‘We can now celebrate who we are’
Annual Pride festival launched with civic centre ceremony
Advocates, allies, children, police and fire and sheriff officials all came together Friday to mark the launch of the 17th annual Pride festival in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.
The official noon-hour flag raising outside Sydney’s civic centre drew a large and exuberant crowd, despite the heat.
“It’s accepting who you are, who you’ve grown to be, it’s casting a positive light on a once dark past in our LGBTQ+ history, where people were shunned and hid who they were,” said David Ward, co-chair of Pride Cape Breton.
“We can now celebrate who we are.”
Ward added that Pride is about accepting and welcoming everyone — and also about wearing “gaudy rainbow accessories.”
“Pride, I guess, can be whatever you want it to be … Pride is what you make it,” he said.
It also marked the first CBRM pride week since Mayor Cecil Clarke made a public declaration of his homosexuality.
“We’re here as fellow citizens, as equals in this municipality, we’re all coming together to celebrate pride 2018. It is my pleasure and honour as your openly gay mayor to welcome you,” Clarke said, to applause.
He noted the festival continues to grow each year, adding more members of council and other elected officials turned out for Friday’s launch than any previous pride flag raising.
For the first time, members of the sheriff services were also on hand, Clarke added.
Pride events continue today with the parade beginning at noon, followed by the Pride Party in the Park at Open Hearth at 1:30 p.m. and a Pride Dance Party at 10 p.m. at Membertou Trade and Convention Centre.