Pride organizers promote unity with this year’s theme By: Eva Wasney Posted: 5:27 PM CDT Thursday, May. 30, 2024

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This article was published 30/05/2024 (783 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Transgender empowerment and resilience are taking centre stage at this year’s Pride Winnipeg Festival.

“Transcend Together” is the theme for the annual LGBTTQ+ cultural festival, which kicked off Sunday with a public vigil and concludes this weekend with a rally, parade and two-day party at The Forks. Festival themes are based on community recommendations and selected by Pride Winnipeg’s board.

“It embodies the collective strength and unity of the community,” Sean Irvine, Pride Winnipeg’s new executive director, says of the theme.

The goal of the theme is to celebrate those in the local trans community while calling attention to the rise of discriminatory anti-trans rhetoric and legislation in Canada and abroad.

Within the last year, governments in Alberta, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick have proposed or passed bills to police pronoun changes in schools and restrict access to gender-affirming health care for transgender youth.

“In parts of Canada, we’re really behind the times in supporting the trans community; there’s a lot of education needed. This year is more important than it’s ever been to put that support at the forefront and really … challenge those who challenge the trans community,” Irvine says.

Attendees will see a plethora of blue, pink and white — the colours of the Transgender Pride Flag — at this weekend’s events, alongside a program prioritizing trans and two-spirit performers and speakers.

Organizers of this year’s Trans March, which takes place Saturday in conjunction with the festival, are glad for the added awareness.

“There’s a lot of negative rhetoric from far-right groups attacking our human rights and dehumanizing us,” says Ashley Gawne.

“It’s nice to see the overarching support for trans people in mainstream Pride celebrations and events.”

“I think it’s really important to see platforms like Pride Winnipeg standing behind trans people and trans youth specifically,” adds Seth Kamabu.

Gawne and Kamabu are peer support workers with the Trans Health Clinic at Klinic Community Health. They are part of a collective of local advocates and organizations that have come together recently to host Winnipeg events for Transgender Day of Visibility and Transgender Day of Remembrance.

This year’s march begins Saturday at 10 a.m. on the Manitoba legislative grounds with an opening ceremony and remarks led by Indigenous human rights activist Albert McLeod. The walk down Broadway begins at 11 a.m. and ends at The Forks with mainstage performances by trans artists.

The goal of the march is “to share trans joy and stand up for our human rights,” Gawne says.

“It’s a collection of things when people come together from a diverse community.”

Representation is also top of mind.

“Black, Indigenous folks and people of colour are often pushed to the margins, even within (trans) communities. If you’re coming as an ally, keep that in mind and make space for those voices to feel centred and heard, especially on the day,” Kamabu says.

The Pride Winnipeg rally starts Sunday at 10 a.m. on the steps of the legislature building with speeches from this year’s parade grand marshals, elders Barbara Bruce and Charlotte Nolin, and 12-year-old youth marshal Kristin Pruden from Grand Rapids. The Diversifying the Enby Network is the community marshal.

The parade departs from Memorial Boulevard at 11 a.m. with walkers heading down Portage Avenue toward The Forks.

“We have a record number of parade entries this year,” says Irvine, adding 6,000 people are registered to participate in the event.

“We’re really optimistic, too, on the number of floats we’re going to have present.”

On Saturday and Sunday, festivalgoers will find a wide array of live entertainment, family-friendly activities, food trucks, shopping and networking events throughout The Forks grounds.

New this year is a dedicated space for LGBTTQ+ community members aged 55 and older, called the Trailblazer Lounge. Accessibility services will be stationed throughout the grounds and a quiet room is available at the nearby Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

Visit pridewinnipeg.com or download the Pride Winnipeg app for a full list of events.

eva.wasney@winnipegfreepress.com

X: @evawasney

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