Willingdon Beach will be filled with food, fun and inclusivity on Saturday, August 25 for Powell River’s first annual Pride Celebrations. Aiming to show support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) community, the event will be held from 1 to 3 pm.
Those attending are welcome to take clearly labelled food items to share as festivities will be centred around a barbecue and potluck. There will also be activities such as tie-dying T-shirts, face painting and various crafts including drawing and beading.
Rounding off the day are an assortment of contests and prizes, including one to design a logo for the event. The best male to dress as a female, and best female to dress as a male will also be crowned as the celebration’s King and Queen.
The festivities are a brainchild of organizers Emily Anderson, 19, Amanda Morris, 19, and Maenyn Forsyth, 25. Anderson said that as co-leader of the Gay Straight Transgender Alliance (GSTA) at Brooks Secondary School, she felt there should be something in Powell River to show support for the LGBT community.
“There’s all sorts of pride parades during the summer, but what if somebody from Powell River can’t afford to take the ferry or two ferries to go to Vancouver or [Vancouver] Island?” Anderson said, explaining the thinking behind the event.
Although the GSTA at Brooks wasn’t very big, Anderson said she wanted the event to show Powell River is willing to stand behind them. “This event shows that there are people in the community who want to address these things,” she said.
Although organizers weren’t sure at first how people would react, Anderson said community support has been overwhelming. “Basically, every day there’s something new we have access to,” she explained. “We have people from the community willing to say, ‘I can bring this,’ or ‘I can bring that.’”
Anderson hopes the event will be successful enough to allow it to become an annual celebration. She welcomed anyone who wants to participate in the event, whether it be through playing music, bringing a bite to eat or providing materials or activities.
For more information or to volunteer services, interested readers can visit the event’s Facebook page. Readers can also contact Anderson at [email protected], Forsyth at 604.433.1117 or Morris at 604.413.1776.
