Community to show ‘love is louder’ at Pride Hamilton

Organizers and allies are rallying together to show that “love is louder” at Pride Hamilton’s festival this weekend given protesters’ recent disruptions at similar events across southern Ontario.

If agitators carrying signs and shouting hateful, anti-LGBTQ messages show up at Sunday’s event like they did at Haldimand-Norfolk Pride Day last month, the plan is to “drown them out,” said Jyss Russell, co-ordinator at Speqtrum Hamilton, a community building group for queer and trans youth.

“Basically we want to sort of neutralize their signs and also their amplification as much as possible,” said Russell, who has been involved in preparations for a possible disruption.

After close to a dozen protesters stormed a Pride event in Dunnville in May, displaying signs and trying to block the event stage, a number of local organizers came together to discuss what would happen if something similar happened here.

More than 100 people attended a community meeting that touched on ways to help “drown out the noise,” said Russell, who noted similar disruptions have since occurred in Barrie and Niagara.

To help, Speqtrum is hosting a do-ityourself banner and noisemaker event at the YWCA Hamilton Saturday. Anyone is welcome to donate pre-washed recyclables or attend and make shakers to hand out at Sunday’s event.

The Hamilton and District Labour Council will have a tent on site Sunday where they will be handing out around 200 rainbow-coloured kazoos.

Labour council members will also be available to help provide a “bit of a buffer” between attendees and disrupters if they do show up, said president Anthony Marco.

They will have their flags, signs and banners on hand to block out hateful messages if necessary, he said.

“Maybe that’s an opportunity for some of the organizers and some of the people who should just be enjoying themselves to be able to do that on that day,” he said.

Russell and Marco both welcomed allies to come help out at Sunday’s event.

“It’s really about protecting and then showing that our love is louder,” Russell said.

More than 3,000 people are expected to attend the free festival, which takes place Sunday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Gage Park, said Mercedes Simon, PR and marketing chair for the Pride Hamilton committee.

The day will kick off with a rally at the water fountain at 10:30 a.m. followed by the festivities, including musical and spoken word entertainment, vendors as well as a family fun area.

Hamilton police say they are aware of the event and the possibility of a protest.

“We are prepared to respond, if necessary,” said spokesperson Jackie Penman in an email. “We want people to enjoy the park and Sunday’s event.”