For the first time since 2019, Kelowna Pride Week returns next week without restrictions, and the seven-day celebration is full of events that everyone can enjoy.
The CEO of the Kelowna Pride Society, Claire House, can’t wait to see the activity, as there are no more restrictions limiting the holiday.
“It will be super exciting! We have an event almost every day, starting on Monday, until the main event on Saturday, “House said.
“We hope to see a large number of people come out of Kelowna and Central Okanagan and show their support for LGBTQ + communities.”
The Kelowna Pride Society is planning three different hikes – a cycling march that was included last year, a festival march in City Park and a trance march – something that society believes now needs more attention than ever.
“I think it’s really important to provide space for young trans people to get together and provide a level of visibility that we often don’t see for the rest of the year,” House said.
“There aren’t many public spaces available, so I think it’s just a really important moment for everyone to come together, especially with the very negative reaction we’ve seen to trance rights over the last few years. ”
House says Kelowna’s Pride Society is proud of how far the world has come in accepting people as they are, but Society President Fahmi Baharuddin believes there is still work to be done.
“I think the support should come from allies, it should come from those who are not in the queer community,” Baharuddin said.
“We see pockets of hatred and this usually comes from the periphery of those who are not connected to the queer community, and strange people do not feel safe in this environment. So it depends on the alliance of these people, which is not strange … to talk and say, “Hey, being gay is good.”
Kelowna Pride Week kicks off at BNA Brewing on Monday night. The brewery pours special beer for the LGBTQ + community for the entire month, with all proceeds going to the Kelowna Pride Society.
Kelowna Pride Socie expects between 10,000 and 20,000 people to come out and show their support throughout the week. Full details and schedule of next week’s events can be found here.
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