Celebrating under a rainbow is possible this weekend as Powell River hosts its fourth annual Pride Day.
This free event promises to be bigger than ever—a welcome change for members of the Powell River Rainbow Alliance who have been working hard to open up the event to the wider community this year.
“We wanted to be more inclusive because in the past it seemed that there was a small group of people…and we wanted it to be bigger and better and involve everybody,” said Kaden Webb, helping to organize the event this year. “We want everybody to come out and celebrate you can be gay, transgendered, straight—whatever you are come out and show your support and be who you want to be.
“Pride means being myself really; as someone who considers themselves transgendered it’s always been a struggle just to find [myself],” said Webb. “I just think that it’s important, especially growing up here, for people to feel that they can be themselves without judgment.”
The fourth annual Pride Day will be celebrated with a party between 1 and 4 pm Saturday, July 4, at Willingdon Beach.
“It’s going to be a nice fun-filled afternoon with DJ entertainment, games, giveaways and food and vendors, free massages, face painting and giveaways,” said Jeff Legatt, the event’s main organizer. “Everybody in the community is invited to come out and help support each other in this one day to celebrate gay pride.”
Acceptance is important to the organizers.
“I want it to be a fun-filled afternoon…on a positive level, for the community to say, ‘We’re here and we are a vital part of the community,’” said Legatt. “We just want to say, let’s have fun, let’s enjoy, let’s accept the diversity in the community.”
While Pride Day is sometimes associated with parades featuring nudity and adult themes, Legatt said the Powell River event will be completely family friendly.
“We’re not shoving the sexuality part of it in anyone’s face,” he said. “We are just identifying the presence of gay, bisexual, transgendered, transsexual and two-spirit individuals. We just want to be part of the community…enjoy ourselves and be accepted.”
Legatt also encouraged attendees to show their pride by wearing bright rainbow colours or even costumes to the party.
“We invite the community to show their colours by dressing up for fun,” said Legatt. “We are inviting people to come down in their wildest, ‘funnest’ and brightest [clothes].”
In addition to the beach party there is also a separate 18+ drag show at Carlson Community Club that evening, featuring Symone Says, Connie Smudge and Sienna Blaze. Doors open at 9 pm, tickets $13 at the door or $10 in advance from Iguana’s Mexican Grill, Capone’s Cellar or River City Coffee.
