INNISFAIL – Town council has approved a motion to have June 26 as Pride Day in Innisfail and will fly the rainbow Pride flag at town hall as a show of support for the community’s first-ever Pride celebration.
Dale Dunham, co-owner of The Coffee Cottage, gave a presentation to town council on June 14 about the planned Pride at the Cottage event that he and his life and business partner Shaun Steen are organizing for the LGBTQ2+ community and their allies.
“At this event you will more than likely see rainbows, on t-shirts, buttons, in art work, on banners, painted on peoples’ faces, and most importantly on flags,” said Dunham.
Dunham began by reminding council members that June is known worldwide as LGBTQ Pride Month. He said the roots of the annual celebration goes back to 1969 when New York City’s marginalized LGBTQ community was hanging on to survival against vicious discrimination and even police brutality.
But, said Dunham, the oppressed LGBTQ community fought back and began their long journey to gain full social equality by demanding changes to legal and moral doctrines that outlawed homosexuality.
In 1970, the first Gay Pride parades were held in the United States, igniting the start of the Gay Pride movement in North America.
Dunham told council the design of the rainbow flag was created in 1978 by artist Gilbert Baker, an openly gay man, who was urged by Harvey Milk, one of America’s first openly gay elected officials, to create a symbol of pride for the gay community.
“The rainbow came from the earliest recorded history as a symbol of hope,” said Dunham. “So, I figured for today I would ask council and the Town of Innisfail to fly the Pride flag on June 26 to show its solidarity with the many LGBTQ2+ citizens of Innisfail and show those who would still deny us certain human rights what an inclusive community looks like and acts like.
“If you accept my request, I would be presenting the town as a gift a Pride flag to be able to fly that day,” he added.
Dunham told council the June 26 celebration will be a free event held inside and outside of The Coffee Cottage and starting at 11 a.m. and concluding 12 hours later at about 11 p.m.
The event, which will follow all provincial COVID guidelines, will include an exhibition called ‘Queer From Here’, a series of photos and bios about high profile past and present Alberta public figures – performers, politicians, sports figures, celebrities and changemakers – who have identified themselves as LGBTQ2+. This will be followed by a family barbecue for the LGBTQ2+ community and their allies. Council was also told there will also be speakers, as well as entertainment.
During a brief council discussion over the motion to have June 26 declared Pride Day in Innisfail and to have the Pride flag put up outside of town hall, Coun. Jean Barclay noted the many positive contributions Dunham and Steen have already made in town, including the organizing of next month’s Lantern Festival, despite only being citizens of the community for just over a year.
“I fully support your initiative for June 26,” added deputy mayor Don Harrison who was filling in for the vacationing mayor Jim Romane. “We are a welcoming and inclusive community and this is a group that lives in our community and we welcome diversity. A year ago, almost to the day, we had the anti-racism rally and we reacted to that by doing the training, a committee was formed and we got a speakers’ series.
“We are just demonstrating what we said we would do, recognizing the diversity and inclusiveness within the community.”
Town council passed the motion unanimously.
For more information for the Pride at the Cottage celebration visit the website at www.innisfailpride.org
