Celebrating Pride Week

Pride Week has been part of Sudbury's cultural landscape for the past 15 years — and that's something to be proud of.

Dallas Bushie, chair of Sudbury Pride, said this year's festival is a true celebration of how far the city's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Two-Spirited, Questioning and Ally communities have come. Since the first LGBT2SQA gathering in 1997, a lot has changed; It is now legal for same-sex couples to marry, and changes to the Canadian Human Rights Act have helped support the community.

“Society is changing,” Bushie said. While that is good news, “There is still room for improvement.”

During the 2012 festival, which takes place July 9 to 15, a number of events are scheduled throughout the city to help bring together LGBT2SQA communities, offering them fellowship, fun and the freedom to be themselves. It's also a time when others can learn about the community.

This year marks the first ever Pride “parade” — in the past, the group held marches. The difference, according to Bushie, is the celebratory nature of the event.

“It's been 15 years,” he said. “We're ready to celebrate.”

A full list of upcoming Pride Week events can be found at www.sudburypride.com. 

Posted by Laurel Myers