For the second year in a row, the Humboldt LGBTQ+ community has brought Pride Week to Humboldt with a Diversity mass on Aug. 20 and the official flag raising on Aug. 21.
Members of the Saskatchewan Pride Network also had an information booth during Streetfest with Laura Budd, Education Coordinator at Moose Jaw Pride, Humboldt PFLAG President Neva MacKay, Oliver MacKay-Miller and Rev. Brenda Curtis.
Budd says that the booth was very well received with many people coming up to make buttons, pick up merchandise for the week, or just to say, hi.
Many of the people who came up to the booth were kids who joined in and asked Budd questions.
“Many of them were asking questions about how to be respectful because they want to be kinder to their peers.”
Education is the biggest aspect of respect for the LGBTQ+ community, says Budd, and asking the questions.
“If you don’t know someone’s personal pronouns, ask,” she says. “I say if you want to know, you extent your hand and you say, ‘hi, I’m Laura, my pronouns are she and her,’ that invites the other person to share theirs so you can be respectful.”
Budd was once again a special guest at the Diversity Mass to speak about her journey as a transgender woman, which involved the love and support of her family.
The LGBTQ+ society has gone through some changes over the past number of years, which Budd spoke about during the service.
We are moving on from just tolerating LGBTQ+ people in society, says Budd, and now we are starting to be more accepting of people who are LGBTQ+.
Five years ago, it was a wonderful day for Budd to have someone tolerate her and not react towards her with hostility.
This tolerance and acceptance is not enough, says Budd. She now wants to see members of the community welcome LGBTQ+ into society.
“We don’t accept everyone else in the community, we just embrace them and welcome them in. Our friends, we embrace and welcome them into our homes and our lives. I want to live in a society where we welcome each other.”
Budd wants to be invited to the table not in spite of her differences but because of them, she says.
Pride Week is setting the place at the table, says Budd, as a way of welcoming diversity in Humboldt. Just by saying hi at the Streetfest booth, or attending the diversity mass and the flag raising, people are saying that they are glad the LGBTQ+ community is in Humboldt.
The flag raising included words of support from Rev. Brenda Curtis, Andrew Hartman of the Humboldt PFLAG, Mayor Rob Muench, and Kevin Garinger of the Horizon School Division.
Hartman gave the history of the pride movement telling the story about how marches in the United States started because of police raids against members of the LGBTQ+ community back in 1969. The violence at the Stonewall Inn in New York brought about riots and marches against the oppression of the LGBTQ+ community and lead to the pride parades that we have today.
Pride for Hartman is a celebration of his own identity and a tribute to those who fought for the gender freedom that he is now enjoying, he said to the flag raising crowd.
“My friends, my community, and myself can have the privilege to be who we are and have the freedom to publicly love who we love without persecution.”
Garinger says the Horizon School Division represents 6,500 Saskatchewan students and diversity is an important aspect of that representation.
“Although our diversity presents us sometimes with some challenges, it is without question our greatest strength.”
Horizon as a safe and caring learning environment includes members of the LGBTQ+ in both students and staff, says Garinger and that includes supporting a message of inclusion, especially through presentations through OUTSaskatoon.
Seeing the great things that are happening in Humboldt is inspiring to Horizon as they continue their work in keeping local schools safe and inclusive, says Garinger.
“By raising the pride flag at City Hall, we demonstrate to community members, and more importantly to our young people, that we welcome and celebrate all identities.”
In light of recent events, there is still more society can do, says Garinger.
Humboldt PFLAG is part of the Saskatchewan Pride Network, who will be coming to Humboldt throughout the year to put on pride events.
