The cold did not stop many joining the Humboldt PFLAG group and Mayor Malcolm Eaton for the first ever raising of the pride flag at City Hall on Sept. 12 to kick off Humboldt’s first Pride Week that runs from Sept. 11-18.
Joe Wickenhauser with Moose Jaw Pride and the Saskatchewan Pride Network has been helping Humboldt with their first Pride Week.
The flag raising is the acknowledgement that people who are LGBT+ are in Humboldt and need support.
“Awareness is the first step, followed by education, support, and celebrating. This Humboldt Pride Week we’re going to see a lot of all of these things.”
Wickenhauser was excited for Humboldt who is now the smallest community in Saskatchewan to raise a rainbow flag.
“In the smaller communities it is still a struggle to be LGBT.”
Many spoke about the importance of the day, from members of the Saskatchewan Legislature, Eaton himself,PFLAG Humboldt chapter president, Sarah Miller, as well as leaders in the Humboldt faith community.
Miller was quick to offer warm thanks to the city who has embraced this show of support for the LGBT+ community.
“With this comes great growth and with great growth comes great expectations that we can do anything. With that we can be a great city.”
As well as bringing greetings and support from the city, Eaton also read the proclamation that was passed by council to proclaim Pride Week in Humboldt, saying, “pride is a way to honour and respect all people regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, to recognize our differences and uniqueness and to promote and build community through education and understanding.”
Minister Brenda Curtis with the Westminister United Church and Rev. Matteo Carboni with St. Andrew’s Anglican Church spoke together about how this is a step towards welcoming and respecting diversity.
“Raising the flag today signals that here in Humboldt we take pride in our respect for each other and in the beauty of our full human diversity,” said Curtis.
Working within the Anglican church, Carboni said that he sees the world wide discussion that is taking place around welcoming people who are LGBT+. Being new to Humboldt, he sees the challenges that lie ahead of forming a welcoming congregation.
“I love my church, but I look forward to the day when everyone can be welcomed by the Anglican communion.”
Wickenhauser says that it was great to see Curtis and Carboni since many LGBT+ experience a lot of discrimination within church communities.
Saskatchewan Party MLA Donna Harpauer for Humboldt-Watrous says the flag raising not only sent a message within Humboldt but also to the surrounding communities about the need to be accepting, inclusive, and respectful.
“At times I don’t think people who experience a different sexual inclination have felt that they are safe and included within communities and they should.”
Also in attendance was David Forbes, NDP MLA for Saskatoon Centre and opposition critic for equality, diversity, and human rights.
Not only did he mention all that the NDP wants to do for LGBT+ community but he also applauded the work of the current Wall government for all that they have done, from mending the Human Rights code to include gender and sexual identity discrimination and acknowledging trans gender identity on the Vital Statistics Act.
We are making progress, he says, but there is more to be done to ensure that, “everyone in Saskatchewan feels apart of our province and our community.”
This includes Bill 612 which Forbes has drafted to give students access to gay-straight alliance in schools through the Education Act.
Jennifer Campeau MLA for Saskatoon Fairview has been doing work about bullying in Saskatchewan schools, especially when it comes to gay students, says Harpauer and they will continue to work with the school divisions on any needs they have to address support for LGBT+ students.
See the Humboldt PFLAG group on Facebook for a list of events or to show your support.
See next week’s Journal for full coverage of Humboldt’s first Pride Week.
