Pride Winnipeg

2020

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02| SEPTEMBER 4 -13 ST VITAL SQUARE Unit 1 – 827 Dakota St Winnipeg OSBORNE VILLAGE 478 River Ave Winnipeg WINNIPEG SOUTHWEST Unit 2 - 1589 Kenaston Blvd Winnipeg Un i ty T h ro u gh D i v ers i ty ! SHOPPERS MALL Unit 48 - 1570 18th St Brandon CITY CENTRE MALL 300 Mystery Lake Rd Thompson Markus Chambers C i t y C o u n c i l l o r C o n s e i l l e r m u n i c i p a l S t . N o r b e r t - S e i n e R i v e r B r i a n M a y e s C i t y C o u n c i l l o r C o n s e i l l e r m u n i c i p a l S t . V i t a l markuschambers@winnipeg.ca Happy Pride 2020 204.986.5088 bmayes@winnipeg.ca 204.986.5920 It's perhaps an easy cliché to invoke one of the most celebrated Pride anthems of all time, but when it comes to this year's Winnipeg festivities, COVID-19 has done its best to rain on our parade. With large-scale gatherings no longer an option thanks to rising concerns over infection rates, local organizers had to instead pivot to an online format that prioritized the safety of participants and vol- unteers — even though such a model might at first seem to run counter to the communal spirit of the event itself. Most obviously, Pride parades across Mani- toba had to be cancelled as per provincial health regulations, along with in-person events such as the Winnipeg festival's weekend-long party at e Forks, which was previously scheduled to take place in June. But resilience remains ingrained in the GSRD (Gender, Sexual and Relationship Diverse) com- munity's DNA, so it's not surprising Pride Winni- peg was simply postponed, not cancelled outright, or that organizers have been hard at work on a festival equivalent that ensures their twin man- dates — celebrating diversity while advocating for equality — can still be upheld. "Pride is more than just a weekend," says Barry Karlenzig, who took over as Pride Winnipeg presi- dent last summer, aer volunteering with the or- ganization for eight years. "Pride is seven days a week, 365 days a year. So we may have to get together a little differently this year, we may have go virtual with the hope that next year we'll be in person. But there's also the understanding that Pride is more … we're there in the community, we grow as a community, and we build as a community." As Karlenzig explains, Pride Winnipeg was poised to undergo plenty of growth in 2020. In addition to the local version of the festival, which typically draws between 40,000 and 50,000 atten- dees to e Forks, the city was also slated to host Fierté Canada Pride (FCP), a national celebration and human rights conference that would have doubled the expected turnout. At the onset of the pandemic, local and nation- al Pride organizers launched COVID task forces to explore backup plans and alternate options. In the end, decisions were made to move this year's Pride Winnipeg to an all-digital model, and to postpone FCP to Summer 2022 — so it won't be competing with 2021's WorldPride celebration in Copenhagen. "How I've been taught and trained is you always plan for the worst and hope for the best — always have that worst-case scenario in your pocket, and Celebrating Diversity, Advocating for Equality and Overcoming Adversity PRIDE WINNIPEG MEETS THE COVID-19 CHALLENGE WITH AN ONLINE FESTIVAL BARRY KARLENZIG, PRIDE WINNIPEG PRESIDENT Photo by Shandi Strong

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