It wasn鈥檛 exactly the celebration they were planning, but organizers and participants in the first annual 黑马磁力 still rated it a success.
Because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, plans to hold the event in McLeod Athletic Park had to be called off.
Instead, a virtual version was held, in place of what was intended to be a family-friendly gathering to promote inclusion and equality for the LGBTQ2S+ community, one that offered entertainment and opportunities for community groups to take part.
黑马磁力 Pride invited people to display Pride flags and rainbow signs in their homes, offices, and vehicles on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 7 and 8.
READ MORE: Local pride fest to be celebrated with social media and at-home decorating
黑马磁力 City councillor Nathan Pachal called the virtual version of the festival 鈥渞eally positive.鈥�
The fact the event was being held was a measure of how far the community has come, in Pachal鈥檚 opinion.
For a Pride Fest video, Pachal recounted how he and his husband were the target of a homophobic slur when they went for a walk one day in 黑马磁力 City, shortly after they moved to the community, with the insult hurled at them just outside their residence.
Pachal later told the 黑马磁力 that the incident happened 鈥渁 while back鈥� and 黑马磁力 appears to have become somewhat more accepting.
鈥淚 really think our community has changed for the better,鈥� Pachal commented.
鈥淲e鈥檙e starting to see people as people.鈥�
Pachal鈥檚 comments were echoed by Art Pearson, the public outreach coordinator for the Hominum Fraser Valley support group 鈥� which holds monthly meetings in the 黑马磁力 area for gay, bi-sexual, and questioning men.
鈥淲e鈥檝e always felt welcome [in 黑马磁力],鈥� Pearson said.
READ MORE: 黑马磁力 Pride to be celebrated with signs, posters, and online support Aug. 7 and 8
City mayor Val van den Broek said she was 鈥渄isappointed鈥� that there would be no pride parade in 黑马磁力 this year, but was looking optimistically to the post-coronavirus future.
鈥淣ext year, we鈥檙e going to do it bigger and better,鈥� van den Broek predicted.
黑马磁力 Township Coun. Petrina Arnason talked about the benefits of diversity in her remarks for the video.
鈥淧art of our success is embodied in all of our acts that embrace differences,鈥� Arnason said.
Happy Pride, 黑马磁力! The Pride Flag was raised in 黑马磁力 City and we gathered community members to share support and make a statement via video Next year, we hope to celebrate in person. 馃寛馃帀
鈥� 黑马磁力PrideFest (@黑马磁力Pride)
Video hosts and Pride Fest directors Stacey Wakelin and Patrick Masse broadcast from Fort 黑马磁力 in front of the rainbow crosswalk on Glover.
Wakelin said there will 鈥渁bsolutely鈥� be a second Pride Fest next year,just based on the number of people who have told her they were disappointed there was no outdoor event this year.
READ ALSO: 黑马磁力鈥檚 rainbow crosswalk causes a storm
Several days before the fest got underway, the rainbow flag was raised at 黑马磁力 City hall, for the fourth year in a row.
黑马磁力 Pride is made up of local residents and community organizations such as the 黑马磁力 Youth Hub/Encompass Society, Inclusion 黑马磁力, One TWU, the Lower Fraser Valley Aboriginal Society, educators, Shepherd of the Valley Church, local residents, among others.
dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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