Krugoer: Gallery: Fort McMurray celebrates Pride festival at Shell Place

After moving Pride week celebrations online last year, Pride YMM’s Pride festival was back in person Sunday at Shell Place. Last year’s celebrations were moved online because of COVID-19 measures.

While the past 18 months have been difficult, the challenges have made people more adaptable and resilient, festival host Simma Downe told those gathered.

“Resilient has been used a lot lately and I think a lot of us are sick of being resilient, especially as queer people. As youth we must be resilient to get through the bullying and torment. For many of us we must be resilient to make it through the rejection of family and friends and we must be resilient in every new workplace as we’re forced to come out over and over again,” said Downe.

“We are tired of being resilient. It is time for a change, acceptance and love and that all starts at events like this today.”

Downe, a Métis Two-Spirit person, also spoke about the residential school system’s impacts on Indigenous communities.

“Boys and girls had strict gender rules placed upon them. For the children that fell outside the gender binary or didn’t identify with their assigned gender, they were punished severely,” said Downe.

With multiple elections running, Downe encouraged people to ask candidates their positions on Indigenous issues, restrictions on donating blood, protecting GSAs in schools, underemployment of trans people and equitable health care to gender-diverse people.

Mayor Don Scott spoke at the event and encouraged people to show their support not just during Pride week, but all year round.

“My message today is for youth. We see you, we embrace you, we accept you, we love you, we are glad that you are accepted in this community,” he said. “Just know that you are supported, please, and anytime you are uncertain where to turn, you have allies. Me among them, but there are many others. You have an entire stadium of allies here today.”

Sunday’s celebration also included awards recognizing community leaders. One honouree was committee member Brooke McMillan, who is a teacher at Holy Trinity Catholic High School. During her acceptance speech, she spoke of how much she enjoyed working with students.

“I really believe that everything I do is rooted in that, creating a world that they can inherit that is more liberated and more loving,” she said. “Awards don’t mean we stop, it’s just that reminder on our walls to keep going and pushing and keep the vision alive in our hearts that we have so much more progress to make.”

The week started with an opening ceremonies event that included raising the Pride flag at Keyano College. More than 20 events were held throughout the week, including Drag 101, Pride Yoga, Two Spirit Tea Live, Rainbow Paint Night and Drag Bingo.

lbeamish@postmedia.com