Niagara Pride Week settles for virtual splash
Moving all the Niagara Pride Week events online has been tough, says Enzo Dedivitiis.
Everything — opening night kickoff, smaller events that led up to the big Pride in the Park day in Montebello Park in St. Catharines — all of it has gone virtual this year, like so many others events during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What hurts, he says, is that Pride Week was the one time of the year when members of Niagara’s LGBTQ community could celebrate being themselves in a public setting. Even the traditional flag-raising ceremonies outside municipal offices across the region turned into video events. No crowds allowed, but the flags are flying.
Many people don’t realize “how significant seeing that flag is for not just community members, but for allies,” says Dedivitiis, chair of Pride Niagara.
“Our flag is not just raising awareness. Our flag is for the heritage and the culture of an entire community. It’s not just, ‘We have a festival going on and we’d like you to pay attention.’
“It’s the acceptance and complete heritage of the struggle of a whole community that was segregated, that was kicked out of their employment. That was just not given equal opportunities. It’s scary how so much of that is echoing right now across the world again, for so many groups.”
The hardest part, he says, was adapting Pride in the Park day into a virtual event.
With its music, entertainment and food it usually attracts about 3,000 people who are LGBTQ or from the broader community together.
This year instead, an online program has been put together with performances by entertainers from across Niagara, including a full drag show, starting Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
“It’s not the same, but it is something for now,” Dedivitiis says.
If there is a bright side, it’s that “unfortunately, living virtual is a big part for our LGBTQ+ community to begin with.”
“So the transition was pretty beneficial for a lot of people who can’t access the events to begin with, or don’t feel comfortable enough to access the events.
“Whether they’re not completely open with themselves yet, whether they’re not feeling accepted with their family or work or current situation, a lot of people don’t come to these (live) events or can’t access them for those reasons.”
Before the pandemic, Pride Niagara was producing about three virtual events online a month that provided support and information and kept the LGBTQ community connected.
Since then it has increased that content, to help people feeling isolated due to social distancing.
What’s been found, he says, is “we can reach even more people, so it’s something we’re going to continue in the future.”
Conversation naturally turns to the shocking events in the U.S., where another community is protesting against prejudice and unfair treatment.
“It’s human rights and equality,” says Dedivitiis. “The fact that this is still going so strong, and there is a leader that is encouraging this behaviour, is disturbing to say the least.”
Online, Niagara Pride Week kicked off May 30 with Drag Queen Story Time, for which local drag queens Macy Manolo and Empress Claudia Silva hosted a night of Lgbtq-positive stories followed by a Q&A session.
“It had a really good response,” says Dedivitiis.
Friday night, the annual Niagara UNITY Awards will be held honouring people’s work in public education and support, faith, community involvement and providing places that offer safe space for LGBTQ people and events.
Dedivitiis says links to the online events will be posted at Prideniagara.com and on Pride Niagara’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.