Slideshow: Cornwall Pride 2018

Shawna O'Neill, TC Media 

CORNWALL, Ontario- The largest crowd of supporters to date marched in the 2018 Cornwall Pride Parade on Saturday, July 14. This year’s activities mark the third annual pride weekend in the city.

“I’m blown away by the support. Year-by-year, it just keeps growing,” said Stephanie Nadeau, President of Diversity Cornwall. Nadeau said she was thrilled with the turn out, as well as the energy coming into Lamoureux Park.

The crowd marched from Cornwall Collegiate Vocational School (CCVS) to Lamoureux Park, commencing around 11 a.m. Once at the park, the Pride Festival began at 12 p.m.

People of all ages marched while dressed and accessorized in rainbow colours. Several people held signs with positive slogans, and many waved LGBTQ+ and transgender flags. Groups and individuals shouted phrases like ‘Love wins!’ as they showed their support for the LGBTQ+ community.

“I feel empowered to help the younger generation,” said Derrik Baker, a long time LGBTQ+ activist. “If I can hang around and wave a flag for them — the millennials and the Generation X coming up. Because they’re technologically informed and they’re scientifically informed, and this is what’s pushing us forward. So the regression of the Ford train isn’t going to derail us. And we have nothing but respect for Kathleen Wynne. She was a trailblazer.”

Nadeau noticed more allies and booths in the park supporting the festival this year. However, she did encounter a group of protestors who were passing out comic strips with derogatory messages about gay individuals. These protestors were politely asked to leave.

“We still have protestors who protest against who we are, which is kind of odd, considering it’s 2018,” said Nadeau.

“What we need is the youth. They’re the people that are going to change the culture of things to move forward more. Gay marriage is legal now thanks to the elder people that fought for us, but now we need the young people to fight to change the culture more,” said Nadeau.

City Councillor Elaine MacDonald read a letter on behalf of Mayor Leslie O’Shaughnessy, who proclaimed the weekend as Pride Weekend in Cornwall. The letter also encouraged and praised freedom expression of identity, promoting tolerance, diversity, fairness and exclusiveness.

MacDonald shared her belief that the new Provincial Premiere, Doug Ford, has taken two massive steps backwards, one of those steps including the reversal of the Sex-ed Curriculum to the 1998 version.

“That is so very wrong, because it wasn’t until after 1998 that gay marriage became recognized as a fact and a good thing in Canada…and here now in Ontario we are denying that in our education,” said MacDonald.

“I ask you, if in the school system you take out any reference to the word pride, or gay, or homosexual or LGBT, how can you teach pride? Pride is about being visible, and about being proud. And if you have to be visible and erased from the books, that is a step backwards…we have to be vigilant, and we have to push back against this. We have to just say, ‘there’s no going back,’” said MacDonald.

The celebration didn’t stop with the parade and festival. The Pride Gala is held from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. on July 14 at The Hangover Bar. The night will include performances from the Capital Kings and prestigious drag queens from Ottawa.

Tomorrow, Sunday, July 15, registration for the Pride Run/Walk will begin at 9:30 a.m. Medals will be given to the fastest 30 participants, and participants also have the option to participate in yoga. 

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