwick’s until 4 p.m.
The night wraps up with a Pump dance at the Bell Pub on Front Street from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Charette explained more events are being added and encourages the public to keep an eye on http://www.bellevillepride.ca/ for more fun Pride activities.
