Under the warm sunny sky, a large and boisterous crowd filled the streets of Altona for the inaugural parade of the Pembina Valley Pride in the southern city of Manitoba on Saturday afternoon.
Approximately 400 people turned out to celebrate and support the diversity of the parade. Mayor Al Friesen and Altona Police Chief Perry Batcheler were among those walking the streets with supporters after the six-color Pride flag with a five-color chevron, highlighting inclusion and progress, was hoisted in front of the city office.
“Today was an assurance that the city is moving in a progressive way,” Friesen said. “Our hope was that today those who came from here or elsewhere have experienced this in Altona.
The 67-year-old mayor acknowledged that enthusiasm for the Pride Parade had waned in some parts of the city, but urged residents to turn the page and look forward to a brighter and more inclusive future.
“It seemed that there was a real appetite to organize a party-type event with the reality that it was not always a place as a party or an atmosphere as a party. I think it’s reassuring, “Friesen said.
“I think that speaks well for the people in our community who say, ‘This is our city. We would like that to be part of our definition of who we are. “
Altona Mayor Al Friesen, left, and Pembina Valley Pride President Peter Wolgemuth say they believe the city is moving forward in a more progressive way. (Andrew Wilds / CBC)
The parade became Mordon’s first pride parade in 2019, which Peter Wolgemuth called the “genesis” of the Pembina Valley Pride.
Wohlgemut, president of the Pembina Valley Pride, called the Morden event a major personal moment for themselves, as they did not have many 2SLGBTQ connections in the south of the province before that day.
“At this event, it became clear that we have a community here, and many of us thought we were all alone,” Wolgemuth said. “Sometimes it’s hard to be when you have to be so careful.
But skip ahead three years later, and Wolgemuth is not afraid to speak.
“There are people who want us to be ashamed of who we are, and the Pride name says no, we are not ashamed of who we are,” they said.
“We are proud to be a rainbow community. We are proud to be 2SLGBTQ. We will not be ashamed. You can try to create us, but we will not go there.
Tamara Franz is not ashamed either.
Franz, who had been calling Alton home for more than two decades, held a banner with other supporters during the parade.
“It’s such a holiday and until this year I would never have thought it would happen here, so it’s wonderful,” she said.
Tamara Franz, left, and other supporters hold a plaque during the introductory parade of pride in the Pembina Valley in Altona on Saturday. (Andrew Freesen / CBC)
Franz believes that everyone would know that he is welcome anywhere and anyone, although the local pastor does not support homosexuality.
Unlike some Christian leaders in the Altona area, leading pastor of the Grace Covenant Church Riley Tows condemned the celebration of pride in a recent blog post.
The 30-year-old Tows, who lives in nearby Gretna, handed out pamphlets at Saturday’s parade, just as he did in Morden at the community’s first pride parade in 2019.
Tous suggests that the core of his message is in line with that of Christianity.
“No matter what people say, what matters is what God says,” Tows told CBC News on Saturday. “God speaks and He speaks with clarity, and He speaks with clarity on this issue. Whatever other pastors say in denying God’s clear word does not change the fact that God has spoken. ”
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