Moose Jaw Pride has prepped and perfected a full slate of pandemic-safe upcoming events to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community that will fill next week, as a way to really kick off Pride Month in June.
Pride Week will take place from May 23 to May 30 in Moose Jaw with a schedule of daily events that will connect and celebrate the LGBTQ+ individuals and families living in Moose Jaw.
Pride executive director Taylor Carlson and the Pride Week committee are excited to have the annual event taking place this year, as it helps to create positive spaces for social connections within the community.
The pandemic has caused strain on all parts of the community, said Carlson, including LGBTQ+ individuals and families. Shutdowns and changes to services mean that many LGBTQ+ people have lost access to important supports, especially youth.
“2SLGBTQ+ people often really have to rely on networks of friends to build family and have support [and] they’ve lost access to that,” said Carlson. “So to be able to do something that helps connect folks back together, even virtually, I think it’s really special and important.”
Providing a positive space to connect with LGBTQ+ individuals is why Carlson and the organizing committee are happy to see Pride Week going full speed ahead.
Activities this year will be largely hosted online, with several events to be held over Zoom and others streamed online for viewing, like the flag raisings. In-person events have been planned with physical distancing in mind, for everyone’s safety.
“[The volunteer organizing committee] recognize that when we’re imagining our Pride in Moose Jaw, that it's important we centre it in our experience here, our geography and our community of families,” said Carlson. “And I think that was successful. They did a lot of work imagining how everyone can participate this year.”
Beginning on May 23 with a flag-raising ceremony in Crescent Park and at the Western Development Museum, Pride Week will continue with all the usual favourite elements — but with a twist.
Following the kick-off, a Dungeons & Dragons one-shot adventure, open to all levels of adventurers, and a Hot Dog & Cocktails Social are happening on May 24, both held over Zoom.
Two discussion panels are set for May 25 and 26, titled “Living with Pride” and discussing first the experience of transgender people living in rural communities. The second panel will talk with local leaders from Moose Jaw organizations about intersectionality in practice.
“A number of folks in leadership roles here in Moose Jaw will be discussing the ways that they have begun to include and celebrate 2SLGBTQ+ people and families and what that work of inclusion and belonging looks like,” said Carlson.
On May 27, WDM curator Dr. Elizabeth Scott will be hosting a virtual Show & Tell about LGBTQ+ history in Moose Jaw, using artifacts from the local branch of the WDM and welcoming participants to share their own stories.
The annual trivia night will be returning virtually on May 28, and the well-known parade will be held in a recognizable pandemic format: as a huge vehicle tour.
The Pride Convoy will take the streets on May 29 to cruise Moose Jaw in lieu of the usual Pride parade, touring a motorcade of decorated vehicles through several neighbourhoods in the city.
“We did do this last year too,” said Carlson. “And my favourite thing about all of it is it gives us an opportunity to bring Pride, the celebration of who we are and of 2SLGBTQ+ people and families, to every neighbourhood in Moose Jaw. We see people on their porches, in the shade of trees, waving flags and smiling, and it's such a strong emotional thing for a lot of participants.”
The largely popular drag events will also be back this year, with two Drive In Drag Shows scheduled for the evening of May 29. The first show at 7 p.m. will be all-ages and family-friendly and the second show at 9 p.m. will be for guests 18 years or older.
Events will conclude on May 30, with a reaffirming faith service at St. Andrews United Church that will be streamed online.
Pride Week is also partnering with several local entities this year, to continue putting the focus on LGBTQ+ solidarity during Pride Month.
Throughout the month of June, staff at the Moose Jaw Public Library will be curating displays of LGBTQ+ books and authors for library patrons to explore, and the WDM is hosting a Pride Scavenger Hunt in the museum’s collection.
All of the prizes offered during Pride events have been sourced from local businesses who’ve shown support for Moose Jaw Pride, which Carlson said were purchased instead of donated this year, as a gesture of support for the business community.
“This has been a hard time for [smaller businesses] here in Moose Jaw, and so we wanted to make sure we weren’t asking folks for things but instead giving them some support too,” said Carlson.
Moose Jaw Pride is also encouraging businesses and individuals to decorate their windows and homes to celebrate Pride Week and to offer a visual expression of support for the LGBTQ+ community.
The organization is offering free Pride flags at its office on Main Street, for anyone looking to decorate for the week of events or to participate in the vehicle parade.
Registration for any of the upcoming Pride Week events can be done by contacting Moose Jaw Pride on Facebook, through their website at moosejawpride.ca or by reaching out via text or call at 1 (306) 692-2388.
