Pride Month was officially launched last week in North Grenville with the raising of the pride and transgender flags at the Municipal Centre. On Monday, June 1, a small group of people, including Mayor Nancy Peckford, members of council, Kemptville Pride President Devon Warren, and OPP Constable Annie Collins, gathered at the Municipal Centre for the flag raising. “We’re so pleased to host the flag raising for Kemptville Pride, to raise both the pride and transgender flag here today,” Mayor Nancy Peckford said. “We can’t have a larger gathering, but the spirit and intent remains the same.”
Mayor Peckford reflected on the significant progress made in recognizing and celebrating the rights of the LGBTQ2+ community in North Grenville, and particularly the success of last year’s first ever pride parade in Kemptville which attracted roughly 2,000 people. “My council colleagues and I are highly encouraged by the efforts of our community, our colleagues, and allies in shaping the diversity that is coming to define North Grenville,” she said.
Kemptville Pride President, Devon Warren, thanked council for their support in declaring the month of June Pride Month in North Grenville and for supporting the raising of the two symbolic flags at the Municipal Centre. The transgender pride flag was created by American trans woman Monica Helms in 1999. The light blue stripes are representative of a baby boy while the pink ones represent a baby girl. The stripe in the middle represents those transitioning or have a neutral or undefined gender. The six-colour rainbow version of the pride flag was created by Gilbert Baker in 1969 to express the joy, beauty and power of the LGBTQ2+ community.
“These flags will wave proudly for the entire month of June to show our love, support and unconditional acceptance for the LG- BTQ2+ community,” Devon said.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kemptville Pride parade, community picnic and vendor fair have been postponed until the fall. Kemptville Pride Queen of Communications, Fiona McKenney, says they are hoping to be able to hold the event on the first weekend in October, as long as larger gatherings are greenlit by the province at that point. Regardless, the Kemptville Pride organizing committee has been hard at work creating virtual events to allow residents to show their pride throughout the month of June. “We want to let people know that there is still a place where they can feel seen and validated,” Fiona says. “Not even a pandemic can dull the rainbow that lives in North Grenville,” Devon said at the flag raising.
Window decals, lawn signs, and t-shirts are now available through the Kemptville Pride website, with proceeds going towards Kemptville Pride efforts. They are also teaming up with local businesses including Rideau Roastery, Mr. Mozzerella, and Local Markets which are putting together special rainbow themed products with a portion of sales also going towards the initiative. Fiona says money raised will not only help them host future Pride events, but also organize a year-round support hub for the LGBTQ2+ community. “Kemptville Pride is more than just a parade,” she says. “The more information we spread, the less hate we will see.”
Kemptville Pride is hosting a virtual “So You Think You Can Drag” event, where they will be accepting videos of community members putting on a drag show at home. Kemptville Pride has created a YouTube channel where they will not only be showcasing the entries, but also posting tutorials on hair, makeup and anything else needed to put on a fun and flamboyant drag show. Entries are due this week and will be judged by guest drag queens.
This year Kemptville Pride is also taking the time to educate and raise awareness about LGBTQ2+ history. They will be supplying worksheets for kids to learn more about the community, and hope to answer any questions they might have along the way.
Finally, June 8-14 is the “Decorate you House for Pride” contest. Families are encouraged to decorate their house for pride using materials they have at home and post a photo on social media with the hashtag #PrideHouse so they can pick a winner.
You can follow Kemptville Pride on social media to keep up with everything that is happening over the month of June and to learn more about the vibrant LGBTQ2+ community. “Please choose to join me in celebrating our diverse, inclusive and loving community, not just today, not just the month of June, but every single day,” Devon said. “Let your rainbow and rural roots shine brightly North Grenville, today and always.”
