Fighting intolerance: Sudbury has its own PrideHouse

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender athletes have, traditionally, faced intolerance for their identities.

Aiming to change attitudes, the first PrideHouse — a supportive space for LGBT athletes and their allies — was set up at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.

The venues have since become common at major sporting events, although attempts to set up a PrideHouse at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics in socially-conservative Russia were unsuccessful.

In honour of this summer's Toronto Pan Am and Parapan Am Games, a PrideHouse has not only been installed in the host city, but in Sudbury as well.

“This is an opportunity for PrideHouse to do outreach to the various communities to spread the message and to raise awareness,” said Pam Pancel, an inclusion ambassador with PrideHouse.

“What better way than to have satellite locations with similar types of events?”

PrideHouse: Sudbury Celebrates is located at Cambrian College's Open Studio, situated downtown at 93 Cedar St.

“Just because it's a PrideHouse event, doesn't mean it's just for the LGBT community,” Pancel said. “It's for everybody.”

Among the activities planned:

-Viewing event for the Pan Am Games' opening ceremonies – July 10 at 6:30 p.m.

-Art exhibit – Queer Landscapes, Queer Journeys: Reflections of LGBTQ Rights and Struggles in Ontario Today – opening reception July 10 at 6:30 p.m., exhibit runs until July 26

-Film screening – United in Anger: A History of ACT UP, July 21 from 5-9 p.m.

-Conference – How to Create Positive Space in Your Life and Business – 1 p.m. at Sudbury Theatre Centre

-Viewing event for Parapan Am Games opening ceremonies – Aug. 7 at 6:30 p.m.

-Community art installation — The Pride House That Kids Built — opening reception Aug. 7 at 6:30 p.m., runs until Aug. 15.

Learn more about PrideHouse: Sudbury Celebrates at www.theopenstudio.ca or by email at [email protected].