By Michele Tyndall

Regina, Saskatchewan is getting ready to celebrate thirty years of Pride. From a handful of terrified activists wearing masks who were denied a parade permit in 1989, to last year’s record of 80 organizations and hundreds of marchers, Pride in Regina has become more and more successful.

It has not always been a smooth path to success. There have been legal battles (for parade permits, for marriage, for Pride week proclamations). There have been personal battles, with many members of the community lost to disease, violence and self-harm. And there has always been the doubters, the hateful, the homophobes, the transphobes, and the fearful.

In 2018 Queen City Pride named Jon Ryan, an ally, to be Grand Marshal in the Pride Parade. This was a local sports hero who had made it to the big leagues, and had made a point throughout his career of supporting and defending the queer community.  Many people applauded this decision, feeling that it gave an invitation to the community to consider sports, a notoriously closeted career, and gave star recognition to the event. Many other people saw this as a snub of the many gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans persons actually in sports, while still others felt the choice ignored or marginalized local people and organizations that had been working for equality in Regina for years.

Nobody was wrong.

When it became clear that the arguments were growing more heated both for and against having an ally in a symbolic position, the Queen City Pride board held a meeting for all community members to come together to discuss their feelings on the matter. The meeting allowed all viewpoints to be heard, and everyone came away with a better understanding of each other as well as a shared understanding that even if we sometimes disagree, we are strongest when we support one another, and sabotaging one another only makes it easier for mainstream society to condemn us as they used to in the past. A more local representative marshal was chosen, with agreement from the original choice, and the parade was the largest Regina has ever had.

Since last year, Queen City Pride has held open house meetings on a regular basis for many decisions, not just about Pride Festival specifics, but including events and organizational ideas throughout the year. The result has not only been better understanding between community groups, but the creation of a shared agenda. This collaboration and the added community support helped to drive Queen City Pride’s successful bid to  host Fierte Canada Pride 2020, the national pride convention.

Fifty years ago, homosexuality was decriminalized in Canada, and it changed the conversation about sexuality in big and important ways that would shape the future. It’s 2019, and the conversations are just as important now as they were then as we strive to find our place at the table in a world that is changing faster than ever, for worse and for better.

For more information on Queen City Pride and plans for the 30th Anniversary Pride Festival in Regina, visit their website at https://queencitypride.ca/