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First family friendly Pride celebration planned for the community

Last Updated Aug 25, 2017 at 2:00 pm MDT

PHOTO. Rogers broadcasting team standing on the Pride sidewalk on Hardin Street.

You and your whole family will be able to celebrate Pride in our community this year.

Pride events are held in multiple countries to end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ+) people.

Connor McIlveen, former Secretary and Treasurer for the Fort McMurray LGBTQmunity society tells the MyMcMurray Newsroom that several Pride events were held in Fort McMurray in the past but none to this scale.

He recalls previous years where a large celebration was held at a backyard barbecue and events at Baileys Pub that had performances by local drag queens and many people in attendance.

Pride 2017

Teila Rowsell is helping organize Fort McMurray’s Pride celebration this year and tells the MyMcMurray News Room that she got involved to show the diversity that Fort McMurray has to offer.

“Our goal is to promote inclusion and awareness for the LGBTQ and their allies, we want to create a safe space for people to be themselves and allow people to build more bonds in the community,” said Rowsell. 

Rowsell added that so far they have had a pretty positive reaction from the community.

“We have had a lot of people add themselves to the Facebook page we have 244 members which is going really well and a lot of people have come out to the events we have held so far, so we hope that carry’s over to the August event,” said Rowsell. 

The event is opened to everybody, even if you don’t identified with the LGBTQ+ community.

“It is always great to have allies to build more awareness and to come together as a city,” said Rowsell.

June is officially Pride month, but due to timing and logistics the committee decided it’d be best to celebrate the day on Sat., Aug. 26, 2017 at Jubilee Plaza from noon to 4 p.m.

It will be family friendly with food, live entertainment, stickers and tattoos.

“It’s exciting to see Pride celebrations in our community,” said Mayor Melissa Blake. “We are proud to be a community that respects and promotes diversity and human rights and I’d like to commend Pride YMM organizers, members of The Regional Advisory Committee on Inclusion, Diversity and Equality (RACIDE) and all partners for your vital work in helping to build a community that’s inclusive for all residents.”

For more information on the event, visit the Pride YMM Facebook group and event page.