Photo Courtesy of Rainbow Alliance Dryden
It’s Pride Month and Rainbow Alliance Dryden is inviting community members to take part virtually.
Since we can’t gather together, RAD is putting on a Pride Lives Here colouring contest, a Pride Rocks scavenger hunt in Laura Howe Marsh and the Dryden Native Friendship Centre is hosting Drag Queen bingo.
Chair of RAD Catherine Kiewning says they’d also love to see a sea of rainbow decorations around town.
“If you’re a business or if you’re an organization and you feel like you need to deck your business out in rainbows to show support and really celebrate the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Dryden, please do so. We really, really appreciate the support and hope people participate in our events and hope to see everyone in person next year.”
Submitted by RAD’s Catherine Kiewning (left)
Pride flags have also been raised for the month of June across Northwestern Ontario, including at Dryden City Hall.
This year, RAD chose to raise the Progress Pride flag designed by artist Daniel Quasar.
“It’s more inclusive and highlights the contributions made by black and brown trans-gender people, who pretty much started the Pride movement across the world,” explains Kiewning. “It’s a really beautiful and vibrant flag, so we encourage everyone to go by and have a look at it.”
Kiewning continues: “Pride in a small town is so important. If we are committed to being a community that values diversity, that values inclusion, that values just the human beings in our communities, this is a perfect way to show a smaller group, a minority group, that even though they’re not the majority they’re still special and valued. I think that’s something we need to not only express during the month of June, because a lot of queer people are queer 365 days of the year. This is something we want the community to commit to the entire year, it’s important that people feel valued and feel safe in their community.”
Pride Lives Here signs and Dryden Pride shirts are also available to show your support.
EMT donations for signs can be sent to rainbowalliancedryden@gmail.com and for more on events and shirts, check out Rainbow Alliance Dryden on Facebook.
