Pride Winnipeg

There's no time like the present for taking stock of the past. That's the contemplative logic behind Evolution, this year's Pride Winnipeg Festival theme, which finds organizers injecting a heavier-than-usual dose of self-reflection, education and awareness-raising into their plans. The motif offers a chance to celebrate the many milestones of the LGBT pride movement, while pay- ing tribute to the decades of activism and advocacy that paved the way for today's culture of compara- tive acceptance. But the history lesson also serves as a (sadly, still) necessary rejoinder to those who continue to ques- tion why LGBT individuals — in light of considerable strides made on issues like gay marriage, military service and basic rights and freedoms — could pos- sibly need their own parade. "Both inside our community and outside, there's not always a lot of knowledge about the passage of LGBTTQ rights," says Pride Winnipeg president Jonathan Niemczak, who at 28 was born the same year the festival first launched. "We're hoping to use this as an educational cam- paign, to explain to people why we have pride — and why we have a pride parade. That in fact, there's a whole historical context behind it." That history dates back to 1969, when a police raid on a Greenwich Village gay bar triggered a series of violent protests now known as the Stonewall Riots. The incident served as a flashpoint for members of the LGBT community, who in turn launched activ- ist groups and support networks across the contin- ent. Within a year, the very first pride marches were held in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago, further mobilizing the community and for- cing society at large to sit up and take notice. "It was a spark," says Niemczak. "All of a sudden, everyone in the community looked at Stonewall like, 'If they can do it, we can do it.' That's when the de- mands for equal treatment started." In Canada, 1969 was also the year homosexuality was decriminalized, prompting then-justice minister Pierre Trudeau's famous quip about the state hav- ing no place in the bedrooms of the nation. (Though as Niemczak points out, it would take several more decades before society really warmed to the con- cept of Canadians living out-and-proud lives.) Here in Winnipeg, the movement's evolution is perhaps best reflected in the pride parade itself. The city's first parade in 1987 was a decidedly more intim- ate affair, drawing fewer than 300 people — some of whom marched with bags over their heads, for fear they'd lose their jobs, their families or their friends. These days, attendance at local Pride events is closer to 35,000, and the average "coming out" age sits at around 14, meaning many LGBT teens are no doubt blissfully unaware of the potential sacrifices that process once entailed. "There are so many critical points in our history that are so interesting — it would be great if the younger generation knew more about them," says Niemczak. "(That knowledge) can be helpful when they come out … they can use it to defuse some of the misconceptions about pride parades, and the pride movement in general. "We're also hoping it'll inspire folks to carry the torch — because obviously we've still got a ways to go." That can be especially true in rural areas of the province, where evidence of intolerance keeps rear- ing its ugly head, whether in the debates over Bill 18 (anti-bullying legislation that allows for gay-straight alliances in public schools), the voting down of a pro- posed merger with an LGBT-friendly credit union, or the closure of a small-town restaurant whose owners were repeated targets of homophobic insults. Challenges also exist in the aboriginal commun- ity, where two-spirited individuals (a term coined in Winnipeg in 1990) have gone from positions of great influence in their tribes to their current, post-colonial status as objects of scorn and derision. And as Niemczak points out, intolerance also exists within the LGBT community itself — as evidenced by an uptick in racially-insensitive online activity, and in particular by the continued struggle for acceptance by members of the transgender community. "It's not unusual to have a gay or lesbian individual be transphobic," says Niemczak, describing the fight for trans acceptance as one of the final frontiers of the LGBT movement. "We're trying to do something about that divide — to fight for our trans members, to get them the same equality, rights and freedoms that gays and lesbians now have." From June 5 - 14, however, Pride organizers will be busy celebrating the above-mentioned mile- stones and those who made them possible, via a jam-packed schedule of events and activities that again culminate with a two-day party at The Forks. They'll also be celebrating Pride Winnipeg's growth and progress — from a small grassroots or- ganization that relied heavily on community support, to a self-sustaining powerhouse with a surplus of resources and support to provide to local offshoots. "Thanks to all of that investment by the com- munity, we're now able to give back — to invest in the community and help them with whatever they need," says Niemczak, citing Brandon Pride and Thompson's Pride North of 55 events as proof of the organization's success. "Seeing that come to fruition, for me, is a very powerful moment." For more information on this year's events, visit pridewinnipeg.com ◗ 03 pride of the prairieS NATuRAL PRoGRESSIoN Pride evolution is slow and not always steady PRIdE WINNIPEG PRESIdENT JoNATHAN NIEmCzAk SEES A NEEd To ExPANd AWARENESS oF LGBT HISToRY. Photo by Darcy Finley

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