'We exist everywhere': West Nipissing to host its first-ever Pride parade in June
Three years after the Municipality of West Nipissing flew the Pride flag for the first time, it and the Pride committee are hosting the first-ever Pride parade later this month.
To kick off June as Pride month, the committee raised the Pride flag at Minnehaha Bay on Thursday afternoon with cheers coming from allies and supporters of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
When Michael Rolling came out as pansexual and transgender, he said he found it hard growing up in a smaller community where there wasn't much representation at the time.
"It's just way harder to find someone like you. You can't find people who really know what you're feeling," Rolling said.
"Be loud, be visible, be queer."
That's why said he felt empowered to speak at West Nipissing’s Pride flag raising.
Michael Rolling, who identifies as pansexual and transgender, speaks at the West Nipissing Pride flag raising. June 1/23 (Eric Taschner/CTV Northern Ontario)
"To people that don't understand: This is just who people are. You just have to start accepting people,” he said.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
The Pride flag was first raised in 2020 shortly after the West Nipissing Pride committee formed. That particular flag raising made West Nipissing one of the first smaller northern communities to do so.
"We exist everywhere and, unfortunately, we still need support, protection and allies to speak out with us against discrimination,” said the Pride committee’s president Michel Gervais.
Gervais said there are still many transgender people who continue to face hate, bias and discrimination for their decision to come out.
He said the hate continues to ramp up online on social media platforms.
"It’s unfortunate that there’s so much hate and so much refusal to understand our perspective,” Gervais said.
For the first time this year, the committee is hosting a parade in downtown Sturgeon Falls on June 10.
The committee is working with the municipality on all the details, floats and organizing the route.
"It’s been a goal of ours since 2020," said Gervais.
West Nipissing Mayor Kathleen Rochon spoke for a few minutes at the flag raising expressing council’s support for the 2SLGBTQ+ community and allies.
"We finally have the right place and right time that they can bring their dream of having a Pride parade right here in Sturgeon Falls,” she said.
"We have many citizens who identify as part of the 2SLGBTQS+ community."
For the people who have faced prejudice for being who they are, seeing the flag and knowing a parade is around the corner gives them hope for a brighter future of acceptance.
"There are people in the community that do support people like me," Rolling said smiling.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
Toronto police seek suspect vehicle after security guard shot outside Drake's mansion
Toronto police are seeking help from the public as they continue to investigate a shooting that seriously injured a security guard outside rapper Drake's mansion.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
World's record-breaking hot temperature streak stretches through April
The world just experienced its hottest April on record, extending an 11-month streak in which every month set a temperature record, the European Union's climate change monitoring service said on Wednesday.
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.