CAPITAL PRIDE
On track to be the biggest
This year’s Capital Pride is shaping up to be bigger, more exciting, and prouder — or at least that’s the plan, according to its new director Toby Whitfield.
“What we set out to do 10 months ago is really build on the last couple years and put on the largest festival — not just that our event has had but that the capital has had,” said Whitfield. “I think we’re on track to do that, people will see that next week.”
Capital Pride kicks off, officially, with a flag-raising at city hall on Monday. Technically, though, it will be the second flag-raising: this year, the first flag-raising ceremony will actually take place in Gatineau. It’s the first time the festival has ever done that, said Whitfield, and it’s emblematic of the kind of new expanded vision that Whitfield and Capital Pride is hoping can be brought to this year’s festivities.
“This year will be another year of firsts in terms of the size and scope of it,” Whitfield said. “We’ve doubled up our mainstage programming, so it will be Saturday and Sunday which is new, and we have an expanded street festival. Bank Street will be closed like it’s been the last couple years (and) we’re also closing down Somerset this year, so that will allow us to have a bigger festival footprint.”
Other new additions include a partnership event with Nature Nocturne at the Museum of Nature, a block party at Lansdowne, and a second slate of performers at the festival’s mainstage. They’re also just doing things bigger: The parade has been expanded to 150 groups participating, and there are upward of 70 community events, an increase over the around 50 that took place last year, said Whitfield.
Pride is on a far stronger footing financially and logistically than it was only four years ago. Whitfield said they were able to increase their funding substantially this year, compared to last, allowing them to fund several community groups through a new community project fund, as well as to reduce the costs for people to participate. (Part of this comes from their increased fundraising efforts this year: They’ve got high-profile corporate sponsors in TD Bank, Shopify and Tweed, as well as government grants.)
Capital Pride is a party worth capping off the summer with, to be sure, but the city’s queer community keeps its protest roots central to the whole week.
“Pride will continue to be political until all members of the LGBTQ+ community are treated with equity in rights, dignity and respect,” said Meera Chander of Queer Mafia, a queer advocacy group. “By supporting our various social justice networks in the work that they do in our community, our parties are political, and why not dance in protest?”
For others, Pride is a chance for visibility, to bring the things that exist and have always existed into the light of day; a place for people to find acceptance in whatever form they seek it.
Roberto Ortiz is the executive director of the Spill the Tea program, which is holding its launch event on Thursday, Aug. 24. The program is one of several involved in Pride in part to establish start a conversation — in this case, about how those who use drugs as part of sex can do so safely.
Whitfield said that it’s these kinds of partnerships, like the one with Spill the Tea — that are fun, informative, and political all at the same time — that he finds exciting.